A lighter moment for dog lovers about Brady

[rochrist]

And on the other end you have my dogs, who weigh in at 6.5 and 4 pounds respectively.

Those aren't dog, they're hamsters!

 

[rochrist]

Yes, good advice for sure.

As far as sometimes showing more compassion for animals--I hear you. Not meaning to get overly "soft" on you, but love is love, no matter what form it comes in. Anything that shows me love and affection is just fine in my book!

I suspect the reason for that is that animals give you truly unconditional trust and love and betraying that is really....evil.

 

[strngplyr]

Yes, good advice for sure.

As far as sometimes showing more compassion for animals--I hear you. Not meaning to get overly "soft" on you, but love is love, no matter what form it comes in. Anything that shows me love and affection is just fine in my book!

This is a dog thread, we'll talk about our chest hairs elsewhere. Soft is fine!

 

[supafly]

This is a dog thread, we'll talk about our chest hairs elsewhere. Soft is fine!

Well, I just burped and gave myself a healthy scratch for good measure anyway.

Too much information? Just ask @Bella*chick to weigh in

 

[strngplyr]

Well, I just burped and gave myself a healthy scratch for good measure anyway.

Too much information? Just ask @Bella*chick to weigh in

Two different types of information, my friend!

 

[Dillon46]

Kudos to Gisele for rockin leather tights......very nice

That dog has the same coloration and exactly the same pattern as my Mini-Pin....well he's actually more of a Medium-Pin

For the record Dogs are the greatest, most faithful friend you will EVER have......a few turds are a small price to pay for the unwavering trust and love they return, sadly even to losers who abuse them

 

[josh24]

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[Haley]

Thanks, buddy. Much appreciated. Unfortunately, it's been confirmed by two different vets and he started his first chemo treatment yesterday when they kept him overnight. It's going to be a long, drawn-out process for us---looks like they have a 26 week treatment plan worked out.

Early estimates of between 6,000 and 8,000 dollars....ouch. At first, I really considered the thought of putting him down, but he's still so young, and both vets/places said that the high majority of people choose to do at least some kind of chemo treatment, even those who cannot afford the cost choose a lesser number of visits. That kind of made me feel as though I didn't have much of a choice. Of course the wife wouldn't even hear of anything else.

Like I said though, even if the cancer goes into remission, they still say that the average lifespan will only be 9-18 months no matter what. That's tough to deal with. It's pretty much a lose/lose situation no matter how you look at it. I try and think about the responsibility that I took on in the beginning, which makes it impossible to take the "easier" road. It's one of the things that you sign up for as a pet owner, even though I never really thought of it that way before.

Gosh, I'm so sorry, Supa. That is just so hard to deal with. People who don't own dogs don't understand that they really do become a family member. We end up spending this kind of money on them because they are family and we love them.

My female JRT has Disc Degeneration Syndrome. This means that at any time she can herniate a disc in her back and end up in terrible pain and, without surgery, become incontinent and paralyzed. It has happened twice so far, both times to the tune of about $4,000. And the surgeon has warned us it will likely happen again in her lifetime. She is only 6 and small dogs can live until they are 15-20 years old but we are hopeful that she has seen the end of that particular tunnel.

But unlike your situation, my female is healthy after the surgeries, although a little scarred up (we now call her zipperback). I don't know how I would handle a situation like yours. I'd probably be a little like your wife and just decide that there is always hope of a unique outcome because vets don't know the future, they only know the past. And then I might additionally look for some clinical trials. My sister is a vet who does stem cell research in dogs so I know I'd start there.

I wish you and your dog the best in navigating this difficult time. No matter what happens, your dog knows he is loved and cared for, which makes all the difference.

 

[supafly]

Gosh, I'm so sorry, Supa. That is just so hard to deal with. People who don't own dogs don't understand that they really do become a family member. We end up spending this kind of money on them because they are family and we love them.

My female JRT has Disc Degeneration Syndrome. This means that at any time she can herniate a disc in her back and end up in terrible pain and, without surgery, become incontinent and paralyzed. It has happened twice so far, both times to the tune of about $4,000. And the surgeon has warned us it will likely happen again in her lifetime. She is only 6 and small dogs can live until they are 15-20 years old but we are hopeful that she has seen the end of that particular tunnel.

But unlike your situation, my female is healthy after the surgeries, although a little scarred up (we now call her zipperback). I don't know how I would handle a situation like yours. I'd probably be a little like your wife and just decide that there is always hope of a unique outcome because vets don't know the future, they only know the past. And then I might additionally look for some clinical trials. My sister is a vet who does stem cell research in dogs so I know I'd start there.

I wish you and your dog the best in navigating this difficult time. No matter what happens, your dog knows he is loved and cared for, which makes all the difference.

Thanks for the great response. Let's cross our fingers and hope that both of our pups can have a healthier outlook for the future. I agree that they definitely become family members, that's for sure!

I didn't know what to expect, but after the first day or two it's looking as though 90 minutes is about the farthest we can wait before taking him outside--yikes. I've had to set my alarm throughout the night and morning, and it ends up taking me about 30+ just to fall back asleep each time. In the past, this was a dog who could easily go 8-10 hours if we were gone for the day etc. I guess all of the medications are making that a very distant memory.

I have a new found respect for anyone who has gone through this before, and especially those unfortunate cases where a child or sick parent may have been involved. Just awful to deal with.

 

[RecoveringCowboy]

A number of my cats recently reached double-digits and died in the past five years, so I understand losing a pet....I grew up with a dog.

 

[Bella*chick]

I'm honestly the person who feels even worse about these things happening to animals than I do to people, which might be weird.

You are not. My mom lost her cat around the same time she lost her father to complications from dementia/Alzheimer's and she freely admitted the cat was ten times worse. This was years ago and I'm not sure she is completely over it. She did love her father but as is the way with human interactions, there were good things and not so good things. Human interactions are definitely not as unconditional as animals, although the parent/child relationship particularly when the kids are young is an exception).

Supa, I wish you and your buddy the very best. I have a friend who has recently sunk thousands into the cardiac care of her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who suffered from MVD, as all Cavs will at some point. It was just dreadful as he died after about 12-14 months of constant vet visits and discomfort. But the first thing she did was run and adopt another elderly Cav who has the same issues. She just loves these dogs, what can you do.

 

[Bella*chick]

Those aren't dog, they're hamsters!

One is a Yorkshire Terrier (didn't Giselle have one, too?) and the other is a Maltese. The Yorkie is all of 4 pounds, 4 ounces and that's the most she has ever weighed. The Maltese is 6 and a half pounds. She has MVD (cardiac issues) and both are 14 years old so they live a very leisurely life. They eat raw and have for their whole lives and it is really easy to maintain their weight with this food because all they do is lay around on pillows and expect to be tended to (which they are!).

 

[strngplyr]

One is a Yorkshire Terrier (didn't Giselle have one, too?) and the other is a Maltese. The Yorkie is all of 4 pounds, 4 ounces and that's the most she has ever weighed. The Maltese is 6 and a half pounds. She has MVD (cardiac issues) and both are 14 years old so they live a very leisurely life. They eat raw and have for their whole lives and it is really easy to maintain their weight with this food because all they do is lay around on pillows and expect to be tended to (which they are!).

Sounds miserable laying on a pillow all day being tended to! Poor creatures!

 

[Dillon46]

Thanks for the great response. Let's cross our fingers and hope that both of our pups can have a healthier outlook for the future. I agree that they definitely become family members, that's for sure!

I didn't know what to expect, but after the first day or two it's looking as though 90 minutes is about the farthest we can wait before taking him outside--yikes. I've had to set my alarm throughout the night and morning, and it ends up taking me about 30+ just to fall back asleep each time. In the past, this was a dog who could easily go 8-10 hours if we were gone for the day etc. I guess all of the medications are making that a very distant memory.

I have a new found respect for anyone who has gone through this before, and especially those unfortunate cases where a child or sick parent may have been involved. Just awful to deal with.

I'm so so sorry about your little guy getting sick like that. My heart goes out to you.

My dog means so much to me especially after my Father(we were very close) who recently passed away from cancer. The dog was both mine and my dads companion.....So my dog Pepe has become a family member for sure as he helps me cope with a lot of difficulties since that shot to the gut happened.

I've lost so many people I truly loved in my life that devastated me....but if anything happened to my dog I think I'd lose it all together.

Your in my thoughts and prayers and keep fighting

 

[AzorianPats]

I tell my GF all the time that our dog is my best friend. No matter what type of day I had, or what type of mood I'm in, it never matters. My dog loves me just the same. They never judge. Give them a treat, take them outside, and show them attention, they'll love you more!

How anyone can be so anti dog is beyond me. They're the most loyal and loving creatures that exist.

 

[RecoveringCowboy]

I Googled for a list of famous dog haters and none seems to exist, like famous cat haters. I will note there is one culture dogs are often considered unclean and remembered it when seeing American Sniper

 

[Oinko]

Dogs = four-legged manure spreaders. Dog owners think that their 'fido' is the calmest, friendliest, nicest, animal in the world just before it tears another person/child to pieces or attacks a stranger. I like dogs but dog owners for the most part are some of the most clueless people on the planet. They see their ANIMALS with being able to think like a human being and act accordingly. Figure that one out. I hope Brady doesn't regret this but I'm sure he can afford the insurance hit that owning an unpredictable ticking time bomb like a doberman, pit bull, rottweiler, and similar breeds. I also hope that a preventable dog tragedy doesn't befall the family.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/cateyhill/2012/05/30/11-riskiest-dog-breeds-for-homeowners-and-renters/

I'm a dog-owner and dog-lover, but this post is the truth.

A good friend of mine brought his Rotweiller to a young kid's soccer game, and it bit a small kid's face. All he could talk about was how the young kid had come up behind the dog and startled it, approached it weirdly, etc.

But it was a kid's soccer game! Some people are afraid of dogs, especially dogs that could actually do some damage if something strikes them the wrong way. I say any dog that can actually be a threat should be kept at home or away from groups of people.