Category: Canine Cancer

The autumn of Maverick's life

10/6/2015

We can no longer deny that we are in autumn. It is certainly crisp outside! When I was a kid this was my favorite time of year. And don’t get me wrong, I still like it but this year it doesn’t hold the same appeal. Yes, it’s cooler for walking my dogs. Yes, the changing leaves are pretty. Yes, it’s time for harvest and soon the holidays. Yes, warm comfort food in the crock pot is great. But, and maybe it’s just circumstances in my life, this year it just doesn’t feel so comforting. I know that Maverick is certainly in the autumn of his life. I can see it in subtle ways. He has FINALLY healed from his last surgery and is feeling good again. I know that this time is a gift, really I do. However, I often feel like I am in the eye of a storm. His diagnosis and first round of treatment was like going through a really terrible storm. We were thrown around and it was rough. Now, we are in the calm in the middle. He looks and feels good and I am so grateful. But, I know that we have yet to go through the storm again on the other side. The difference is there is no calm on the other side of the impending storm. Just loss and pain. I have no idea when this storm will hit, just that it will. Probably when I least expect it. I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Some days it’s just so overwhelming. But, for now, we are trying to live one day at a time. I am making sure to slow down and enjoy my guys. I am making sure he eats every day. That is sometimes a challenge and so many nights I am hand feeding him. I am doing everything holistically that I can for him. He is on essiac tea, some other herbs, and a THC tincture. We are doing regular sessions of acupuncture, chiropractic and TTouch. I can’t stop the storm from coming but I can try to delay it as long as possible!

So, as the days gets shorter and cooler please cherish your dogs. Walk a little longer. Throw the ball a little longer. Teach them a trick. Spend some extra time with them doing fun things. The time will go by much too fast and soon you too will be in the autumn of your dog’s life.

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Learning to balance

7/26/2015

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My dog has cancer. What does that mean? It means I now have a new “normal”. We all go through situations in our lives that change us. This is one of those for me. I know that this process will teach me many things. Maverick has always been a teacher to me. So, why should this be any different? What is the first lesson he is teaching me? How to balance. To balance tomorrow with today, looking forward while not missing the present. So often we hear people say “dog’s live in the moment” or “you should live in the moment”. What does that mean? It means that when Maverick is feisty and playful to savor it and not think that it won’t happen again or that he will be tired later. It means to let the dirty dishes sit awhile when my dogs say “let’s play!” and enjoy the moment with them. This is not easy for me. I am a planner. I am always looking forward. And to some degree I have to be this way. I own my own business. If I don’t plan for tomorrow I may not have a roof over my head!

That is where the balance part comes in. I have to balance tomorrow-work, treatment plan, my grief with today-spending time with Mav, making sure he is eating, taking his herbs, getting rest etc. I have to balance Mav’s needs with the needs of my other dogs. I have to balance Michael’s needs with those of the dogs. I have to balance my needs with those of the family and of work. To be honest I feel like I have been practicing a careful balancing act for a long time. Only now, if I slack off in the area of my family I feel guilty.

Emotions are a funny fickle thing. It’s almost like they are an alien in my body. My logic tells me one thing and then my emotions tell me something else. I know I should not feel guilty for working-I do need money to pay the mortgage and feed my dogs etc. But, I do feel guilty when I work 12 hours in the summer heat and have nothing left to give to my family when I get home. I feel a little guilty right now. I could be outside with my boys playing and I am inside writing this blog so that it can go in the newsletter that needs to be done by the end of the week.

So, how do I balance today with tomorrow and control my guilt in the area of work? I plan for the future but instead of planning a year out I might plan for a few months. When I am at work I focus on that but when I am not working I focus on my family. This also means evaluating how effective I am at work. If I am going to take time away from my family it will not be wasted on small classes or students who aren’t committed to working with their dogs. It means I will set better boundaries of “work” time and “life” time. This will be the hardest for me. Because I work from home it is easy to do just a little work and then 3 hours are gone and I have not honored my time off. It means trusting that working only 40-50 hours a week is enough. That I can work smarter and not harder.

I so often find myself saying “yes” to students and “no” to myself and my family. That is about to change. I will honor my time off and my family. I will give 100% of myself to my students when I am working and 100% of myself to my family when I am off.

I am trusting that my students will understand when I don’t respond right away to calls or emails. I hope they understand when I am booked and can’t see them right away. I trust that they will ask “how are you doing?” at a time that is appropriate so that I can maintain my focus on work. I am trusting Sharon to handle more so that I may focus elsewhere.

I wish I was independently wealthy and could just stop working and live every moment with my husband and dogs but I am not. So, I will have to balance it all.

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them --work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls -- family, health friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."
~Brian Dyson, former vice chairman and COO of Coca-Cola.”

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Maverick's Tumor

7/1/2015

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Tuesday morning we headed to the vet for a fairly routine mass removal surgery. Because the nose and butt are so sensitive he had to have general anesthesia. We also decided to remove a few other suspicious masses as well. So, 5 masses in total. One on his nose, one on his back, two on a leg and the one of his butt.

A few hours later the vet called me. Maverick was doing "fine" but they had found a GOLF BALL sized tumor. After doing 4 of the masses they headed to the one on the butt and before starting had decided to express his anal glands. That is when they found it.

My heart started racing. A tumor? A large tumor? What does this mean? I told the Doctor to remove it and that I trusted him to take care of my boy. And then waiting…

A little over an hour later he called me to tell me that Maverick was out of surgery and that he was able to remove ALL of the tumor. Whew! Ok, that’s good. Now I could ask some questions.

How did this happen? Do poodles have a higher incidence of this? Should I have been expressing his anal glands? I didn’t think you do that unless there is a problem. Did I fail my dog? Did I miss some signs? How do you diagnosis this?

It is what they call an anal sac tumor. Some dogs show signs of it but many do not. The only way to diagnose this is with a rectal exam. He told me that EVERY dog over the age of 8 years old should have a rectal exam yearly with their check up. He told me that he doesn’t like to do them because most dogs hate it and if the dog looks healthy it’s easier to skip it. He told me to demand it.

I hope you NEVER hear the words “we found a tumor”. This week has been an emotional roller coaster for me. We will get the biopsy results in about a week and I am PRAYING with every cell in my body that the results come back as a granuloma or benign tumor. I know Maverick can’t live forever but I am NOT ready for him to go yet. Maverick is home recovering now. What was supposed to be a fairly easy surgery ended up being a major surgery and he came home with stitches from head to butt!

So, while we wait for results I want to share some suggestions with you.

·         If your dog is over 8 years old demand a rectal exam. Male and female dogs have the same incidence rates.

·         GET YOUR HANDS ON YOUR DOG!!!! You need to know every inch of their body and do so on a regular basis. This is more than just grooming. FEEL them with your hands. Know what is normal for your dog so you know what isn’t normal.

·         Teach your dog to LIKE touch so that you both enjoy it when you are doing a body check. I really like TTouch for this reason. Not only am I doing a body check but I am enhancing my bond with my dog at the same time.

·         Teach your dog to TOLERATE procedures. This goes beyond nail clipping and grooming. This includes gentle restraint, ear care, eye care, nose care, mouth care (are you brushing teeth?) and yes, even butt care! While you aren’t going to give your dog a rectal exam yourself you should make sure that they tolerate someone handling their butt! Use a q-tip to circle the anus (don’t stick it IN) just circle it to get them used to touching in that sensitive area. Maverick didn’t blink an eye when I found the lump by his rectum. If I hadn’t found that we wouldn’t have found the other tumor.

·         Be proactive about your dog’s care. Be educated about the diseases your breed of dog may be prone to getting so you can notice them at the early stages. Maverick bloated when he was 2 yrs old and I knew immediately what the problem was and when the vet (who I no longer see) told me he was “fine” I told her “NO” he isn’t.

·         Make sure your dog gets ANNUAL checkups and if you spot something out of the ordinary take them in to see the vet. Don’t wait until their next visit, get it checked out while it’s small. And don’t complain about the cost. Your dog will NEVER go to college, NEVER play team sports or go to dance class, and NEVER drive a car. Even if you feed a really expensive food and great treats the annual cost of caring for your dog is cheap in comparison and there is more to owning a dog than just feeding it!

I don’t know what the future holds and waiting is hard. But, right now I am holding an image of my beautiful boy surrounded by healing white light, a clean slate with all abnormal cells gone from his body. I am picturing him in perfect health surrounded by those of us who love him.

Now, go kiss your dog and tell them how much they mean to you.

~Jennifer

“The wish for healing has always been half of health.”
                                                                                                ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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The autumn of Maverick's life

Learning to balance

Maverick's Tumor

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