Titan had several health problems over the last year. We found out he had kidney problem, arthritis, and an hypothyroidism. He's been on medications for all these things. He lost some weight when his thyroid started working properly which was a good thing. However, we recently noticed that he seemed to have lost even more weight, he was tired all time (more than normal), he wasn't eating his food, and his belly looked swollen.
On the Monday after Thanksgiving I took him to the vet so they could check his labs again and evaluate his belly. We knew something was up but weren't sure if it was anything serious. We found out he had lost another 15 pounds since his last visit in August. He only weighed 103 lbs. The drew more labs to check his thyroid and basic blood counts. Dr. Russell aspirated some fluid out of Titan's abdomen. It was clear, which was a good sign, but the fact that it was there at all was a bad sign. He said the main cause of this is cancer, but he needed an ultrasound to be sure. The next day I took him back to have the ultrasound done. The news we got wasn't good. Titan had a tumor on his adrenal gland that was spreading in to the vena cava of his heart. His heart vessel could burst at any time. His liver and spleen were both enlarged as well. It was a pretty advanced cancer and the prognosis was poor.
Surgery was an option but after thinking long and hard about we decided that it wasn't the best option for Titan. There were too many risks involved, he was too old, and the cancer was too advanced. We wanted his last days to be full of love and pampering. So all week we loved on him a lot and gave him whatever he wanted.
On Saturday, December 3, I went to work and Jeremy dropped Titan off at the vet early that morning. They said they could give him some medicine to get some of the fluid off and make him more comfortable. We thought that after that he'd feel better and we'd get to enjoy some more time with him. We were wrong. Around lunch time Dr. Hill called and told Jeremy that when she aspirated fluid this time there was only blood. He was bleeding internally and it was getting worse by the hour. He was still in good spirits but was losing blood quickly. She told us the best thing for us to do would be to put him down that day. If we waited, he would suffer. So I left work in tears and we went up to the vet office.
We loved on Titan. He didn't try to get up but he wagged his little nubby tail and licked our faces. He was such a sweet boy. Jeremy's parents said their last goodbye's to him as well. When we were ready Dr. Hill came in. We were all in tears. We gave Titan a few more treats, a few more hugs, a few more kisses. Dr. Hill administered the medicine and within a few minutes we felt Titan slip away. It was terrible. We miss him terribly.
Titan had a great 11 years and although we miss him so much we know that he's better now and we are thankful for the time we had with him. He was a wonderful dog, so sweet and protective of our family. There will never be another dog like him. WE LOVE YOU, TITAN, REST IN PEACE.
On the Monday after Thanksgiving I took him to the vet so they could check his labs again and evaluate his belly. We knew something was up but weren't sure if it was anything serious. We found out he had lost another 15 pounds since his last visit in August. He only weighed 103 lbs. The drew more labs to check his thyroid and basic blood counts. Dr. Russell aspirated some fluid out of Titan's abdomen. It was clear, which was a good sign, but the fact that it was there at all was a bad sign. He said the main cause of this is cancer, but he needed an ultrasound to be sure. The next day I took him back to have the ultrasound done. The news we got wasn't good. Titan had a tumor on his adrenal gland that was spreading in to the vena cava of his heart. His heart vessel could burst at any time. His liver and spleen were both enlarged as well. It was a pretty advanced cancer and the prognosis was poor.
Surgery was an option but after thinking long and hard about we decided that it wasn't the best option for Titan. There were too many risks involved, he was too old, and the cancer was too advanced. We wanted his last days to be full of love and pampering. So all week we loved on him a lot and gave him whatever he wanted.
On Saturday, December 3, I went to work and Jeremy dropped Titan off at the vet early that morning. They said they could give him some medicine to get some of the fluid off and make him more comfortable. We thought that after that he'd feel better and we'd get to enjoy some more time with him. We were wrong. Around lunch time Dr. Hill called and told Jeremy that when she aspirated fluid this time there was only blood. He was bleeding internally and it was getting worse by the hour. He was still in good spirits but was losing blood quickly. She told us the best thing for us to do would be to put him down that day. If we waited, he would suffer. So I left work in tears and we went up to the vet office.
We loved on Titan. He didn't try to get up but he wagged his little nubby tail and licked our faces. He was such a sweet boy. Jeremy's parents said their last goodbye's to him as well. When we were ready Dr. Hill came in. We were all in tears. We gave Titan a few more treats, a few more hugs, a few more kisses. Dr. Hill administered the medicine and within a few minutes we felt Titan slip away. It was terrible. We miss him terribly.
Titan had a great 11 years and although we miss him so much we know that he's better now and we are thankful for the time we had with him. He was a wonderful dog, so sweet and protective of our family. There will never be another dog like him. WE LOVE YOU, TITAN, REST IN PEACE.
2 comments:
So happy you finally updated your blog! But, so sad to hear about your dog :( It's amazing how they become part of the family, and how much you grow to love them. We lost Riley almost 2 years ago, but it was suddenly. Hope everyone's doing ok. Thinking about you guys :)
Thank you for sharing such an emotional and private time in your life. He was such a sweet boy...RIP Titan.
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