Jake's Page

Weight: 120
Breed: Rottweiler
Age when diagnosed: 3

Tumors:

We got our dog Jake after my Shepherd Rex passed away. He was given to us by friends of my Dad. They lived in a community which would only allow dogs under 35 pounds. He was almost 2 when he was given to us. I wasn't sure about him. He was a terror on four legs. He tore our house apart and ate everything that wasn't attached to the floor, but he grew on me. With a little love and patience he turned into an (almost) well behaved dog. He was an awesome dog. We spent most of our time together swimming, running, and going for rides. Jake loved the car and food two of his favorite hobbies. He was quite a charecter and I am pretty sure thought he was human. He loved hugs and knew words like Ball, Bone, Squirrel, Bunny, Stick, Ride, and Cookie. He loved eating veggies and fruit and sitting between me and my boyfriend on the couch. Jealous very Jealous.

We had a good year and a half before he started limping. We thought he had sprained his leg, because of his crazy Jake ways, but the limp wouldn't go away. Over a period of weeks we took him to the vets several times and were given Deramaxx. The vet thought he had a piece of joint in his shoulder that dislodged and wanted to take x-rays. We dropped him off at the vets in the morning, and somehow I knew it wasn't going to be something so easy. My mom picked Jake up later that night for me and returned home with news that Jake had bone cancer and an enlarged heart. I was heart broken. I knew that we would lose him when I heard those words. He was so young, my heart was broken. I couldn't even look at him for the longest time knowing my days with him were short.

We talked to the vet about getting a second opinion by a specialist, and sure enough he confirmed it. We read about bone cancer in dogs and learned that the cancer is vigorous in younger dogs. We also learned that amputation would lenghthen his life and cause him less pain, but it would also usually lead into organ failure months later. I couldn't put my dog through it. So we agreed to let him live out his days before the pain got too bad. Everything was fine on his Deramaxx for awhile. He wasn't allowed to go for walks or swim, which broke his heart, but we went for rides. He could still ride in his beloved front seat of my car with his head out the window, and we still had our dog.

About 40 days later or so everything got worse. He would yipe if his leg was touched the wrong way or he walked on it wrong, he would also spend nights crying. It would break my heart because he would be so happy to be with us during the day you would forget he was sick until the night came. We would give him a dose and a half of Deramaxx and sleep on the floor with him. I knew I couldn't let him cry like that anymore so a couple days later made the appointment to put him down. I didn't want to go. I couldn't see him die. I knew it was the right thing to do, but couldn't help but feeling like the biggest jerk in the world. I ended up being with him to almost the very end. He fought the whole way refusing to give in. He cried and cried and my heart broke into a million pieces. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. The whole vet's office was in tears. The veterinarian was even rubbing my shoulders as I sobbed in the corner. I lost my best friend and companion.

I've read everyone's stories on this website and know what everyone was feeling. Everyone's experiences were almost the same. Cancer in anyone and anything is a terrible thing and I hope soon we find a cure, so people will stop losing their friends and loved ones. So, I will say a prayer for anyone going through the hardship of this ordeal.

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