Tucker's Page

Weight: 57
Breed: Other
Age when diagnosed: 5

Tumors:

We got Tucker 7 years ago from a couple who had found him at a flea market. Later we would joke that he was the most expensive “free” dog you would ever find. The couple lived in a little apartment three stories up and were expecting their first baby. They had quickly realized that they didn’t have the room or the time to take care of this puppy even though they loved him immensely and didn’t really want to let him go. So they put an ad in the paper which my husband found. We called them up and arranged a time to go and meet my future Tucker Dog.

Chance, as he was known back then, was a ball of energy! He was this little black and white terror running all over. I worried when I first saw him that he wasn’t fluffy enough but my husband was convinced he was the dog for us. So we paid our $85.00 for the dog, a large cage, a big bag of dog food, a couple of puppy books, a leash and collar, and some toys and away we went. I remember Tucker sitting on my lap on the way home. I could tell he was scared and I could also tell that I already loved him to pieces. We quickly learned that Tucker was all border collie, he loved to herd things including us and he was smart as a whip. He was a breeze to house break and never chewed anything (except the baseboard just this one time).  During the day he roamed the house and would bring my shoes downstairs (unharmed) in pairs. Mike and Tucker would spend hours outside throwing ball. He loved to play ball more than life itself and was quite good at it. He could catch a ball with his eyes closed I think.

After we had Tucker for a couple of years we decided he needed a friend so we went to the pound and chose Sydney. She was chosen simply because she had identical markings to Tucker. We called her his mini-me. A couple of years after Sydney came along we had our first baby and moved to Tampa. It was while we were in Tampa that we first noticed Tucker limping. We immediately took him to the vet. We had just gotten new Pergo flooring in our entire house and I was certain he had slipped and sprained something. Unfortunately after looking at the x-ray our vet was thinking something else. I was a mess. Here I was thinking I was just taking Tucker in for a sprain and I leave thinking he could possibly have cancer. I had no idea about osteosarcoma and at that time didn’t look into it at all.

It was December 6, 2004 and in a couple of weeks we were going to be heading up to Ohio for Christmas. Tucker was put on pain killers and anti-inflammatories and we all headed up north still not knowing if he had cancer or not. The meds worked a little but then he started to limp again and the swelling was becoming more noticeable. When we got back to Tampa we took another set of x-rays which showed the area had gotten bigger. We then did a biopsy to rule out a bone infection. By this time I had googled “limping in dogs” and was overwhelmed by articles on osteosarcoma. I knew then that was what he had. Tucker’s symptoms were a perfect match. My husband, always the optimist, didn’t want to believe me at first but then we got the call and our worst fears were confirmed.

We scheduled a consult at Florida Veterinary Specialists and met with an oncologist who gave us our options and the grim statistics. Tucker had his amputation in Jan of 2005 and then began 4 rounds of carboplatin. We also added cottage cheese and flaxseed oil to his diet along with an all natural dog food called Blue Buffalo. We continued with chest x-rays every three months and each time we beat the odds with an all clear. We made it two years before we saw anything come up on the x-rays. After that it was all downhill quickly. However, I can honestly say that he didn’t suffer. He was wagging his tail and begging for food until the very end which was December 21, 2006 just two weeks after his last chest x-rays showed the mets. Tucker was the best dog that I will probably ever have. I just don’t think there will ever be another dog like him for me. He was my best friend and he loved me just as much as I loved him. Every night before going to sleep after he was diagnosed two years ago I would whisper in Tucker’s ear and tell him that I will love him forever and ever and ever. And I will.

Pictures

Sweet boy Sweet boy