So sad!!!!

[DDH]

Donna - I am so sorry to hear the news. He's lucky to have you and may you enjoy the time you do have.

Just out of curiosity, how did they diagnosis him?

((Hugs)) from Zeus and I

He had been limping on his leg off and on for about a month and I finally took him in thinking it was a pulled muscle and the vet did xrays and it was very clear. The vet was showing me and talking to me and said see how this looks compared to the other shoulder and I was like "Yeah?" he said something is eating away at his bone, and still not thinking anything about cancer I said, "well what in the world would be doing that" and that's when he said he has cancer.

He was going to do a biopsy, but I was concerned after reading up some on the internet, about them drillling into an already weakened bone and possibly causing a fracture, and losing him all the sooner. So my husband went in and talked to the vet and looked at the xrays and they decided that it was probably best to just let him be and not cause him anymore pain or take any chances. He was sure that it was cancer and by the time you are seeing symptoms, it has already spread and really to late to do anything about it other than manage his pain. The vet said the money that we would spend on a biopsy for an absolute diagnose's would be better spent on pain meds, as he will need them more and more as time goes on.


I just read all your replys and I appreciate your thoughts more than you know. I am spoiling him, (not that he wasn't already) and watching his every move while I'm home. He's probably sick of me and my husband pawing all over him so much lately. He is still in very good spirits right now and is getting up and down the new ramp that my husband built for him a whole lot easier than going up and down those stairs.

I really appreciate knowing that I am not alone in getting so frustrated with him at times. He really is just a big goof without a care in the world. I always describe him as goofy going aroung looking silly saying (do da do da do). LOL
He's been a great dog, just as our previous shepards were.
I told my husband the other day, I just wish we could have 1 dog that just goes to sleep and doesn't wake up rather than us having to make this heart wrenching decision later.
When the first two died, one had a stroke at 14 and we had to take him in because he couldn't walk right and couldn't hold his urine, and my dogs have always been in door dogs so you can imagine that you can't have them peeing everywhere. The second had spinal myopathy and the vet told me that there would come a day when he would not be able to get up any longer, but to leave him until he is ready and that I would know when.
When he no longer wants to play or show interest in things he loved to do such as play ball. It was so hard, my husband had gone off to another state on a hunting trip and that very weekend he didn't want to play ball anymore and wouldn't eat, so that Monday I had to have the vet come out. I felt terrible because I had sworn I wasn't going to let him get to the point of not being able to get up, and by the time the vet got there on Monday he was not longer able to get up. Poor thing was just laying there and couldn't move anymore. The other dogs wouldn't have anything to do with him, like they were scared or something.

So really, I already know how hard it is, I guess that is why I am dreading this so badly.
I cannot imagine us without a German shepard in our lives, but I think this will be the last.

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts, it means a great deal to me to be able to read about others experiences and to know I'm not alone.