Survivors and Celebrations

Joshua's Story

Today, May 21, 2010, my sweet Joshy went over the rainbow bridge. He was a 90 lb, 9-yr old puppy who liked to sit in your lap (oopmh!) He was the sweetest, most gentle soul and the smartest kid on the block. He enjoyed giving high fives and catching cookies off his nose! About 6 weeks ago, he stopped eating and was lethargic. I took him to our wonderful vet, who found a mass in his stomach. After an ultrasound at a vet specialty clinic, he was found to have a splenic tumor about 13cms in size. During surgery, the spleen was removed and another smaller nodule on his kidney was found and removed. The biopsy results came back and the diagnosis was bone cancer. Though very rare, osteosarcoma can present in abdominal organs. There is very little information out on the web about osteosarcoma in the spleen, but I’ve read that the spleen will sometimes mimic activity in bone marrow cells. We opted not to go forward with chemotherapy as this would only extend his life for a short time. Instead, he had the best three weeks of his life. With the tumors gone, he was like a puppy again - happy, active and eating up a storm! He enjoyed daily car rides, lots of cookies, and his grandma spoiled him more than ever! This past 4th week after the tumor was removed, he showed signs of abdominal discomfort, rapid breathing, and no appetite. I knew it was time. This morning, with all family members present, we helped Joshua over the rainbow bridge peacefully and without pain. It has been a cloudy, rainy week here in the midwest, but amazingly, on our ride back from the vet's office, without my precious boy, a hole in the clouds opened up and a ray of sunshine followed us all the way home. I absolutely know who opened up that hole. Though my heart is broken right now and the tears are hitting the keyboard as I type, I know I am blessed to have had the time I did with him, and he will forever remain in my thoughts and my heart. Please give your pets hugs every day and tell them how much they mean to you. Thank you for reading Joshua's story. His trading card is here: http://www.bluebufftradingcards.com/Print-Card.aspx?PPID=29164