Minimor
Well-Known Member
Lucy, the German Shepherd we rescued from the pound (she had been surrendered by her previous owners) about 4 years ago was supposed to be 4 or 5 when we got her, but in reality she was much older than that. We figure she was more like 8 at the time, making her 12 now. She had a hard time settling in when we first got her but once she decided this was home, this was definitely home. She stayed around the yard good, was good with the cats, didn't bother the horses, loved hoof trimming days, always announced any people or vehicles that came into the yard, and I had the impression that if the situation had ever required it she would have gone for anyone that tried to mess with either of us. We were told she had been spayed already, and while we've had her she never came into heat. She never came into heat since we got her, but recently I've wondered if she were truly spayed, or if she was just old enough that she was no longer showing any outward signs of coming into heat.
Last fall we knew she wasn't going to be around for a lot longer, but late in the fall she was doing really well so we decided to keep her for the winter. She had some days where she seemed bothered by arthritis, but that came & went. She had some senile moments--there were times when we thought she must be hearing voices, because she'd come busting out of her dog house, barking her head off, when there was absolutely nothing to bark at. The last couple weeks she seemed to be really slowing down, and we had decided that when the ground thawed this spring so that I could dig a grave, we would have her put to sleep. I've been checking her body condition regularly & she's been holding her weight good, even though she never eats a lot. Saturday when I trimmed feet she was out there, enthusiastic about having her share of the hoof trimmings. A couple times on the weekend she looked uncomfortable, but then the next thing she'd seem okay again. Tuesday night I took some chicken scraps out for her, and she was all enthused, trotting along beside me to her dish. Yesterday when I called at noon Mom said Lucy wasn't looking too good--not good at all. She was wandering around the yard & had laid down out in the front yard near the driveway--where she never lays, and was just laying there for a long time. When I went do do chores after I got home from work, Lucy was laying flat out by the front of the house. With her long coat it had been impossible to see anything wrong previous to this, and I admit that I never made it a habit to feel her abdomen. Now she had scurfed the hair on her belly, and it was obvious that she had a massive tumor--in fact, it was oozing blood. I was horrified--not just at the mass, but at the fact that she had this mass & I hadn't noticed anything wrong.
I was quite sure that there was nothing to be done with her; I actually considered asking my neighbor to come with his gun & end it for her right then, but I know that he doesn't like having to do that. We decided to wait for the vet today--I didn't want to have to take Lucy in to the clinic, so I called this morning and asked the vet if she could fit in a farm call. She could, & did. She looked at Lucy & said we'd made the only choice we could, there was nothing else that could be done. The tumor was much too large to be surgically removed. Lucy was sedated & was asleep when the final injection was given, and she is now at peace.
The vet figures Lucy was spayed late in life or not spayed at all--either one would have made her prone to getting a mammary gland tumor. I asked her how long would it have taken for that tumor to grow so big. She said some are slow growing, others are very invasive and grow very fast--very, very fast!--and she figures that is the kind that Lucy had. She said it may have taken just a matter of weeks for the tumor to develop to that size. That sort of tumor doesn't usually respond well to surgery, so even if we had discovered the mass sooner, surgery probably wasn't an option for Lucy--and especially not given her age and overall health.
The good thing is, Lucy had a few good years here, years she might not have had if we hadn't adopted her. When I took her from the pound she was very close to being sent for euthanasia--she wasn't responding well to strangers & the kennel owner had deemed her unfit for adoption. Most of the pound's unclaimed dogs are sent to the local rescue (and at that time some were still adopted out to individuals--now they go only to the rescue), but a few of the problem dogs do get euthanized. Lucy was one of those. I liked her, and after giving it some thought (and seeing that Lucy did show some response to me when I went out in the run and talked to her) the fellow relented & let her go to me.
Goodbye Lucy.
Last fall we knew she wasn't going to be around for a lot longer, but late in the fall she was doing really well so we decided to keep her for the winter. She had some days where she seemed bothered by arthritis, but that came & went. She had some senile moments--there were times when we thought she must be hearing voices, because she'd come busting out of her dog house, barking her head off, when there was absolutely nothing to bark at. The last couple weeks she seemed to be really slowing down, and we had decided that when the ground thawed this spring so that I could dig a grave, we would have her put to sleep. I've been checking her body condition regularly & she's been holding her weight good, even though she never eats a lot. Saturday when I trimmed feet she was out there, enthusiastic about having her share of the hoof trimmings. A couple times on the weekend she looked uncomfortable, but then the next thing she'd seem okay again. Tuesday night I took some chicken scraps out for her, and she was all enthused, trotting along beside me to her dish. Yesterday when I called at noon Mom said Lucy wasn't looking too good--not good at all. She was wandering around the yard & had laid down out in the front yard near the driveway--where she never lays, and was just laying there for a long time. When I went do do chores after I got home from work, Lucy was laying flat out by the front of the house. With her long coat it had been impossible to see anything wrong previous to this, and I admit that I never made it a habit to feel her abdomen. Now she had scurfed the hair on her belly, and it was obvious that she had a massive tumor--in fact, it was oozing blood. I was horrified--not just at the mass, but at the fact that she had this mass & I hadn't noticed anything wrong.
I was quite sure that there was nothing to be done with her; I actually considered asking my neighbor to come with his gun & end it for her right then, but I know that he doesn't like having to do that. We decided to wait for the vet today--I didn't want to have to take Lucy in to the clinic, so I called this morning and asked the vet if she could fit in a farm call. She could, & did. She looked at Lucy & said we'd made the only choice we could, there was nothing else that could be done. The tumor was much too large to be surgically removed. Lucy was sedated & was asleep when the final injection was given, and she is now at peace.
The vet figures Lucy was spayed late in life or not spayed at all--either one would have made her prone to getting a mammary gland tumor. I asked her how long would it have taken for that tumor to grow so big. She said some are slow growing, others are very invasive and grow very fast--very, very fast!--and she figures that is the kind that Lucy had. She said it may have taken just a matter of weeks for the tumor to develop to that size. That sort of tumor doesn't usually respond well to surgery, so even if we had discovered the mass sooner, surgery probably wasn't an option for Lucy--and especially not given her age and overall health.
The good thing is, Lucy had a few good years here, years she might not have had if we hadn't adopted her. When I took her from the pound she was very close to being sent for euthanasia--she wasn't responding well to strangers & the kennel owner had deemed her unfit for adoption. Most of the pound's unclaimed dogs are sent to the local rescue (and at that time some were still adopted out to individuals--now they go only to the rescue), but a few of the problem dogs do get euthanized. Lucy was one of those. I liked her, and after giving it some thought (and seeing that Lucy did show some response to me when I went out in the run and talked to her) the fellow relented & let her go to me.
Goodbye Lucy.
