Sorry about the downer all, but I just need to talk about this. Just got some very bad news yesterday. My canine companion, Raven, of 4yrs has terminal Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). It has advanced enough that the vet sees no reason to do chemo (plus the nearest place to do it is 3-4 hrs away). To be honest,... I've already broken down a few times since getting the news. It all started about 5 weeks ago when she just wasn't acting right. I checked her over (I'm a former Vet Tech) & found her lymph nodes under her jaws to be very swollen. I took her to the vet & he decided to treat it as an infection to start. She was on antibiotics for about 3 weeks. The glands seemed to be responding some, but not fully. As soon as the antibiotics were finished, the glands started growing again. The vet told me to give it a week & see what happened,.... nothing but more growth. He took a biopsy of one of the lymph nodes late last week & set it to the Veterinary lab & got the results back yesterday. He said the lymphoma was in very advanced stages & that the end will not be very far off. Right now, we are just managing the pain to keep her as comfortable as we can.

I've had Raven since she was a 4 week old puppy. She's had a long history of medical problems from severe separation anxiety that caused her to eat rocks foreign objects periodically (2 of which needed to be removed from her gut surgically)- I had to put her on a version of "Puppy Prozac" for the separation anxiety , to a heart worm infection (I gave her preventative religiously- it was found out I had gotten a bad lot of preventative), to now this. She's always been a very "clingy" dog that would stay glued to me 27/7 if she could. She has the sweetest temperament, but can be a pain at times with her constant need of attention. Shes also super smart (as most Labs are) & her antics could be very amusing & entertaining. Being single & living alone, she's been a great companion to come home to. I was great to be the ultimate hero in her world, when I walked through the door after a long day at work. Right now I just can't imagine the household with out her. I also have a cat & bird, so I won't be totally alone, but it just won't be the same. I look at her right now, & except for the swellings around her body, there are no real signs of her condition. Her body is failing, but she still has so much puppy (life) in her. You pick up a ball, and she's ready to play fetch in a heartbeat, she still chases birds out of her back yard. Being one of my "babies" she is spoiled rotten, of course.

4 yrs. just doesn't seem long enough to have a companion. But then, we are only lent these pets for a short time. I believe they are sent to us to be example of how to love others unconditionally.