CANCER IN PETS
My Journey With a Pet With Cancer
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Kaysi Borchers | Opinion | October
Pets have been such a big part of my life, especially my dog Jack. My family got him in 2016 when I was eight. Jack was a big part of my life. He also was there for the celebrations, and the good times. When I would go through a breakup, lose friends, or if someone had passed away, he would be there for me, always helping. He would sit next to me when I would cry, laugh, or be upset.
We started to notice a change about two years ago. Jack was not the skinniest dog, but he was not fat either. He stopped eating his food because it made him sick. His body slowly began failing him, and he got skinnier and skinnier.
We switched his food so many times to try to help him, but nothing worked. The next sign that showed was his energy. He would rest and sleep a lot more, he would not play with my sister's dog or us. He wasn’t his normal bubbly self.
He got worse. Every time I would pet or hug him he would shed like crazy. Jack was a golden doodle, a non-shedding dog breed, so his shedding was not normal. We all thought it was just his diet that made him shed.
About a year ago, we had figured something was wrong with him. He was sick, and at first we were told it was IBS in dogs or, possibly, cancer. We had no clue. Test after test after test, nothing showed up. It left all my family, including me in pain.
About seven months ago when we picked him up from the groomers he had the worst dandruff and dry skin. It was sickening. He was super skinny bones showing through; spine visible. We started him on meds that same day, which helped for a little bit, but did not last long before he was ill again. We tried more tests and meds, but nothing helped.
The last couple of months with him were saddening. You could see all his bones. He was constantly cold and sleeping. We tried to make him the most comfortable he could be. He was a good dog.
We eventually stopped his meds and put him to sleep. It was the hardest day of my life to lose him. I lost my best friend, and am still unsure who is going to fill the gap he left.
One thing I want to share is that these signs are a serious problem. Dogs, cats, or any pets can be experiencing this, and not knowing can make it more harmful. If we would have caught it sooner we could have done more for him, or not let him suffer as long as he did.
Kaysi Borchers, Editor-in-Chief
Kaysi Borchers, Editor-in-Chief
Kaysi Borchers is one of two Editor-in-Chief, and Sports Editor of The Courier Staff. She has been writing for the staff for 3 years, and if you click on the red button below you can see all of her other writing.
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