Rena&Chopper
Boxer Pal
I hate writing this post almost as much as I hated going through what I'm going to write about...
I had posted a while ago that my girl Rena was having some obvious neurologic problems and I took her to see the vet this past Friday. I was NOT expecting the visit to go the way it did.
They took her in the back to be weighed and take her temperature and as we waited (my dad came with me, thankfully) I mentioned to him that it sure was taking a while for them to bring her back. When she finally was brought back to the room, our vet had a look on her face that told me something was wrong. She told us that she had taken Rena outside and did a neurologic exam on her-failing it miserably. She said that it is something with her nervous system...and after consulting the other vets on the staff, they all concluded that the top diagnosis on their list was cancer..
Since Rena had no lumps anywhere and her symptoms were neurological, it is assumed she has a brain tumor. As soon as those words came in my ears, the tears burst from my eyes like a flood gate had been opened. The love of my life was dying...and I had no clue.
The doctor said that she could tell her dull mental state drastically from her last visit, only a few months prior. She told me that Rena's "spark was gone". I love this vet because she is also a boxer owner and really seems to care about my dogs. Also, Rena had went from 80 lbs. to 63 in two months. Her wasting was another signal of cancer. I was concerned if she was in pain, but the vet assured me that as of right now, she wasn't. It was up to me to judge Rena's quality of life...as long as she can eat, drink, use the bathroom and get around on her own, she was "ok".
So I've cried continuously at the thought of having to maybe someday (sooner than later) have to make the choice to have her put down. It breaks my heart to see her in the condition she is in, but when is it being selfish?
Any words of hope or advice are appreciated!
I had posted a while ago that my girl Rena was having some obvious neurologic problems and I took her to see the vet this past Friday. I was NOT expecting the visit to go the way it did.
They took her in the back to be weighed and take her temperature and as we waited (my dad came with me, thankfully) I mentioned to him that it sure was taking a while for them to bring her back. When she finally was brought back to the room, our vet had a look on her face that told me something was wrong. She told us that she had taken Rena outside and did a neurologic exam on her-failing it miserably. She said that it is something with her nervous system...and after consulting the other vets on the staff, they all concluded that the top diagnosis on their list was cancer..
Since Rena had no lumps anywhere and her symptoms were neurological, it is assumed she has a brain tumor. As soon as those words came in my ears, the tears burst from my eyes like a flood gate had been opened. The love of my life was dying...and I had no clue.
The doctor said that she could tell her dull mental state drastically from her last visit, only a few months prior. She told me that Rena's "spark was gone". I love this vet because she is also a boxer owner and really seems to care about my dogs. Also, Rena had went from 80 lbs. to 63 in two months. Her wasting was another signal of cancer. I was concerned if she was in pain, but the vet assured me that as of right now, she wasn't. It was up to me to judge Rena's quality of life...as long as she can eat, drink, use the bathroom and get around on her own, she was "ok".
So I've cried continuously at the thought of having to maybe someday (sooner than later) have to make the choice to have her put down. It breaks my heart to see her in the condition she is in, but when is it being selfish?
Any words of hope or advice are appreciated!
