Hiway Options

[lytlewren]

Thank you so much for having this forum available. I've felt so lost and alone for the past few weeks.

My best friend has osteosarcoma. I had three dogs a year ago and now I have one who is slowly leaving me. The other two I lost earlier were 15 and 16, so it was expected although heartbreaking. Hiway is only 11 and was so very healthy. He missed his "brothers" desperately, quit eating for a while and was terrified of everything. I started bringing him to work, to the store, everywhere I went he was with me. We walked at the river several times a day and played so much fetch I thought my arm would fall off. He finally perked up and started eating and enjoying life again but seemed to have a bum shoulder. The vet said it was age or a muscle strain, so meds and rest. It didn't get better and I got scared, on our third visit back they found the tumor on his shoulder. There is no treatment option, only paliative therapy. We still go to the river every day, sometimes twice, he's a lab and water is his favorite thing except for fetch. Put the two together and he is in heaven. He isn't able to fetch on land due to the risk of pathological fractures, but he can fetch in the water which suits him just fine.

I was told we had about 3-4 months. we're about a month into it already. He still seems healthy, other than a little limp. He only eats when I sit with him, but he's been like that since his brothers passed away. I have wonderful bosses who allow me to bring him to work every day. He waits under my dest patiently for the river walk he knows will come at the end of our day.

I don't know what I'm going to do without him. Losing his brothers was so painful, losing him as well..... I don't know what I'm going to do without him. I will be so lost. I would give anything to be able to make him better, anything.

[lytlewren]

I made the call today to arrange for our vet to meet us at the river on Saturday. It took me several minutes to get out what I was trying to say, but they were so patient with me.
I have to carry Hiway up and down steps now, he has a hard time moving around due to the tumors on his right shoulder. I promised myself that I wouldn't force him to stay with me when he needed to rest.
We'll go to his little spot on the river where he's been going these past weeks. It's not his favorite place ever, I couldn't get him there, it's too far out, but he loves the river, so it'll be a good place to see his last sunrise.
I'm going to spend Wednesday, Thursday and Friday taking him to his favorite spots that we used to hike and play at. We won't be able to get all the way to some of them, but he'll know I think. We drove the long way home last night and he hung his head out with a big smile. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this is the best week possible.
It scares him when I cry, so I'll have to be careful. I was crying when we got home from our drive last night and he looked so sad.