The ones you didn’t ask for…..

This post is about a dog. Not just any dog, but a dog that I didn’t ask for, he came into my life at time when I wasn’t sure I could handle any more and then gave me what I needed when I needed it most.

For any of those that know me and my family, you know my dogs. Many of you that you don’t know me and my family personally, know about Beast and Ghost and now most recently Tango. Many of you may not know Drei (pronounced DRY, it means three in German). You see, Drei did not have a Facebook page. He did not become a celebrity like the others. You see, he just… was….

Let me tell you about him. He was the handsomest, big, sexy, German Shepard Dog that you could every hope to see. He would not back down and he did not have an ounce of quit in him. He ruled the yard and the house with quiet power. He always let Ghost feel like she was in charge. He never challenged her and he never snapped back if she got too bossy. He did not get along with other dogs that seriously tried to take his place as alpha. When that happened, Drei said “Bring it!”

He hated thunderstorms and needed his mommy to hold him if ever thunder happened. In the case of a storm, he knew it was coming before the weatherman did. If it was at night, he was coming up on that bed, like it not. He was the best cuddle buddy anyone could ask for. He would get on the bed and lay along side you stretched out and not move until you were ready to get up.

There was not doubt in my mind that he would protect me with his life and no one would be dumb enough to not run if he ever felt the need to come after you. He was pure sexy German Shepard in a social, fun loving package. He loved to run and chase anything you would throw. At get togethers here at the house, he trained people to pick up the stick (or what ever other object he could find) that he would drop over the fence and throw it for him.

He loved to dig. He loved to sit on the hot tub cover and look out over his domain. He was a great training dog for the clinic nurses. I would bring him in so they could practice holding and drawing blood on big dogs that might be intimidating. He would never snap or growl at them. He would just let them do what they needed to do with the just right amount of resistance so they actually had to hold him. I could vaccinate him and draw blood with no assistance. I would tell him to sit and he would patiently let me do what I needed to do without complaint. He loved food and I never had an issue with him being picky. He did not have accidents in the house. He was a Momma’s boy. He was my boy.

This is his story. As a veterinarian, I come into contact with a lot of dogs. Some need homes. Some do not get those homes. I often have to say no when dogs are presented to me for a possible home. I just cant take all of them. However, there are a few that speak to me and I get a feeling that I need to say, Yes.

On the day he was presented to me for a second opinion by his breeder, he was an awkward looking 9 week old puppy with floppy ears and a mangled rear leg. The injury happened when he was only around 4 weeks old or so. I’m not sure exactly how he injured the leg but that was not important to the case at hand. The breeder asked me if I thought the leg was going to have to be amputated. He was missing a toe, extensive tendon, ligament and growth plate damage. All of this was going to translate into a leg that would heal misshapen and not grow properly. The leg would be shorter than the other legs and with his breed, he would likely sustain significant trauma to his hips and other legs trying to compensate from such an injury. His life would likely be plagued with arthritis and pain.

I took radiographs and could see the growth plate malformation and, yes, I agreed with the first opinion that the leg would likely need to be amputated, but it would be best to wait a few months until he was old enough to go through surgery safely. He seemed to be taking the injury without complaint and it was healing and not infected. The breeder then asked me to please put him to sleep for her as she was not able to undertake a pet with this injury and obviously he was not going to be able to be sold.

Please do not fault this individual and absolutely no negative comments will be tolerated about his breeder. I do not know them personally but I have no negative feelings toward them for being honest about what they were able to take on.

Something in that moment made my heart say, no to her request. Instead, I asked her if she was willing to let me have him. I would be willing to care for him and when the time came, have his surgery and let him live as long and as comfortable a life as I could give him for however long that would be. She agreed. He was coming home with me.

I truly thought my husband was going to fall in love with him and that he would be Tommy’s dog. Tommy was out of town on a job and I texted him a picture of our new puppy. He texted back, “We are not keeping him. We can find him a home”. My heart sank. Well, I thought once he met this sweet little puppy he would change his mind. Something in my heart just kept saying he was home.

I went through the rest of my day at the clinic and then came home. When I walked through the door and let the other dogs in to meet their new brother, I noticed Beast was limping on one of his front legs. He was not limping that morning when I left. Then on closer look, he had a swollen area near the bottom of his leg. I put my hands on it and it was hard and hot. My heart didn’t just sink, it shattered. Every owner of an Irish Wolfhound or other giant breed for that matter knows what that means. Beast had osteosarcoma. This is an aggressive and painful type of bone cancer. Once you see it, it has already spread. If you amputate the leg very early, you can maybe buy them 6 months. Amputating the front leg of a giant breed dog is not easy on them. I just couldnt do that to him. In that moment, I was alone, with a new puppy, and my heart dog was just given a death sentence. I fell apart. It still stands in my mind as one of the worst days in my life emotionally. This is the day, Drei came into my life. On day that my heart shattered and I knew I was loosing Beast. We put Beast to sleep a month later. He was in too much pain and I wasn’t willing for that magnificent, regal boy to hurt even a moment more.

Fast forward about 4 or 5 months. Drei is now as healed as he can be and is old enough for me to determine if surgery is the right answer. I took repeat radiographs and sent them to an orthopedic surgeon I work with often and asked his opinion. I explained that he runs and plays with it. He eats well and seems normal overall. He uses the leg like stilt or a crutch. He bears weight on it. It definitely was shorter than the other legs by at least 4 inches. If he stood upright on his good leg, this leg did not touch the ground. The surgeon replied that he would not take the leg. He would let him keep it and use it. If it helped him not overuse the other three legs, then it could prolong the function of those limbs for a bit longer. He would still have arthritis and he would still likely not live as comfortable of a life as if he had no injury, but was functioning well. So I left it. I named him Drei because I thought he was going to have three legs but he ended up keeping it.

After this, Tommy was again pushing for him for me to find him a new home. Josh was not fond of this idea and neither was I but I did look around for the right home. I asked a very close cop friend of mine and he almost went to live with him, but that did not work out. Then another friend of mine and her boyfriend feel in love with him and asked if they could have him. So he went to live with them. Some things ended up happening in their life that put a significant strain on their ability to take care of him (through no fault of his). He was with them for about 5-6 months I think. She came to me and asked me if I wanted her to find him a new home or if I wanted him to come back to me. Without hesitation, I said for him to come home. He was coming home. When he came back to me, I promised him it was for good. I told Tommy to let that shit go, he was here to stay. No ifs ands or buts. He is home for good. And home he has stayed. Until today. Today I said goodbye and sent to his other home across the rainbow bridge to join Beast and all the other dogs that have gone on before him.

You see, right around Christmas, I went into the garage and his front legs were covered in blood and there was blood dripping from his right nostril. I went into panic mode looking for an injury and could not find one. It was just dripping out of his nostril and he was acting like nothing was wrong. Tommy did not quite understand why I freaking out about it. I explained that dogs do not just get nose bleeds like humans do. There is a short list of why dogs get nose bleeds. Trauma and hit by car is the most common. He was sitting calmly in our garage with Tommy. That had obviously not happened and there was not trauma. I knew in my heart it was cancer. It eventually stopped bleeding, but I knew that was just a sign of something I could not see from the outside.

A week later I took him into the clinic for me to radiograph his head and possibly his teeth in case it was a tooth root abscess.

The radiographs made it clear that his teeth were fine. It was in his right frontal sinus. He had a tumor in his sinus cavity. These can be slow growing or aggressive. Without a biopsy I would not know. However, if it was aggressive, I would know in a couple weeks. It was not treatable without radiation and chemotherapy. Even then, it might come back. A week or two after that, I went on a cruise while on the cruise I got a text/picture from Tommy saying Drei’s right eye area was swollen and he was acting painful. He was shying away and did not want Tommy looking at it.

I asked him to take him into the clinic and have one of our doctors take a look at it. I immediately knew it was the tumor and I had my answer. It was aggressive. The tumor would eat at him from the inside and it would hurt. If given time, it would disfigure his face and cause immense pain. I could not let that happen to my big, handsome boy. I asked the doctor to put him on steroids and pain meds and hopefully I would be able to get home to him before anything had to be decided.

You see, my animals are my responsibility. I am their steward. I am their home and safe harbour. I am also the gatekeeper that escorts them to the other side. I refuse to allow them unnecessary suffering or pain. Outwardly, he did not look bad, but I knew what was happening on the inside. I knew he would not give up. He would fight and not let me know how much he was hurting. But I knew. I noticed the subtle changes.

The lack of air movement from that nostril, the tear drainage from the right eye, the licking, the slight muscle mass loss in his head. All these were subtle changes, but they were just the beginning.

I sat my family down and told them what needed to be done and I gave them some options on day, but never was the “if” in question. We decided on today.

Today we as a family, loved him and escorted to other home with lots of snacks and hugs. I was the one that did that thing and said goodbye for the last time. I promised he was home for good and I help up my end of the promise.

Even Tommy who did not in the beginning want to keep him, broke. Drei was the bestest boy one could ask for and I will never see the likes of him again. He was one I didn’t ask for, but he gave me more than I ever could have imagined. He will be missed.