Woofy Wednesday

Have I ever mentioned that I didn't always want to blog about the dogs anymore? I actually think so, but at the same time they are such an important and large part of my life that I certainly don't want to exclude the dogs from my blogs. Now that I try to keep a fixed topic for my blogs every day of the week (yes, even I need a schedule to stay consistent and find enough inspiration to blog about), there is of course also for the dogs one day a week. And what better day for a dog blog like WOOFY WEDNESDAY? So are you ready? The adventures and the ups and downs of our dogs will be available here every Wednesday from now on.

Lana's Warrior Woof

As I sit outside, occasionally sigh deeply, sometimes utter an internal curse, I throw balls for Lana. Trying to type a blog in the meantime, and most importantly… trying to get my mind in order. It's chaos in my head. And I'm actually still processing what we heard last Friday for news.

The news concerns our Dutch Shepherd, our pretty girl Lana. And the news is not so cheerful. Just to get the word out right away, Lana has breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a common cancer in non-spayed bitches. And that is a sensitive point, because Lana is indeed not sterilized. It mainly affects older dogs, usually above 5-6 years. Lana is 13 years old, so yes you can say that's right. And about 50% of these types of mammary tumors in dogs are malignant. Lana just pulled the wrong side of the lottery, meaning her tumors are malignant.

So, Now What?

But what to do now? Is treatment possible? That is of course the first thing you think of after such a diagnosis. And yes, treatment is certainly possible, then we are talking about surgery. Only this operation would be very hard for Lana. With her, part of the tumor is on the outside, which also grows outwards, and that is of course what we noticed. But unfortunately for Lana, it doesn't stop there. An even larger part of the tumor(s) has already spread in the anterior two packages.

Oh wait, now of course I'm talking in the medical terms I've heard again. Just for your imagination. Dogs can have between 8 and 12 glandular packs. These are all interconnected by blood vessels. Dogs have an average of 10 glandular packs (10 nipples), sometimes 2 more or 2 less. Lana is one of the dogs that has 2 less. She has 8 glandular packs. 4 on the right, and 4 on her left. And of those 4 gland packages in her right side, there are already 2 that should be completely removed because the breast cancer tumors are already growing there.

This would also mean that there is a high risk that cancer cells are already growing in the posterior gland packages on her right side, and to rule out that risk, the vet would actually have to remove all mammary glands on the right side. You can imagine what that surgery would mean for Lana. She should be fully cut open on the right side, then lots of stitches, to close her right side again. But because these packages continue in her groin of her front and back legs, these are wounds that are subject to a huge amount of tensile stress with all the risks that come with it. That is an operation in which Lana would not be allowed to do anything she loves to do for about 3 months. She should only be allowed to walk very carefully for 3 months, not to play, not to run, really the only distraction for her would be a very carefully and very short walk so she can do what she needs to do, and stretch her paws for a couple of minutes. Besides that, she would have to lie down, and take it very easy. She would definitely be in pain and need a lot of painkillers for quite some time.

And even after such major surgery, there is no guarantee that Lana would be cancer free, and no further treatment would be needed.

Not Much Time To Be Gained With Surgery

Then there's the next. Lana is now 13 years old, apart from the fact that it would be an incredibly heavy surgery for her, which offers no guarantees for complete recovery ... practically speaking, there is not much time to be gained with it. Because given her age you also have to remain realistic, how long would she have without illness? Maybe one or two years, 13 years is already quite an age for a Dutch Shepherd. From that time she would have spent at least 3 months on recovery, 3 months in which she would not be happy, and would be in a lot of pain. Do we want to do that to her?

Of course we don't want to lose her, that's for sure. But realistically… it happens anyway. And now it comes, Lana herself is not bothered by anything yet. We didn't take her to the vet because she showed pain. It is because we felt the swelling near her chest that we went to the vet. We didn't trust it, and rightly so. But the vet also said that the type of tumor Lana has can be fairly mild for a long time. If Lana is lucky then it may be that she can continue to enjoy for another year of two without being bothered by anything. There are examples known to the vet of dogs that have lived for at least 1 or 2 years without any problems. And without surgery. That is not something we can assume because there are certainly risks involved. But still, given Lana's age, we decided to opt for this. No surgery. No treatment. And hope she will be one of those dogs who will be given the merci, and live without complaints for another year or two. Despite the tumor(s) growing in her.

It Feels Like Playing For God

The sure factors we are dealing with is a 13 year old dog who is still happy every day, she is in top condition and wants to run and play all day long. She only enjoys when she can be really active outside. Do you have to put a dog that enjoys as much as she can be active in pain for three months? She would lose those three months of her life, spending those three months in pain and recovery. Three months in which she can now run and play all day. The uncertain outcome of an operation with guaranteed three months of pain and misery for her, against the uncertain time she still has without surgery, but time that will be top quality for her? Knowing that she is a dog at an older age anyway, and hopefully will get another year or two. Hearing the diagnosis is not easy, and making a choice in this was not easy either. You feel like you have to play God.

She Must Be Able To Enjoy Every Precious Moment She Has Left

After thorough consultation with the vet, we have decided that the risks and limited time savings of surgery do not outweigh the well-being of our beloved Lana. Instead, we want her to enjoy every precious moment she has left, and we want to fully enjoy her presence ourselves.

Unfortunately, as much as we hope Lana will be with us for months or even years to come, we know that's not guaranteed. Breast cancer in dogs can be unpredictable. She may be able to continue with us for another 1.5 to 2 years full of joy, but we also have to be prepared for the worst. A sudden development of diabetes or the bursting of the tumor can end her life abruptly. Complications can arise that worsen her condition and Lana's alarm clock starts ticking louder every day, until the alarm goes off and her precious life ends.

It's certainly not a pleasant diagnosis to receive, no matter how aware we are of Lana's age and the inevitable aging process that comes with life. Lana won our hearts with her unconditional love, playful pranks and the warmth she brought into our home. She showed us what it means to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment.

So what we're doing now is to wrap our arms around Lana, nurture her lovingly, and give her the best care we can provide. The tears do roll from my cheeks now and then mix with her blissfully ignorant joy of life, and we surround her with all the love we have as we have done for the last 10 years.

10 Years Of Unconditional Love

10 years? Didn't I say she was 13? And that's right, Lana was 3 years old when we took her from the shelter, a traumatized skinny dog who was covered in scars and didn't trust anyone. She was not afraid, on the contrary, she was bold and chose herself. She didn't need anyone, she had learned to survive and that's what she did. Over the years we have come to understand and love each other. But the fact that she was already 3 years old when we took her in also meant that sterilizing her would no longer have an effect on the development of breast cancer. She should have been younger for that. Then that spaying still has an effect, with Lana that was no longer the case, so we could only hope that our 'survival dog' would stay on the happy side of the line. That turns out not to be the case, and knowing that hurts.

Joie De Vivre

Our brave warrior is still happily running, playing and cuddling, unencumbered by her own illness. She is not troubled, she shows no pain, and she is in blissful ignorance, cherished in love and enjoying the summer activities. Her ball is thrown and her little pools are ready to cool her warmed paws. I try to collect my thoughts and focus on the here and now. The worries are for another day. These days are for enjoying the presence of Lana, and of course Myla & Skipper too, because now I still can!