"Happy Thanksgiving to all.  These last 2 weeks have been wonderful...Today I am so thankful that I did not return this little girl. She has been a real little champ and has won over our hearts. Her and Harley are real buddies now. They sleep together and romp and play and run and chase each other all over the yard.  

 

To give you an example of how far they have gone in their bonding process, I will relate to you a story.

I have been cleaning out closets and rearranging furniture and just doing a lot of fall cleaning.  The scatter rugs that they find so comforting from the cold tile and wood floors needed to be picked up and taken out and cleaned and some of them just needed to be thrown away.  So the day turned so cold even their beds were outside in the drying process. They had nothing except for the furniture (which they aren't allowed on). I was sitting in the kitchen and watching them in the other room wrestling around.  They both looked around if searching for something.  Harley started crying and whimpering and I watched Leah go over to the basket that I keep by the couch with afghans (the ones for human comfort). She drags one out and takes it over to Harley and then she goes back and gets one for herself.  I was amazed and couldn't scold her for anything!  I went and got the afghans and replaced them with some old blankets that I use for covering plants until their beds and blankets could be returned after drying!

 

She got her first bath since arriving last week.  I was dreading that because I didn't know how she responded to baths. She loved it! Now, when I go to take my shower I have to make sure the bathroom door is closed or she hops in the shower with me. She has gained weight and is now at a healthy weight.  Harley has gained weight because of the food I was feeding her for weight gain.  I was feeding the Eukanuba for high performance large breed dogs.  Now I am going to the next level down just so they can maintain and not gain anymore.

 

Harley took over the crate and that was just fine with Leah.  I am still putting her in it when I am away more than an hour or so.  She goes right in.

 

I feel so bad that I had any negative thoughts that first week or so. 

 

I am so thankful that all of you encouraged me with your advice, stories and "can do" attitude. 

 

I hope I made a difference in one sad little Boxer's life. 

People need to realize that these dogs aren't for everyone...this breed, above all others, need the touch, feel, voice and heart of the human that owns them.  They are not a dog that just goes to sleep over in the corner or stays out in the yard in a pen or doghouse.  This breed is so close to having human emotions; they have to hug, kiss, play, snuggle, cry, pout and most of all, be touched by their human friend. 

 

Regards to all

Gage, Leah and Harley" 

 

 

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Tail #2  A Boxer’s Selfless Act

 

 

To commemorate the one year anniversary of my Boxer Brutus's passing, I thought I'd share a story about just how amazing he was.

 

 

When Brutus and I met, it was truly love at first sight. It was December 12, 1999, and I pulled up into the driveway of a person who had contacted FBR, asking that we take him into our program. Brutus wasn't yet two years old; he was a typical adolescent Boxer with a healthy supply of energy (and then some), but wasn't getting the attention he required or deserved. When I saw him out in the yard that morning, I knew I wouldn't put him into foster care – he was coming home to live with us.

 

Brutus was a huge, beautiful brindle boy with cropped ears and an outstanding "personality." He officially won me over on the car ride home because he sat backwards in the front seat so that he could make google-y eyes at our baby in the back. He would not take his eyes off the baby for anything. It was the first of many signs of his fondness for our children.

 

As years passed, Brutus outlived Boxer brothers and a sister. He moved across the country with us and even welcomed another baby, Max, in 2001; a baby he was particularly fond of. I have countless photographs of Brutus and Max – guarding him in his stroller, laying beside the changing table, napping with him on the bed, being read to, etc...

 

     

 

 Whenever I  needed Brutus, there he was...one step ahead of me, slipping quietly up on the couch for a cuddle session. He gave meaning to the infamous term, "velcro dog." I can't count the number of times I tripped over his 90 pound frame because he was my constant shadow. Brutus wouldn't listen to a word my husband said, but would do anything I wanted him to do. The devotion went both ways. I loved that dog like no other.

 

When my younger son Max passed away in a hospital on December 24, 2005, Brutus and his Boxer brother were at doggie daycare. When we picked the dogs up the following day, Brutus was clearly at a loss, whining quietly in the back while looking over the seats at the empty booster chair my son, (his special buddy), would normally have been occupying.

 

Over the next two weeks, I believe that Brutus was particularly sensitive to my thoughts and concerns. He became extra clingy, perhaps trying to be of comfort to me; he knew “his” boy was gone. On January 9, 2006 he went for what was to be his last walk with me. The day was cold and very gray. It was just the two of us and I talked to him about how I was feeling and he cocked his head to the side like he always did, and "listened." I remember how his soulful brown eyes looked up at me as I told him I was worried that Max was lonely or sad where ever he was. When we returned home, Brutus followed me upstairs and then promptly collapsed on the floor at my feet.

 

Brutus died that morning  - just 16 days after my son did. Some may be skeptical, but I believe that my Brutus thought he'd be more of a comfort to me by going to be with my son.

 

For this, I will eternally be grateful to him. Brutus was someone else's throw-away Boxer, but he will forever be my HERO.

 

 

 

Rest in Peace

Max  2/25/01 ~ 12/24/05

Brutus  2/98 ~ 1/9/06

Best of Friends

 

 

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Tail #3  Gino's Story

It was Friday the 13^th, of August 2004 that is, and Hurricane Charley was on a path of destruction through Southwest Florida.  My husband Richard and I were bunkered down in Sarasota waiting for this tremendous storm and with a sudden change in course, this storm would demolish parts of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, barely to bring a heavy rain to the Sarasota,/Tampa areas.  My cousin, not nearly as prepared as we were, in Port Charlotte, suffered quite a bit of damage to her home. 

 Richard and I spent that weekend and the following week and every available moment we had, aiding my cousin with her recovery efforts.  Her home was unlivable. 

 We have three fur-kids: Gino – 7 yr old beautiful brindle male Boxer (rescued at 9 weeks old), Lucy – 4 yr old gorgeous fawn female Boxer (rescued at 10 months old) and Fantasia – 7 yr old Boxer loving tabby cat (rescued at 7 months old).

 After spending so much time away from them helping my cousin, I had noticed that Gino was not acting himself.  He was not eating like usual, he would not jump on our bed at night, he was just plain mad that we were not home as much.  This was very typical of our very spoiled, attention hogging Boxer boy.  Or so I had thought.

 Friday August 20^th, I was getting ready for work as usual, when I noticed that poor Gino must not have been feeling well, it seemsed that the glands in his neck were swollen.  I thought to myself, “Poor baby, that’s why you are not eating/playing as usual… you have a sore throat."  I immediately called my vet, Dr. Bonda, to bring him in, to get started on some antibiotics so he would feel better.  I never realized how much that morning was going to take a turn for the worst.

 Once Dr. Bonda did the physical on Gino, he looked at me with fear in his eyes.  I asked the doctor, “his glands are swollen aren’t they?  Is there an antibiotic that we can start immediately?”  He looked at me and said that we will need to run some tests first; he would like to aspirate the lump to narrow down the possibilities.  At that moment, it occurred to me that these were not swollen glands; these were Gino’s lymph nodes. 

 Lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes, could that be?  He is so young yet.  I knew that Boxers were prone to cancer, but he is such a young 7 yrs old.  He plays as if he is two and everyone says that he is in such wonderful shape.  I have always fed him well, he is not overweight, and we have always vetted him yearly as recommended.  I was beside myself.  I did not know which way to turn, this was such a shock. 

 After all of the tests were run, it was confirmed, Lymphoma it was.  Dr. Bonda said that we did catch it early; it was concentrated in only his neck area.  He explained our options to us.  Chemotherapy could provide Gino with quality life of 12-18 months, prednisone would make him comfortable until the end, which could be as soon as 6-8 weeks or euthanasia… What kind of options were those? I thought, “Chemo can kill cancer in people, why couldn’t they do the same for dogs, more importantly, my Gino?”  Dr. Bonda explained to me that chemo treatments for dogs are nothing like chemo treatments for people.  People using chemo to kill their cancer are given the option, they will get very ill for months, but in the end, there is a strong possibility that they can be cured.  Pets can not make that choice.  If given such high doses of chemo, they will get so ill that they will begin to give up, not understanding that they will get better soon.

 After spending the entire weekend researching the disease and reading stories such as mine, we opted to give Gino the chemo treatments.  He started the treatments on that Friday. 

 Richard and I had expected that Gino would not be himself - rather sickly after his treatments, but we were delighted to learn that he was not ill at all due to the chemo, actually, he was feeling much better.

Since we were able to catch the cancer so early in the second stage, he responded quite well to the treatments.  Within 2 weeks, and 2 chemo treatments, Gino was back to his old self, like the 7 yr old puppy he was, never having any bad side effects to the chemo.  Richard and I knew that we made the right decision.  We had Gino back and we were going to cherish every extra moment that we had with him! We began to go to the park more often, go for walks more often, stay home and cuddle more often and allow him take up the whole bed at night more often.  As if he wasn’t spoiled already, he sure knew how to run the house now.

 Gino went for chemo treatments almost once per week for about 3 months.  On November 19^th, Gino’s lymph nodes began swelling again.  I knew that his body had built up immunity to the chemo and we would have to discuss what other options were available.  Dr. Bonda was very discouraged to find out that he came out of remission so quickly.

 When the chemo options were provided to us, we were told that pets can receive 2-3 cycles of chemo.  Dr. Bonda did not recommend anything over 2 cycles, as he felt that the quality of life begins to diminish.  He explained that generally, the second round of chemo will put the cancer in remission for about half as long as the first round.  For example, if the first round of chemo provided 10 months of quality life for the pet, the second round would provide about 5 months, totaling 15 months of prolonged life.  Since Gino only made it 3 months on the first round, we did not feel that it would be fair to him to go through another, more intense round for maybe 6 weeks.  So Richard and I decided to cherish every moment that we had left with Gino, but to have him spend the remainder of his life with us, not at the vet’s office.  We opted for the prednisone to make him comfortable. 

 Gino was a very strong Boxer boy who refused to give up and fought the whole way.  He made it to Christmas, New Year’s and even my birthday in January.  We were so thankful that he was there to share those times with my husband and I.  We cherished every passing moment that we had not knowing what tomorrow would bring.

 On February 11^th, 2005 we had to say our very last goodbye to our baby boy.   It was the hardest thing that we ever had to do, but it was best for Gino.  He was ready to say goodbye as his last 24 hours were the worst of his entire journey.  We do not believe that he was in any pain, just extremely exhausted from fighting so long.  We put him to rest in our home so that he would close his eyes knowing how much we loved him and that no matter what, no matter how hard it was for us, it was the right thing to do for him and we believe he was at peace with our decision.

 If I can lend any advice to anyone experiencing the similar emotional battle, I leave you with this in mind…  If you ever feel that you are making a decision because it is what you want, I beg you to reconsider.  As their human, you MUST do what’s best for them, even if it is the hardest thing for you.  They trust us with everything that they have and it is much scarier for them to not understand what is happening and not to have their human by their side.

In Memory of Gino

9/11/97-2/11/05

 You will be missed forever!!

 ~Lori and Richard Yarnall

 

 

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