13 doggy years

After a tough week fighting an infection, we lost our best buddy today — Pixel. He's been with me and my partner for more than 6 years.

He was about 12 years old, although he could have been older, as he was found after being thrown out of a car. We then adopted him from the charity foundation that had rescued him.

We would love to see some other pups to help us deal with the loss ❤️

Our little Aussie, Apollo, is supposed to turn 8 this Wednesday. My wife convinced me to get a dog with her when I was early my medical training we were still dating. It was the worst time in my life to get a dog, but it has been the best decision ever. We’re now happily married with three boys under three and this wonderful pup. He has been a rock in my life and I can honestly say that he is my best friend. We have an incredible bond that I’m sure many of you can relate to. I am definitely his “person” and like I said, he is my best friend.

He’s always been healthy and active and happy. Even as late as last weekend, he was his ball obsessed, usual playful self with not a care in the world. This past Tuesday morning, he was a little slow and lethargic in the morning and noon but perked up in the evening. Repeat this Wednesday. Thursday morning, the same, and I had a short day so I brought him to the vet. They thought it was musculoskeletal, but got lab work just in case. Friday morning the lab work came back as significantly anemic and thrombocytopenia, so we got imaging and ultrasound showed a possible liver tumor and fluid in his abdomen, which they tapped and came back as frank blood. We brought him emergently to a local veterinary hospital, where a CT showed metastatic cancer throughout his liver, spleen, muscle, and a nodule in his lungs. Inoperable, and even with surgery median prognosis was four weeks. The hospital vet told us he may not make it till Sunday for comfort measures.

He was sent home with prednisone and tranexamic acid to help with the bleeding. Of course today, he is as happy can be back with good color and no signs of anemia. He is back to acting his completely normal self, but we scheduled to have him put down tomorrow and I keep rethinking this decision. I feel like I know it’s the right decision, but he’s so happy and jovial right now. But I also would never be able to forgive myself if he started bleeding again and passed away alone this week without his loved ones there to support him.

I‘m just having a really tough time coping with this sudden our life that feels like it nowhere, being taken so young, and just losing what has become my best friend. I guess I’m looking to just get this off my chest, but also advice for how to cope if anyone’s got it. apologies if there are errors in this, I used talk to text a lot. pic attached is my dude

Just because I get the question a lot, I adopted him from a Hawaiian woman who named him “Hanu” which means “breathe” so I nicknamed him Nu or NuNu. ☺️

thought it would be fun to guess what she is before it gets here. should be about 2-3 weeks! the rescue did say her mom was GSD, so there is definitely that!
ETA: the black and white dog is my first rescue, he is a border collie mutt, and i love him dearly, i’m so excited for him to finally have a sister 🤍

This guy wandered out of the bushes yesterday limping and with some open sores. After some coaxing and food bribes I was able to get him in my truck and delivered to the local humane society.

Its my little Luna-Beans 1st birthday!! Share your puppy birthday pics 🫶🏻

Bailey and Juniper besties forever ❤️

Taz!!!

Got this sweet boy so my current ESA Wanda can retire. Even at 4 months old he is so smart. I can't wait to get his DNA tested and let him pick out more toys!

I'm not sure where else to post this. I live remote, vets are closed till Tuesday and there's no emerg in the area. My dog has randomly got a large bald spot missing from his tail. At first I thought maybe our other dog bit him but it is solidly bald. It doesn't seem to hurt him, I havent noticed him being overly itchy or biting his tail. He's a corgi. Any insight? I'm so worried. There is a scabby spot where hair is still growing through it. He didn't appear to have this spot yesterday.

When she was a puppy, she used to climb onto my desk all the time, sometimes sneaking right under my hands and falling asleep as if she had stepped into a "creative triangle" while I was sketching and working on concepts.

Even now, she occasionally tries to do the same thing. But she’s not a puppy anymore and completely takes up all the space. When that happens, she completely puts my work on hold, of course, but I just take a break and pet her, remembering those exact moments from her puppyhood.

We’ve had our almost 9 year old chihuahua rat terrier since she was about 12 weeks old. Shes always been a happy healthy sweet girl. Over the years, she’s slowed down and started having bad skin episodes. Itching, smelling so bad regardless of medicated baths, hair falling out etc.

We’ve gone to countless vet visits, gotten her on apoquel, antibiotics etc. It started off about 1x per year and the vet said it was most likely environmental. We were on top of her flea meds and did an antibiotic. The infection came back worse, and started to occur about 3-4x per year. Vets would always put her on apoquel and antibiotics. It would work but came back all the time. I had asked if it could be her food. She was on hills science chicken food, chicken wet food, treats etc. Vet said it’s mostly never food allergies and just had her on the same routine of antibiotics and apoquel.

After so many expensive visits, special shampoos and medication, I didn’t know what else to do. I felt so helpless. She was always chewing her limbs, licking herself, scratching and always had wounds on her. At one point, her neck was red and raw and oozing, and smelled like a dead body. I finally decided to try to see if it was her food.

I switched her to just kibble. It was super hard to find something with no chicken. I found this great salmon option on Amazon. It’s been 3 weeks and our girl seems like she’s back to her old self. She’s playful again, her hair is growing back on her bald spots, and even on her chest which she hasn’t had in years, she seems more comfortable and she doesn’t smell bad anymore. I’m truly hoping this is the answer to our issues.

I’m now wondering if the vet just wanted to keep us coming back for medication. I will be continuing this as I know it takes up to 12 weeks for chicken to get out of dogs system. But overall I’m hopeful that we found an easy solution to our zombie girls problem.

TLDR: dog with years of skin issues was put on a chicken free diet and after 3 weeks it’s done more than years of medication.

The first Halloween my boy has had a costume 😭❤️

Here are some of my favorite pictures of him.

14 years and it doesn’t feel like nearly long enough.

Greetings from Argentina, and you?