 Photo Comments Sex: Female Weight: 51-100 lbs
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Leave a bone for Sky
Nicknames:
Sky Girl
Doggie Dynamics:
| | | | | | | | | Energy | | | | | | Intelligence | | | | | | Friendliness | | | | | | Playfulness | | | | | | Disposition | | | |
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Quick Bio:
| -purebred | -three legger | -pound dog | | -dog rescue |
Birthday:
December 18th 1998
Likes:
Squeaky toys and love
Pet-Peeves:
Another dog, Zoe, licking her face and lips
Favorite Toy:
Squeaky ball
Favorite Food:
Chicken or turkey
Favorite Walk:
No walks; she's three legged
Best Tricks:
The best singing voice in the county
Arrival Story:
Sky is a rescue dog, rescued from a Lacon, IL shelter 5 years ago.
Bio:
Sky has had cancer. She had a nerve sheath tumor which necessitated the removal of her front left leg and scapula last July. The surgery was performed by the best doggie surgeon in the world, Dr. Claude Gendreau in Buffalo Grove, IL. He removed the nerve as far as he could reach but thought that he'd need to perform another surgery, going down through the shoulder blade(s) to remove the rest of the nerve, as the biopsy from the first surgery showed cancer cells growing at the end of the nerve. Sky had her second surgery in November, 2005 to remove the rest of that nerve after a MRI showed the possibility of more cancer. She came through the second surgery with flying colors and the subsequent biopsy of the rest of the nerve was negative and showed no cancer cells. She is currently cancer free!
First surgery: $4500
Holistic meds for 4 months: $1200
MRI: $1000
Second surgery: $2800
Additional testing: ????
Having Skygirl home, healthy and happy: Priceless...
She's gonna be my $10,000 dog! LOLOL!
Forums Motto:
I'm a couch potato
The Groups I'm In:
♥~Husky ♥ers 4~Ever~♥, Sibe Get Together, Siberian huskies
I've Been On Dogster Since:
| December 7th 2005 |
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More than 6 years! |
Rosette, Star and Special Gift History
Dogster Id:
232297
See all my Pup Pals
See all my Pup Pals
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July 3rd 2006 5:51 pm
[ Leave A Comment | 1 person already has ]
Wow where do I start? Sky is my, literally, $20,000 dog! She was diagnosed one year ago this month with a nerve sheath tumor. It presented as a lump underneath her left front leg. We did a biopsy, which confirmed the cancer. She then needed an MRI, surgery to remove the front left leg and scapula, and we then performed another MRI four months later to just make sure she was rid of the cancer. The doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Claude Gendreau in Buffalo Grove, IL, wasn't convinced that he'd gotten all of the cancer the first time. He removed the nerve as far as he could reach with the first surgery, but had warned me that he may need to perform a second surgery, going down through Sky's shoulder blades (or shoulder blade, as one was removed with the first surgery) to nab the rest of the nerve at the end where it joined with her spine. If she didn't have the second surgery, Sky would have most likely developed spinal column tumors. Also, throughout the four months between her two surgeries, she was kept on a regimen of holistic meds, thanks to Dr. Michael Durkin in Chicago. I'm absolutely convinced that these meds kept the cancer at bay.
The first surgery? $4500. The first MRI? $1000. Holistic meds for four months? $1000. The second MRI? $1000. The second surgery? (Dr. Gendreau gave me a break the second time!) $2500. She has currently been cancer free since November, 2005.
However, there is another wrinkle. Last month, about 2 a.m., Sky had a grand mal seizure. Worried that it was the cancer that had come back, she went to see Dr. Gendreau for another MRI. Another $1000! They found no masses or tumors in the brain, thankfully, and said that for another $500, they could draw fluid from her brain to ensure that she wasn't suffering from some type of infection or inflammation of the brain. OK, at this point, why not?! Let's make sure that we know exactly what is, or what is not, going on. The results were negative, thankfully. With the emergency, middle of the night critical care vet visit, (I thought she was bloating, as I only saw the very end of the seizure), full blood panel to rule out any other type of medical issues, and her current regiment of potassium bromide, there were about another $500-$700 in medical bills.
Sky has had three seizures total; the one that she had in the middle of the night, one following at 8 a.m. the next morning, and one more at 4:10 p.m. the same day. So far, the KbR has been controlling any seizure activity.
Mastercard has certainly been my best friend in this past year. Would I do it all over again if I had to? Absolutely and without hesitation. She is the sweetest, most loving dog in the world. I fear for her, as it seems as if she's already learned all of the lessons that she needs to on Earth, and I'm petrified that it's getting time for her to leave us. I'm not afraid for her. I'm afraid for the huge hole that she will leave in my heart when she's gone. Selfishly, I don't know how I'll get through my days without her. All I can hope for is meeting her someday at the Rainbow Bridge, whole and happy once again, and with no more health issues ever.
September 9, 2006
I really hate it when I have a feeling and it turns out to be correct. I lost Sky last Thursday night.
I was in NY over Labor Day weekend visiting family, and when I got back, Sky's breathing was horrible. She's always panted a bit, but she was actually gasping for breath. Another trip down to the Vet Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, and another $2000 later, I found out from her CAT scan that her left lung was riddled with tumors, which was why she was having so much trouble breathing. It was inoperable. They had put her on oxygen Wednesday night and kept her overnight, and were trying to get her off of the oxygen on Thursday so that I could take her home and have my vet come to the house to have her put down. She was so bad that they couldn't get her off of the oxygen for the 20 mile drive home, and I had to say goodbye to her in the hospital.
The doctor brought her into a room with blankets and her oxygen and she lifted her head and thumped her tail. She was happy to see me, but she also looked into my eyes and was asking for permission to go. I could see it. She just didn't have any fight left and she was sick of the pain. Through blinding tears and sobs, I held her head in my arms as the doctor gave her the ultimate gift, and she relaxed slowly and went peacefully to sleep in my arms. She's finally out of pain and misery. I, however, am a trainwreck.
This is a special Tail of Devotion
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The Dog Show: Who's Your Mama?
9
