1sunnygyrl Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ranger was 6 years old. He was a black and white border collie. He had tonsil cancer and had to be put down. Around Thanksgiving 2014 we noticed he was starting to drool and his breath smelled funny. He was still eating fine and acting normal. We took him to the vet and she said he probably had a bad tooth, but couldn't tell because of the tartar. So she put him on 14 days of antibiotics. It seemed to help. His drooling stopped and his breath went back to normal. So we though maybe it was just an infection somewhere in his gums. After Christmas he started drooling again, and this time he slowly stopped eating. His breath smelled funny and he would 'cough' some. So we took him to a different vet. This vet found a baseball sized mass on the back of his throat under his furry mane. Unless you were looking/feeling for it, you missed it. She almost missed it. She said there was probably no way we would have found it until it was way too late. Well this was getting close!!! We feel like we should have found it! We were hands on with him all the time! Why didn't we feel it or notice it? The new vet put him on 2 weeks of pain meds and 2 weeks of stronger antibiotics to see if it would make him comfortable atleast and get him to eat. He did eat and he even gained 5 pounds in 7 days. So we had it biopsied to see if it was something that could be treated. We wanted to fix it!!! And before we could get the biopsy results he went down hill so fast, we had to put him to sleep because we didn't him to suffer. The cancer was a bad cancer. It was super aggressive and she said as fast as it developed there was nothing we could do. It was not fixable, no matter when we caught it. By the time we had him put down it was the size of a softball. He loved herding the kitties we have and his bff was a white miniature rat terrier. We miss him dearly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Sincere condolences for your loss. RIP Ranger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 What a sad first post. I'm so very sorry for your loss. He was far too young. I hope you have many wonderful memories of Ranger in better times to cherish. roxanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mdaniels Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 I'm so sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Welcome! So sorry that your first post is a sad one. Here's hoping you have happy ones to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 So very sorry for your loss. It's hard not to wish there was something you could have done. Run free, Ranger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 He was a really beautiful boy, may his memory soon bring a smile to your face not the pain and sorrow you are feeling now. So sorry for your loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 I'm so sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfreda Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 RIP Ranger... what a handsome, alert, and beloved boy. You did what you could. It's heartbreaking to loose a dog to cancer, especially when they're young... I'm so sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdillard Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Sorry to hear of your loss. The Boy had lymphoma cancer. I thought he was just getting older as he was 10 years. Then he went to the vet for a simple rabies shot. The vet asked if I had noticed small lumps on the side of his throat. He said that he had lymphoma cancer and would die. I felt my heart stop. I almost fell over. Two months later and he was gone. It is difficult to go on. I feel for you and your Ranger. Prayers...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 I am so sorry that you lost your beautiful boy, especially at such a young age. It sure sounds like you were very in tune with him and got him the care he needed as soon as humanly possible. Some things simply are beyond our control. I hope you can take comfort from the happy memories with your beloved dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 So sorry for your loss. It's always so hard to say goodbye to a family member. I hope you don't blame yourselves - you made him as comfortable as he could have been and gave him a great life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I'm so sorry. When they live long lives we still lose them way too soon, and you didn't even get that amount of time. Godspeed Ranger. May your happy memories of him sustain you through your grief. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Oh man, what a shame. I'm very sorry to hear of your loss of your very, very beautiful dog Ranger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etlai Posted March 2, 2015 Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 Condolences for your loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.