Hold on to yourself, this is gonna’ hurt like hell…
I don’t know any other way to start this, so I’ll start with the hard part:
My beloved dog Kitsune, has cancer.
A little over a week ago, I noticed he was walking with an unusual limp. His front leg seemed to be in pain, and after 24 hours it didn’t seem any better. I got him over to the vet, where all of our pets have been seen for over 30 years. His attending doc was a new guy, who hadn’t seen Kit before. He did a thorough bloodwork set, took X-rays, and… determined there was some arthritis and a little calcification in the left shoulder, possibly some soft tissue injury. He also noted a shadow in the film, which he said “might not be anything important, but I want to get it over to our radiologist to rule out cancer.”
The call came back on Wednesday: Kit has osteosarcoma, and it’s already an advanced case. It has spread from the leg to the lungs, as this cancer always does. The only question that remains is how long he’ll keep any quality of life.
Needless to say, I’ve been a wreck. Kit’s been my best friend and at times a hero to me over the years. He’s gone from the young and pretty mutt I adopted back in 2000, to the elder statesman of our dog pack. I knew he’d get old. I knew there would eventually be health problems. Nobody expects a sudden diagnosis of late-stage cancer. There might be two people reading this whom have ever seen me cry – I just don’t get that moved, that much. The last week has seen me make noted crybaby John Boehner look like noted wooden plank Al Gore. Just, without the conservative-based political pandering.
For now, Kit’s staying with my mother in MD. He has a full fenced-in yard up there, and many fewer steps to climb and descend to get outside. Since mom is still recovering from a broken ankle (she’s doing well, can walk with crutches now), she’s able to devote all the time needed to his care for the time being. I’ve been up to see him twice in the last 3 days – he’s looking OK, he’s eating well. He’s happy – and I’m glad my mother and grandpa are getting to spend time with him. One thought I’ve had, is that with his hourglass running down, I don’t want to keep him entirely to myself. I don’t want to be selfish with him.
Tonight, I had my friend Eugene come down to visit. He’s a good friend, and we never get to hang out enough. He had also never met Kit. I got it in my head that anyone I consider a close friend, who lives within a reasonable distance, I’d like for them to meet my dog at least once. So they can see his smile. So they can be charmed by his presence. So that, when he’s gone, you know why I’m so torn up. So that it’s not just myself and my wife and family who remember him. I want my friends to remember him, too.
I love you, Kit – and I wish I could find a way to make you better… I will keep trying as long as there’s any time.
