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My Labrador Retriever has Leukemia

by Mary Ellen
(Syracuse, NY)

My beautiful 9 year old Chocolate Labrador Retriever was just diagnosed with leukemia.

My husband and I are devestated.

He has been the best dog we have ever owned. Just 2 weeks ago he was full of energy with no sign of an illness. It is heartbreaking to see him so sick and nothing we can do to help him. He has been put on medication to help him feel comfortable until his time comes to say goodbye.

We will miss our beloved dog very much. We are very fortunate to have him with us for his short 9 years and we will cherish all the memories from the time he was a puppy until he passes and even after he leaves us he never will be forgotten.

My other lab Sadie (she is seven) has grown up with Coco since she was a puppy, and she already senses something is wrong. She also will be empty without him for sure.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story.

Mary Ellen

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Feb 26, 2013
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Our Bart
by: Elizabeth

Today, we received confirmation from the vet that our sweet Bart, a 10 year old black lab, has leukemia. We are so deeply saddened. We lost his father, Mac, to lymphoma just 2 1/2 years ago.

Bart had been gradually losing weight over the last 2 months and occasionally vomiting his food. We checked his feces and watched his water intake - all appeared normal. I changed his food from a standard commercial brand to a "high end" variety with no by-products.

For a while that seemed to be the answer... I thought it was all food sensitivity that had developed with age. Then he began to vomit again, so I cooked chicken w/o seasoning and rice for him (which he enjoyed extremely!).

Throughout all of these changes, he remained very active, never showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Over this past weekend, he could no longer keep even the chicken and rice mush down.

A visit to the vet and numerous tests showed a sky high white blood count...our worst fears. He has been a wonderful hunting companion to my husband and son and friend to our daughter with autism.

His passing will leave our home devoid of pets and a hole in our hearts.

Oct 21, 2012
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Sorry to hear
by: Anonymous

I am so sorry to hear about your beloved pet.

It has been a year since our beautiful pet has left us and we still are sad - we miss him so much - he will never be forgotten. When it was time for him to leave us, he let us know he was so sick his quality of life was going and we knew it was time to say goodbye.

Watch for the signs and you will know it is the only thing to do so they don't suffer anymore and your vet will also know the signs. It is the hardest thing to let go I know but it also will end their suffering.

I hope I helped you a little.

Oct 21, 2012
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Cavalier owner
by: Anonymous

My beloved cavalier has just been diagnosed with leukemia. I also think he is showing the classic symptoms of syringomyelia which is prevalent in cavaliers. I took him to the vet two weeks ago due to weight loss, he has never been a very big dog and have received the devastating news this week. I don't know whether to let him go through any further tests to confirm what type of leukemia he has and also to have an MRI scan to confirm syringomyelia or just let nature take it's course.

Sep 27, 2012
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Feeling your pain
by: Anonymous

Can't believe I'm reading about all of you. My lovely boy Max, a 7 year old cross breed has just had the diagnosis after being under the weather and lethargic (totally out of character for my energetic and social boy). We can't get our heads around the fact that last weekend he was running chasing squirrels in the woods and today he is lying on his bed with just a few weeks to live.

I'm making the most of every day with him and so are my kids. The saddest day will be tomorrow as my daughter goes off to university but knows it will be her last goodbye to Max. I am taking him to his favourite haunts and just remembering how many happy times we have had. He is a really lovely boy, he's one of the family and I can't imagine life without him.

My heart goes to all of you going through this awful pain. Our dogs mean the world to us. At least we get to bring with them and can ensure they don't suffer in the end.

Aug 23, 2012
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Our Great Dane has Leukemia
by: April

We just got tests back yesterday that our 21 month old Great Dane has Leukemia. They said it was nothing they could do for her. My husband and I are so devastated. We brought her home, where she can rest quietly, until...

I want to thank everyone for sending comments. It helps to read them and know we are not alone.

Thank you,

April

Jul 24, 2012
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We Recently Lost Our Chocolate Lab to Leukemia
by: KathyP- NB, Canada

My deepest condolences to you both on the loss of your beloved pets to leukemia.

My husband and I recently (May 3rd, 2012) had to have our 3 1/2 year old "best ever boy" Bailey put down due to this terrible disease. We took him for his yearly exam and needles in March (all was fine) and approx. 1 month later he stopped eating. Our vet did a simple blood test to check his kidneys and liver. As it turns out, his kidneys and liver were fine, however, his white blood cell count told the story. According to the vet, a normal white cell count is 7. Bailey's was "97", and I knew as soon as she said it that this was the worst news we could receive. A biopsy of his lymph node was sent to PEI for evaluation and, 2 days later, the disease (in it's advanced stages) was confirmed. Needless to say, we were (and still are) completely devastated (so much so that I had to take 4 days off because of the stress).

We spent the next couple of days by his side, doing everything he loved - running with his brother Cooper and, best of all, swimming. A few days later it was time to say goodbye to the absolute best dog a person could ever ask for.

We are still healing and, because of this, watch our 3 year old black lab like a hawk, worried that the same fate will strike him (no blood relation between the 2 dogs). Because we have no idea what may have caused this, I can't help but think it was something we contributed to - like a change in dog food 8 months prior. Either way, we no longer have "our boy" in our lives. As I write this, I shed tears for a friend that was lost much too soon!

Oct 31, 2011
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Thank you for your support
by: Mary Ellen

Scott, thank you for your support and sharing your story of your beloved pet.

We had to put our best friend to sleep today as we did not want him to suffer anymore. His vet said if we kept him on the meds he was taking, it would only be days before he passed. So we decided to let him go and he will be greatly missed. We also found out he had Lymphoma which spread so we ended his suffering.

We are heartbroken and we have to be strong for our other pet Sadie for she loved him too. We will forever cherish all the memories we had with him and he will never be forgotten and will always be in our hearts.

Oct 29, 2011
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Be Strong, Sadie will show you how.
by: Scott L

If anyone knows your and your husband's heartache, it is me. I have a post on this site where I have proclaimed my own sadness over the loss of first my Daisy Girl and now my Jake-E Boy. I too had great worry at how Jake would hold up after living his whole life with his older sister (separate litters, same mother). After we lost Daisy, Jake held up just fine. We knew he was aware that Daisy was missing - but he never acted sad. And he always sensed when we were sad and would come and lick our faces and look at us as if to say "it's ok - we all get to go". We simply have to wait for our time to see them again. I believe we will see them again. I believe.

We just lost Jake. Now is the very hard part as he was our last pet and the house is empty now. But Jake still is with us as Daisy is ... and all the pets weve known since our own "puppyhood".

Stay strong - and be happy for your time together with them. Cherish the memories once they pass, the good times you had with them will eventually heal you.

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