A dog's purpose

The following story is told by a veterinarian:

I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker who was very sick. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their six-year-old boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Little Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, and I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life... like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"

The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

A very sad day

I lost my best friend, my true companion of the last ten years. At 6pm today, Maggie's battle with mast cell tumors came to a swift and quiet end. Thankfully, her last days were happy and playful, with very little suffering. I will never forget the boundless love, patience and joy she gave me every day.

Some good news to start the new year

As you may know, Maggie's fight against mast cell tumors (MCT) on her chest, legs and in her spleen has been taking its toll on my little trooper. Although chemotherapy helped her last year, her treatment this November was not a success. Her blood platelet count decreased from 94,000 in late November to a low of 40,000 at the end of December. (A normal count is anywhere from 200,000 to 400,000.) The day after Christmas, her prognosis was grim and we figured that she had only a few weeks left. Her oncologist doubled her dose of prednisone, and I doubled her dose of Milk Bones and rawhide. Throughout the process Maggie has been content and active, and the goal all along has been to simply maintain her comfort, minimize her suffering and maximize her happiness.


On Monday, Mom and I took her for what we thought would be her last CBC (blood count). Given the consistent rate of decline, we expected a platelet count around 15,000 to 20,000 and there wasn't much point in subjecting her to more tests in her final weeks. However, thanks to the increased dose of prednisone and Benadryl over the previous week, her count is now UP to 60,000. Quite simply, this means that the MCT isn't advancing as aggressively as before. The increased platelet count isn't a guarantee of anything, but it's sure better than another decline. Her regular vet is pleased with the results, so we're going to continue the 40mg prednisone regimen and, as always, enjoy every day we have with her.


For Maggie, 2008 truly is starting out a happy new year. Each day with her is one more happy day of barks, bones, kisses and naps. If you had asked me a year ago how I felt about the sound of her playing with her squeaky toys, I would have grunted a negative response. These days, those squeaks are music to my ears.

I hope your year is starting well. And don't forget to enjoy each day.