So we've had Valkyrie for about a weeks now. I took her to the vet to have a full check-up and showed my vet a bump on the back of her head and neck that I noticed. I got the results back today. She's heartworm +, and has several tumors on her body (one on the top of her head, on her neck, legs, ect) and they are cancerous. It's going to cost a lot of money to treat her and she has a very low chance of making it through cancer treatment because of all her problems. I asked my vet what she would do and she told me in this situation she would have her dog put down as soon as she noticed her in pain and going downhill because she feels like she won't survive the treatment. I called the shelter and they told us we could either return her and they would put her down or we could keep her try treatment ourselves or put her down ourselves. Either way we could get our money back or we could have first choice of any of the dogs that come in over the next six months. A part of me somehow knows (or at least strongly feels) like she's not going to make it through the treatment so we should give her a loving home for a few days then put her down before she has too much pain. But another part of me wants to hope she'll make it through and she'll be a wonderful addition to our family. What would you guys do?

im very confused as to how and or why would the shelter did not test her for heartworms before adopting out and do they not do some kind of vet check on the dogs before adopting them out? im sure your heart is just in pieces over this news and it is soooo sad to read. i say take the shelter up on returning your fee or letting you pick a new dog when the time is right. i say since you have not had her very long and with the news you just got, I would do my best to make her happy while you can but it does sound like a lot of surgery to go through and being HW + not sure how strong her system is. i know we all want to save every dog we can but sometimes we cant and the best we can do is make them the happiest they can be while we have them. we are here with you just know that!

Very sad news indeed. I had a similar situation with a rescue I took in, he had prostate cancer. We decided to love him, spoil him and keep him comfortable for as long as possible. When the time came we would help him cross the rainbow bridge together knowing he was loved. One Sunday we knew it was his time but before we could get a vet to come, early Monday he passed in his sleep. My advice is not to let her die alone in a shelter, but be there for her. It's extremely tough to do but as a family member we owe them that much, at least that's how I feel.

We both agree that we're not going to take her back there. The shelters here don't check for heartworm because in our area it's not typically a problem, they said it's VERY rare to get in a dog who has it so they stopped checking. Our vet said since she has no idea how long she's had either of these problems it could be anywhere from a week to a few months before she's showing symptoms. The vet did notice that Kyrie does seem to hurt when walking/running or standing for more than a few minutes and it's not from her spay so it's probably going to be sooner. We got some pain meds to give her for that which the shelter paid for. She does like to play chase with Demon for a few minutes at a time but he seems to notice when she's had enough and lets up and gives her some space. Well she'll be very much loved for as long as we have her. We were told that if we start to notice that it's hard for her to get up and walk around, her being lethargic, not eating/drinking, or acting like she's very uncomfortable then it'll be time. We've already talked to our kids about it so they know what's coming. We're all very upset over this whole situation but we're glad that she's got to be part of our family, even if it is for a short time.

God bless you and your family. Thank you for being such caring and compassionate owners. I hope that she enjoys her time with you and that you find a permanent companion for your family soon. Please keep us updated.

Oh my goodness, this breaks my heart. I'm so sorry that you're going through this. I can't even imagine About how old is Kyrie? She is very fortunate to have found you and your family even if it's just for a short time. My prayers are with you all.

My heart goes out to you in this difficult time yet I am glad that you have the strength to handle this crisis as it were. I agree, I would not take her back to the shelter. Instead I would love her and give her the best life I possibly could in however much time she has left on this earth. Valkyrie came into your life for a reason so I would see her off to the end. Even if you don't take her back and lose her adoption fee for some reason, that small fee cannot compare to amazing amount of good that you are doing and how much love and thankfulness Valkyrie will have for you and your family. I cannot even imagine how much you must be hurting right now and you, your family, and Valkyrie are in my thoughts and prayers. Be strong and always remember what an important gift you are giving Valkyrie every single day. In a way I think you will cherish her so much more in the little time that you have left and I'm sure she will leave an everlasting impression on you.

I need to stop reading this thread... it's totally making me cry.

Thank you all for your support and well wishes. Our vet says she's about 3 years old. We knew when we decided to adopt an older dog that was found wandering we would probably have some issues but we never expected this. She is such a sweetheart. She adores everyone she meets and loves to give kisses and is always smiling. She likes playing chase with Demon but doesn't like it when he paws at her to get her to play or when he jumps around her when he gets excited, but I can't blame her, I wouldn't like that either lol. She'll be getting lots of love and attention for however long we have her. I'll keep you guys updated. Thanks for being here for us.

This is heartbreaking. BIG HUGS to you and your family. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm so sorry you all are going through this! Valkyrie is such a blessed dog to have you and your family to care for her in her final days. I'm sending good thoughts and prayers yor way.

Really sad that this had to happen, but happy in the sense that Kyrie has a loving family to be with her for the rest of her life. Each of us never know when our dogs will meet their Maker.... I often wish dogs lived as long as parrots for example, but know that loving families make the difference for every dog. My dogs teach me new lessons about what is really important every day.....unconditional love and friendship always... Enjoy each day with Kyrie as much as she enjoys being with you. Wishing you the best.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I cried through this whole thread. She is truly blessed to have you. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Fate is being unfair. This is so sad.
Your decision to care for Kyrie, if indeed this is terminal, is wonderfully magnanimous. Thank you.

Yesterday I spent time thinking about my last husky, Tasha. When she was diagnosed with cancer at age nine, the vet said she had less than six months to live. She had a major surgery and two smaller ones when tumors returned. She lived for almost four years after that. We did everything we could to make those years filled with love. The vet called her "Miracle Tasha" because she wasn't supposed to have lived that long.

Reading through this thread has made me realize how much I take my furkids for granted, extra hugs and puppy kisses are in order, you just never know how much time they have left whether they are terminally ill or not. I think it's good to have reminders of how precious and short ours and their lives are. Okay, I must go before I start crying again.

It took me a while to respond to this as this is so sad and has left me without words. You are a blessing to Kyrie as she has found a loving home for however long she has, and know that she will be happy and forever grateful to you, as we all are, that you have opened your hearts and home to her.

So sorry to hear that! From what I've heard about dogs and cancer, it's usually best to not treat it if it's really bad. The treatment is painful and like the vet said they don't have that great a chance with it. Also for the heartworms, I'd just keep her on heartworm preventative (forget which kind, but one is often used as a heartworm treatment rather than getting the dog shots) to keep the heartworms from reproducing and letting the adult ones just die off from old age (unless of course she is highly positive, then you'd want to discuss it with your vet).

Every time I read an update of this thread I get a knot in my throat. I love my furbabies so much that I can't imagine! Ok, going to hug and kiss them now =(

Ouchie as usual this topic brings back bittersweet memories. Without looking back into Mylo's records he first had cancer surgery back in Sept.2008. They are really limited to what they can do compared to CA surgery on people. The biggest reason being money unless a vet is a oncology specialist they just are not able to have the sophisticated equipment. When Mylo had his first surgery he recovered wonderfully, and never let it bother us for the next 15+ months. Then last spring I noticed the tumor coming back slowly in the same location. Then in June it grew with a vengeance,he had surgery again. This time he seemed to struggle on the comeback but was improving slowly for about a month then it seemed that the plug was pulled on him. With both his surgery the vet(s) didn't recommend chemo because of the expense & the quality of life that they WON'T have. His last 2 weeks with us were heart wrenching for Beth & I and I'm sure it was even worse for Mylo. He crossed the bridge July 27th 2010, 2 days before my birthday. We still miss him dearly ...always will.

A good barometer of her health will be lack of appetite, energy level, and a good chance she will prefer to stay by herself. When she stopped drinking water her time has come and the misery needs to be ended.

Some surgery pics:

















Trying to keep the wounds clean:




He was embarrassed of the t-shirt:

Like many other members, I am having a hard time knowing what to say. Your dedication to Kyrie is commendable! My prayers go out to her and your family. Know matter how hard we tried, our kids were not fully prepared for the death of our last husky. Even though getting a puppy is no guarantee of good health or a long life, our 9 year old would not consider getting a dog that may pass away before he goes to college. He sat around doing MATH (his least favorite subject) when we began talking about rescuing an older dog. My prayers go out for your kids as they struggle to accept death at a young age.

Hugs to Kyrie...

Thanks everyone for the posts, they really have helped so we don't feel so alone in this. The tumors on her legs have grown and she's starting to have a harder time walking. We've been having to keep Demon separated from her until he's had a good walk/run because he tends to be too rough with her. We put puppy pads in the kitchen area where she hangs out most of the time so she won't have to go up/down any stairs since she's having a hard enough time just standing for more than a few minutes. She's still eating/drinking but it seems every day it's become a little less. We're thinking we have way less time than we originally thought but we're trying our hardest not to dwell on it.