Let's talk pets....

Fearless_One

Tell us about your furry family members....

I found an abandoned kitten in my carport shortly before my diagnosis.   No sign of mother or littermates anywhere.   She was about 10 days old.   She now weighs 14 pounds and I love her so much.   

I am not uber-religious or anything, but it's like she came from above to get me through this.   It's just so odd that she came out of nowhere....

jan508

I have a parrot who at times can be a pain in the neck but when I was DX and was going through surgery, etc. she was an angel.  Hmmm....

Now that I'm pretty much back to normal, so is she

Jan

Fearless_One

Yes, they know when we are sick, don't they?    I never had a bird before.   I love parrots! 

ruthbru

A tiny one pound stray kitten showed up on my doorstep on a cold night two months after I was done with active treatment. I took her in as a sign that life goes on, and doing so gave me permission to make long term commitments, that I would be around to honor them......plus she is crazy and adds lot of fun! 

edited to add that I don't know that my other two, older cats, would agree with me! 

Fearless_One

Ruth, isn't that amazing how they just show up like that when we need them so much?   And they brighten our lives so much....

Dogs are cool, but I am more of a cat person, to be honest....

jan508

It's like we need them as much as they need us....

37antiques

I'm a dog lover, love to cuddle with cute German Shepherds, but I do remember the cat that adopted us a couple of months after my father passed.  My mother really needed that cat, they had such a strong bond it was unbelieveable!  Mittens lived 17 years, until Mom was  ready to move on and find herself, so to speak. 

DH bought me my dog during my tx, it was the best present ever.

Fearless_One

I have had pets all my life.   I don't think I could be in a home without them.  

ruthbru

Too quiet without pets....plus people think you are peculiar when you talk out loud to yourself!

dogsandjogs

One of my neighbors who had just been diagnosed with cancer and was feeling really depressed and miserable undergoing chemo, found a cat in her back yard one day. She had never seen him in the area before so put up flyers. Nobody responded so she kept him. 

Her mother had died recently and she feels her mother sent the cat to her!

She loves the cat and he is crazy about her too; only leaves her side to prowl at night!

dogsandjogs

One night one of my dogs woke me up by bumping my nose. He had never done that before and as he kept bumping I realized I was having a "grey-out".  Trying not to panic I just laid there and forced myself to breathe deeply. When I felt sure enough that I wasn't going to black out complete I got up and got a drink of water. It was later discovered I was being over-medicated on a drug I was taking for my atrial fibrillation.

The dog knew something was wrong and was alerting me!   Sadly, he passed away just before my cancer surgery. He was a pit bull I had rescued from the shelter. A sweeter dog I have never known. He loved everyone; dogs, cats, people-----

dogsandjogs

I agree completely! Dogs have always been a huge part of my life.

mamadog53

I have 2 Australian Cattle dogs that I love more than anything.  Although they can be loud, pushy and rowdy at times they would also protect me with their lives if necessary.  Yesterday a male relative reached over to hug me goodbye and my oldest dog came right through my legs and growled at him.  It was like he knew not that no one was to be rough with me since my surgery and was letting the guy know.  These dogs love to play so much that they are teaching me how to throw a frisbee with my left arm.  I'm getting fairly decent at it too.  I can't imagine living in a house without animals.  I guess it's that unconditional love thing.

Lynn

dogsandjogs

That is so cute!! My dogs were so gentle after I broke my hip - they were unusually quiet and very patient. Same thing after the cancer surgery - even my very active chesapeake mix was subdued.

I had a lab mix once which I think was either part cattle dog or aussie shep. A very sweet and smart dog.

J9W

I have two Argentinian Dogos....the small one weighs about 70lbs and her brother weighs about 105. When I had my surgeries, they were the most gentle dogs ever....now that I'm healthy again, they are acting like terrible two year olds (which they are)....wrestling in the house, chasing each other in the yard, and fighting over bones.  Picture this:  when I go in the back yard, I'm like a stalker....I run and hide behind trees so they can't run and knock me over! 

dogsandjogs

Oh, I bet they are cute!  Can you post a picture?  I can just picture you hiding behind trees. My dogs chase each other too (but no bones allowed when they are together - they fight over bones or food) and I make sure to get out of their way.

Fearless_One

My cat used to love to climb the curtains.   But now she is 14 pounds and can't - but sometimes she still tries.  

I wish I could see all your furbabies!  

pil

I recieved my diagnosis today.  But I have a pet and a story to tell you.  I have witnesses as well, my sister and my granddaughter.

pil

Baxter knew something was wrong April 14 when I started feeling pain. At first I could not recall the exact incident with Baxter but this morning it came back to me and I remembered. I was blow drying Baxter after a bath in my bathroom, my shirt and bra became wet from the bath. I usually get a bath when the dog gets one. ha ha Anyway, the wetness may have accentuated the odor or made it easier to smell or I was just on his level because he was on the counter top chest level getting a hair do. At one point in the blowing drying process he put his nose straight onto my left breast pressed on it and he sniffed a couple of seconds and one quick lick on my wet t-shirt. I just took it as him being nosey and a goofy pup ha ha... I made the appointment for the dr the next day.

Well, I went to Oklahoma to spend easter with my family. My sister and I are fairly close and I always like to visit her children, my neices and nephews. We went over to her sons house and briefly stood in the front door entry saying our greetings and such to all. Someone mentioned his pit bull dog and my nephew asked me if I wanted to see him. Of course I told him. yes yes. Some pitbulls are just so sweet if raised right. Anway, he brings out the nursery of dogs he is baby sitting along with his pit bull. They all come out waggin tails and trying to greet us. Well, this big beautiful blue pitbull dogs trots up to me and jumps right up on my torso and takes his nose very gently and pushes into my left breast and sniffs a couple of seconds the exact same spot my dog Baxter did the previous week. Of course Mom and Dad and saying get down get down.

When we got home from the Easter weekend I began to think about the dogs and how they just went straight to my boob on the same spot. Then of course that is the spot where the cancer is. Well, I decided to tell my sister Baxter my 10 month old Boston had done the same thing the day when I started hurting. I asked her if she remembered the pit bull doing his friendly nudge and sniff and she did. I told her I think they can smell something that is not right with the human body and then let her know we'd entertain the conversation when my tests came back.

I called her today and let her know my diagnosis and told her I think that her sons dog has a special ability. I had never seen nor been around this dog so it would not know me from Adam. However, the dog did sense and smell this cancer. I just think thats super amazing. Since this morning I have found out dogs can in fact know and smell something wrong with the body. All you have to do is google "dog smells my cancer ".
I think the pit bull can be used for some real work. I told my sister to please tell her son what his dog sensed.

Amazing to say the least.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/cancer-sniffing-dog_n_816961.html

http://covington.11alive.com/news/news/he-saved-my-life-dog-sniffs-out-owners-breast-cancer/54570

jancie

I have one horse, 2 dogs, and 3 cats.  I couldn't live happily without an assortment of pets.  It was my horse Jazzy that made me fight so hard to survive this BC crap.  She was orphaned at 2 months of age, I couldn't have her lose 2 moms when she is only 6 years old.  She gave me strength to get through chemo.

Fearless_One

Pil, you should send that story into Animal Planet or something.   That is incredible.   I have heard of both dogs and cats seemingly finding skin cancer on their owners - but this is amazing.   It makes sense - their senses are so much more powerful than ours.   Perhaps the cancer does give our bodies a different scent or something..that would be undetectable to humans.

pil

yes, I am sure this is the case. They can smell it I know it because I experienced this.  It is still overwhelming just experiencing this. 

pil

 Fearless, I am not a writer or know puntuation to well. Is the story written out well enough to understand.  I would love to share this with women people who do have pets.  I think they have abilities that have not been used.  These are amazing creatures. Certainly can say mans best friend. 

Lowrider54

My fur-child appeared in my life almost out of nowhere.  I received a phone call on a Saturday morning, a week after my significant other was killed in a car crash in 2006.  It was the daughter of a dear friend crying her eyes out and ask did I want a dog?  I said yes.  She didn't hear me - I said yes again - bring him here - I didn't even know anything about him just that I am a dog lover and I was quite willing to give this doggie a home that seemed destined for the pound.  Finally, after she finally heard me - her crying stopped and I found out the details.  His name was Harley and she had raised him from a puppy, he is a tri color Sheltie and she had let a very good friend of hers adopt him and now the friend had called to say - come and get this dog or he is going to the pound.  The friend had the dog for 3 or 4 years and my friend was so upset.  Within a couple hours, here he comes - his entire butt wagging and so excited - by the end of the day, we were buddies. 

Once dx'd with mets - this fur-child has become even closer to me.  He does not leave my side and being a 'herding' dog, I have become his 'sheep'.  The unconditional love from this animal who acts more like a human than many human's I know is so tender and loving and careful with me - he literally will use his paws to comfort me - a paw on the shoulder or on top of my hand - it does not feel random but very deliberate I sometimes wonder about how he came into my life just a week after the death of my David...almost as if to watch over me...

mthomp2020

There was a PBS program about dogs and their relationships with people, and they showed a study being done in England on dogs being used to detect cancer.  They were able to determine which dogs had the ability, and could train them to search for it. 

I couldn't be without my pets.  The dog in my avatar is Katy, a 37 lbs. Peke mix, who's quite the character, and a lover.  I have a 14 lbs. cat named Sam I Am, who I found under my car at Sam's Club almost 3 years ago when he was a kitten, so he came home with me.  They're definitely best friends, and play and wrestle together.  The two of them make me smile every day, and they're highly entertaining.

chrissyb

This is my little dog who clung to me like a leach for the months I was sick before Dx.  I also have two old cats, one 17 and the other 12.

Binney4

Wow, what wonderful stories here!

Low, your Harley gives me strength just hearing about him. Give him a big scruffy hug from me!

Pil, there are several other women on the boards here whose dogs "diagnosed" their breast cancer. They're a wonder. Pit bulls are increasingly being used as service dogs and emotional support dogs. When well raised they can be real sweeties, loyal and steady. Their drawback as service animals is that people are afraid of the breed, so public access with them can make other people uncomfortable, particularly in close quarters such as buses and theaters.

We have two Golden doodles (Golden retreiver and poodle), but they aren't technically pets -- both are medical alert service dogs for two of our kids. The male (22 months old) is fully trained, the female (at 11 months) is still in training. Of course they provide a measure of protection for our kids, but also all the joys of enthusiasm and companionship -- not to mention lots of laughter.

There's really nothing quite like the understanding of a close critter. What gifts they are!
Binney

GointoCarolina

My pets are a little different,though I have dogs and cats,I also have miniature donkeys and Nigerian Dwarf goats.I got the goats right before my diagnosis and when I found out I would be having surgery,chemo and herceptin for a year I decided I would not breed the goats.On a bitter cold morning at the end of January ,two days after my last chemo,my husband came in and said"the black goat had four babies!" I dragged myself out to the barn and sure enough,there were four newborn baby goats.I knew they could not survive in the bitter cold,knew I still did not have the energy to bottle feed,so mom and babies spent a few weeks in our spare bedroom.And the funny thing is,the father goat was only penned next to the girls while I was in the hospital having my mastectomy.It was easier for my husband to have them all in the same barn,neither of us dreamed they would be able to breed through the fence.They arrived at the perfect time,I had been so sick during chemo,but every day they grew a little and every day I got a little more strength back.I know they helped speed my recovery.

pil

OMGosh!!  what a great story.   LOL I love these stories they are so uplifting.  The dogs stories hear just make me have a lump in my throat. Such wonderful darlings.

 

Fearless_One

OMG, these stories are amazing - I am going to cry....  Lowrider, it is amazing how the timing is when we find our fur children (or when they find us)...   it is uncanny, and not coincidence.   I don't believe in that kind of coincidence.   It is no accident how they come to be in our lives. 

Linda_Lee

Maddie was my constant companion for almost 14 years.  She was a Golden Retriever and my best friend.  She was nearing the end of her life when I was diagnosed.  It should have been my time to take care of her but instead she took care of me.  During chemo weekends when even the touch of my bedsheets hurt, her head on my stomach was healing.  She refused to leave my side when I was at my worst.  My parents came to take care of me after each chemo treatment. They knew I was better and they could go home when Maddie would agree to leave me and go on a walk with them.   Maddie lived another year after I finished treatment and I tried to return the favor to her by making her final year the most comfortable and happy I could for her.  I read in a book once that it is not a sad thing that we out live our dogs but it is a blessing that we get to live long enough to have multiple amazing dogs in our lives.  Maddie was my girl.  She was a good dog.

Daisy Mae came along right after I finished treatment.  She was just a pup and was in terrible shape.  full of worms and I could see every bone in her body.  I would take her out at night to use the bathroom and she would sit next to me and whimper - "oh the things I have seen" - whimper.  At the time I was miserable and just wanted to sit around with my Maddie.  I hurt both physically and mentally.  I just wanted to check out from life and hide under a rock licking my wounds.  But there was this little crazy Daisy wanting to be loved, petted, walked, washed.  I almost put her on Craigslist.  My chemo body needed rest I thought, not getting up every few hours to let a puppy out.  Well, I never quite got around for it and Daisy, while still crazy, is still here.  She gets me up and out of the house and makes me laugh.  While I will never stop mourning my Maddie, I am blessed to share my life with another wonderful dog.