Tiny, my beloved silver Poodle, was diagnosed with splenic hemangiosarcoma at 17 years old, in March 2006.  He collapsed one evening at home, and was rushed to the emergency clinic where they found an enlarged spleen, spots on his liver and blood in his abdomen.  They told me that they suspected hemangiosarcoma and gave me two options – a splenectomy or euthanasia.  But, because he also had spots in his liver, he would also need liver surgery if my decision was to try to slow the cancer, and they couldn’t do that there.  We would have to see a surgical specialist for that.

Given his age and the diagnosis of such an aggressive form of cancer, I made the difficult decision to help him across to the Rainbow Bridge.  But, when they brought Tiny into the room for that final procedure, I was shocked to see that he had had perked up and came in all excited, ready to play, having apparently re-transfused himself with life.  Given his obvious will to live, I took him home that night and off we went to Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, TX the next morning, where he had a splenectomy and liver lobectomy, which he came through with flying colors.

Following his recovery, we met with the oncologists at Gulf Coast, who recommended a course of chemotherapy along with several oral medications including Deramaxx and Doxycycline, to help keep the cancer at bay.  But, even with the surgery and medications, they gave me a very guarded prognosis of six months or so.  I knew that Tiny was a trooper though, and he had made it very clear that he was not ready to leave just yet, so we went full steam ahead with a shortened course of low-dose chemo combined with oral meds, acupuncture, and chiropractic for his arthritis.

Well, beating all predictions and my even my deepest hopes, Tiny, my stubborn old man, survived another two and a quarter years past diagnosis, with good quality of life until the last few weeks, when his arthritis and a tumor in his mouth made it difficult for him to enjoy his favorite morning walks and his absolute favorite activity -- eating.  When that day came when he could no longer enjoy life fully, he gently left this world on July 19, 2008 at the age of nineteen.  Tiny was such a strong boy, and did his best to keep going until the very last day of his life, but in the end his little body just gave out.  It wasn’t the hemangiosarcoma that took him from me though.

He’s been gone now for quite a while, but I still miss him every day.  I am so thankful though to have had the extra time with him. I will never know whether it was his own will to keep going or his combination of western and Chinese medicine, or both, but he certainly defied the odds and the prognosis in spite of a certain death sentence with hemangiosarcoma.  As one of his vets said, “He did a great job for a stubborn little dog.”

I'd like to sincerely thank Tiny's medical team, who did so much to help him during his battle with cancer, including Dr. Marc Hays at Voss Road Animal Clinic, Dr. Melissa Endicott at Gulf Coast Oncology, Dr. Patricia Baley (holistic/acupuncture vet) and Dr. Robin Robinett (veterinary chiropractic).  Thank you!

As a side note, several months after Tiny passed away, I had a dream about him one night, happily eating pizza and seeming to tell me he was okay. The very next day, a friend at Citizens for Animal Protection shelter here in Houston called to tell me about a gorgeous six year old (same age as Tiny when I adopted him) silver poodle that had just arrived, high positive for heartworms. I signed on as his foster sight unseen, sponsored his treatment and soon after, adopted him.  His name is Merlin, and he looks and acts so much like Tiny it is uncanny.  Upon coming home he immediately adopted Tiny's favorite chair, blanket and the exact same spot on the bed that Tiny slept in. Weird, but I don't question it – I just feel lucky to have been able to share my life with two special dogs like Tiny and Merlin.