Harley-Girl

Last week I posted about my goof-dog Hailee, who decided to break the rules and go on a road trip.

Today I want to share about my sweet pup Harley.  Yep, Harley and Hailee.  It was not my intention to have cutesy dog names.  When I rescued Harley, her name was “Birdie.”  Birdie.  Nope.  With her Harlequin face and her rocker/biker chick vibe she had to be Harley.   I still need to get her a black leather studded collar.  Hailee, on the other hand, was nine when I rescued her and at that point, I decided to embrace the alliteration and cutesiness. And when I yell “Hay…Are…Lee!” they both look up. They might not come but they do take notice. Before going back to their naps.

I came home two months ago from an appointment to find Harley limping.  “Harley, did you fall off the couch?”  She is about as active as I am (read: not at all active.)   I couldn’t figure out why she was hurting, so it was off to the vet to find out what was going on and hoping it was just a pulled muscle from rolling off said sofa.

First X-rays indicated arthritis in her elbow.  I can relate.  I have arthritis in lots of places.   Arthritis is miserable.  I know how to limp as well, especially in the morning.  She got lots of meds (some are the same as my meds – cool!  We share the same scrips!) and I continued to monitor her progress.

Fast forward to May.  The day I was coming home from vacation my dog sitter left a note saying that Harley was limping A LOT.   I brought her back to the vet and learned she “might” have bone cancer in the shoulder.  I went through bone cancer with my Rhodesian Ridgeback mix Jasper.  It’s not fun.   It spreads fast so I was told to come back a week later to see how the scans look.

A week later – scans showed a progression, so I took Harley to a veterinary oncologist in Culver City.  He was very thorough and detailed, and I was given tons of options to save Harley, all of which would likely cause me to mortgage the house. Bottom line: bone cancer in the shoulder. Whew. Arthritis isn’t so bad after all.

It’s tough when you have an amazing senior dog and you need to manage expenses, keep her comfy but not be unrealistic.   Do you keep her alive for selfish reasons?  Do you say, phooey, love you but we are done?  Do you kick yourself for not getting pet insurance and continuing to rescue older dogs?   I know of acquaintances who spent upwards of $20,000 to keep ancient pets alive although they were miserable and not enjoying a quality of life.  When do we embrace our pups and say, “Love you buddy!” and let them go to the Rainbow Bridge?  I knew when it was Jasper’s time to go.  Same with Ringo.  They decided life was no longer fun and I got it.

Harley and I met with the vet and got chest x-rays, bloodwork and ultrasounds.  So far the cancer hasn’t spread and I decided to go for it.  Harley had surgery yesterday.  It was a tough call but she had been running around pretty well on the three good legs, and I want to keep her around as long as possible and reasonable. I don’t want to go crazy and keep her around just to be heroic or to be selfish.   Hopefully the surgery will remove her pain and give us a bit more time together.   If you see her “tri-pawding” around the neighborhood on our walks, give her a cuddle and tell her how brave she is.   Because she is my brave Harley-dog.

This morning, she enjoyed breakfast and water and managed three steps down to the front lawn for relief. Then jumped back on her favorite spot on the couch where she has the best spot to bark at the mail carrier. So much for the brand new orthopedic dog bed.

So many of you sent shout outs to us, and I appreciate it. She’s a trooper and I’m glad to have her around for a bit longer. And her BFF Hailee is happy to have her back home. Hailee will probably take over the brand new orthopedic dog bed.