Yesterday, our little Tenzin was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma.*
Today, we made this video of him playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRtmexRIzDI
He is happy, alert and playful as usual here, though he has had some bad days recently.
We do not how much longer we will have the great fortune of his presence in our lives, so we are more diligently recording him, as that will - in a sense - be all we have left of him soon. And, we want others to know how great he is, in addition to those who already know.
He has a mass in his belly around his spleen, along with growing lumps on his chest and abdomen. Those had been looked at and deemed benign, though oddly blood-saturated. It was after a third episode where he suddenly collapsed, then acted oddly (slinking around, finding a different place to lie, drinking more water...) that we took him in for an EKG (normal) followed by an ultrasound, which provided the diagnosis and prognosis: "two to six months."
It can be anytime, actually, so we are keeping even closer with him than usual - which is pretty close! He is our only child.
Last night as I began to deeply grieve his impending loss, I wrote this to my partner, his mother:
"...it is surreal here...I touch and look at Tenzin’s body and see it is not him...and that there is really no Tenzin. I mean, soon he will be gone, and here he is still, but only an illusion, really. His love and our love for him is the only part that’s real, if you see what I mean.
"This thing about a whole life, suddenly no more...almost as if it never were....and yet so much love happens in that space, boundlessly... It’s amazing and strange and heart-rending, all of it."
She, sharing this with a friend offering condolences, wrote:
"Yes, the gift in such a scenario is the ability to know ahead a bit that these are our last precious times together with our beloved one. And Shivadam said the most beautiful thing about cuddling Tenzin and realizing he is not his body but rather his loving... and our love shared."
Here are some other videos we posted years ago. All of these profile his amazing wit and charm.
Tenzin's Toys, Tunnel and Tricks (2013): https://youtu.be/-ua2Cj9MA3Y
Tenzin's Easter Egg Hunt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbC6Ihc7BnY
Tenzin's Favorite Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdL7b0iQPVg
Tenzin Physics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=951i1PijgTY
Tenzin is the smartest, most interactive and affectionate dog I have ever known. Like my other dogs, he is a mutt. I am convinced they are the best kind of dog, the mixture of breeds bringing many benefits in intelligence and charm.
PLEASE support rescue.
Rescue a dog or cat. Offer donations to rescue orgs. We found Tenzin - as with all my dogs - as a rescue. He has enriched and "rescued" our lives as much as we did his. We will never forget him, and so he will live on in our hearts.
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*Here is a good article about hemangiosarcoma with other helpful resources related to hospice and euthanasia:
http://pawsintograce.com/the-sad-realities-of-hemangiosarcoma-in-dogs/
May all beings be well and happy, free from suffering and the causes of suffering. SVAHA
