A very sad day for us here

This morning, we had to have our beautiful dog Sophie put to sleep. 

I took her into the vet today because she had been lame on her front left leg, and yesterday I knew she really wasn't well. We just thought it was a muscle or ligament problem, but it turned out to be exactly what Tristan had last August: hemangiosarcoma.

Except Tristan had his spleen and a huge tumour removed, and is still with us (on borrowed time.) Sophie, however, had three huge tumours on her liver, plus a scattering of small ones, plus a large metastasis on her shoulder (which was causing the limping.) She was already anemic and had a low platelet count due to internal bleeding. Fortunately, because of Tristan's cancer, I am well-read on the topic of this disease and knew the prognosis was terrible. Sophie was going to bleed out and die, probably very soon. We might have been able to bring her home for a day but we didn't want to risk having her die an agonizing death here, particularly as she was already bleeding internally and it was just a matter of time.

Luckily I managed to get ahold of Gordon, who was working in the courthouse just a few blocks away. He came, we said our good-byes, and were with Sophie as she passed peacefully. She was 11-1/2 years old. 

It was especiallly shocking because for months, we have been preparing ourselves to lose Tristan (even with his surgery, his prognosis was not good.) Sophie has always been our healthy dog: no arthritis, no problems, no nothing. Instead today we found ourselves saying good-bye to Sophie. And my vet has never before had clients with two dogs suffering from hemangiosarcoma at the same time. Very awful luck.

The day before we left on vacation, I took her and Tristan for a long walk in the snow. She was running and happy and looked as fit as could be. Fewer than three weeks later, she's gone.

Good bye, darling Sophie. You were always such a good girl. The best! We miss you so much. I hope you are in some kind of doggy heaven with your former master, who loved you and Tristan so much, he (at the last minute) decided not to take you with him when he committed suicide in 2007. Because of that, we had 6-1/2  truly wonderful years with you. 

I will miss you so, my devoted friend and walking buddy. Wherever your little doggy spirit resides, I hope you are happy.