I loved Dempsey, a Rhodesian Ridgeback just like my child. He went everywhere with me and was my pride and joy. I wanted to share my story because I am another person who lost her "fur child" and knows exactly what everyone here is going through or went through with that dreaded disease - cancer.
Dempsey was sweet, loving, curious, mischievous, incredibly smart and sensitive. He was the hit of any family gathering and always managed to endear everyone by resting his big head on the dining room table hoping for a few bites of dinner. He always got them. He liked to go anywhere (including the vet) since he always saw it as an opportunity to meet new friends. He got very excited every time we visited our local dogpark where he had many four-legged friends due to his friendly disposition. He enjoyed taking walks in the mountains where he was photographed enjoying nature and its scenery. (This is where the photo I attached was taken.) He loved to go "bye-bye in the car", lure coursing, eating, watching TV, and play dates with other dogs. He adored the Jersey shore. Three days before he passed away, I took him to the inlet and to the beach, for a walk. I will be forever grateful that I could still do that with him, and that he was able to see the beach one final time.
I have quite a few friends that all own Rhodesian Ridgebacks that I have met all due to Dempsey. Within this circle of friends I have quite a few friends who feed natural homemade diets. All of the dogs seem to thrive on this way of feeding and all of us see alternative homeopathic vets as well. He was a very very healthy boy and completed his Junior Lure Coursing (JC) title on November 7, 1998. Then, the week of Thanksgiving I noticed that when he would jump out of my or off the bed or couch, he would let out a tiny cry. I got him to the vet the day after Thanksgiving and thinking maybe he pulled a muscle or something told me to give him an aspirin and call him Monday with his progress. But he didn't get better, and it seemed to get worse. I phoned another good vet in my area and got him in to see her. She did complete blood testing on him, nutritional analysis, etc etc. I thought maybe it was Lyme's Disease. THAT being the worse case scenario. I nonchalantly questioned if it could be "cancer" and she said "STOP!! Of course not, he is not even 2 years old! And take a look at him, he is beautiful! "
I saw that vet on a Tuesday and by Wednesday night Dempsey's temperature was 105. At night his temperature would increase but this was the highest I had seen it. The next day I took him to a Veterinary Referral Hospital. Again, his temperature was back down and he was acting his normal self. Eating, drinking, playing. She asked us to leave him with her for a few hours and she would do some Xrays on his joints etc. No sooner did I get home when that phone call came in. I knew if she was calling so soon, it had to be horrible news. I will never forget the utter shock and terror of what she said to me on the other side of that phone. She said she did a chest Xray and Dempsey had an enormous tumor inside his chest. She wasn't certain of the origin but she did a little biopsy and she found cancer cellls. I drove right over and brought him home. I was given Prednisone which put an end to his fever and helped a bit with the acheyness in his limbs.
I got him in to the best Veterinary Hospital with the best Oncologist (who studied under one of the best Oncologists in the country) in NJ. I called the University of Colorado and spoke to Dr. Greg Ogilve. I did everything. I added fish oils to his diet and other cancer and tumor fighting supplements. I spoke to homeopathic people and conventional medicine people. I prayed, friends prayed, family prayed from all over the country.
We went through Chemotherapy. I sat in a crate with him in the hospital all day long 4 days before Christmas while he got his first round of Cisplatin. Two days later he got Doxyrubicin. I got other opinions, had sonograms done, and went to other surgeons to determine if this thing could be removed - I would have spent whatever it cost to save Dempsey. They told me it was a very very rare form of the bone cancer Osteosarcoma. They could not be certain if it originated from his rib or from his soft muscle tissue. They couldn't know for sure without opening him up. This is a genetic mutation that he probably was born with - and it had a coded date as to when it would make him ill. They said the tumor probably began growing a month or two prior to when he showed signs. It was an incredibly aggressive fast moving cancer. I also believe that his natural diet if anything helped fight off the cancer. They said at best he had 2 - 3 months. IF he had surgery, maybe 9-12 months but there were absolutely no guarantees.
We were hoping the chemo would shrink the tumor but it did not, it was just too enormous. They estimated it at slightly smaller than a basketball but it wasn't round in shape. This type of cancer had all kinds of tenticals that reached out and spread throughout his body. Surgery would be very risky, and his recovery would be agony. Hearing that final conclusion, was when I realized it was time to give up. I had to let Dempsey go with dignity and as little pain as possible. The pain Dempsey would experience when jumping had nothing to do with the actual tumor. It had to do with the tumor pressing on certain nerves that actually affected his limbs and changed the density of his bones. Human lung cancer patients get this as well. After meeting with the final surgeon on a Saturday I took Dempsey to his favorite spot - the beach for his final romp. By Monday, his breathing had begun to change and I new it was already time. They were way off at their estimate of 2-3 months and I suppose deep in my heart I knew this all along because I cherished every second I had left with him from the minute I found out he had cancer. I took time off work and was with him all the time and I will always be grateful for that time I had with him.
From the time of diagnosis Dempsey lived 5 weeks. He died on January 12, 1999. I will never be able to look at Christmas and New Years the same again - because I will always think of those last final weeks of his life.
The trip to the vet on that Tuesday night was the worst experience I have ever had to endure in my entire 33 years of life. Everyone always says better to soon then to late. He was cremated, and I now have the ashes and still have to select that special urn and that special place where he will reside - which will always be near me. The evening after his death, I had tickets to see the Lion King on broadway. These were a gift from the previous Valentines Day. If you know anything about Ridgebacks you know they are African and that is where the Lion King takes place. It also is the story of the "Circle of Life" an appropriate plot for what I had just endured. I made it to the play, and somehow I managed to get through it and actually enjoy it. That night I was awoken in the middle of the night to windchimes - a sign I am quite sure was him saying "I'm okay Mom". Since then I have heard windchimes on several occasions and somehow wherever I live they are nearby in someone's yard. I have dreamt of him often too.
I promised myself that I would give Dempsey's life as much meaning as I possibly could. I sent in donations to the Mid-Atlantic Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue in loving memory of our Dempsey. I sent out personal thank yous to all my friends along with a copy of the letter to rescue thanking those who so graciously sent me cards, emails, and donations in Dempsey's honor. It made it easier for me to begin to heal knowing so many cared. He was the inspiration behind a donation to Ridgeback Rescue that I sent commemorating the life of my Grandmother a few years ago too. He also is responsible for my adopting a 16-month old female Ridgeback named Izzy who needed a loving home with a Mom just like me. Izzy is a sweet sweet girl and she has given me lots of love that I needed to get through this. But ofcourse, no one can ever replace Dempsey nor take away the pain of his loss.
I didn't realize until Dempsey was gone how much I depended on him and his wonderful spirit. I always appreciated him and I made every single moment count while he was on this earth - but I didn't fully comprehend how much I relied on him nor could I ever imagine the enormous void that would be left behind - until he was gone. He was there to greet me, cuddle and play with me, keep mecompany when home alone, and due to his incredible sense of humor make me laugh endlessly. He was the reason why I met many friends who also own dogs, and he got me out walking and enjoying many facets of the outdoors. Because of Dempsey I also have my beloved, sweet girl - Izzy.
Trying to put into words the tremendous amount of love I had for this exceptionally amazing creature and the unforgettable impact he made on my life is almost impossible. But I know you all feel the same for your dogs, so I am confident that you will understand just how much I loved him and what he meant to me.
I know he is at peace and spreading happiness to those around him and running around with all the dogs from this website as well!
I Love You Dempsey - Beth
(izmebella@earthlink.net)
