Maybe you've seen me mention it already in a status update on Facebook, or maybe I've dropped it in conversation, but it's been at the forefront of my mind lately: my best friend is crippled, and I'm scared it could be for life.
Roca has been an amazing dog since the day my brother and his wife Ashlee got her more than 8 years ago. She was born on Memorial Day in 2001 and I got to meet her a few days after they had brought her home as a celebration of their 1-year wedding Anniversary.
I lived in my brother's basement for about 3 months shortly after I had graduated college and broken up with my college girlfriend I had intended to marry. Those were dark days living far from my friends, and very uncertain about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Roca was one of the few comforts and friends I had during that time. Almost daily I would take her to Sugarhouse Park to chase balls, frisbees or the occasional duck. She loved nothing more than jumping into the little pond after a frisbee was thrown out into the middle.
I pretty much took her everywhere with me (even to work on occasion) never really worrying about whether or not she would be a good dog. I commonly forgot to bring a leash with me when taking her out because she never really needed it. There isn't a soul with a beating heart that can withstand her charms. If I could bring her on family vacations I would, but you gotta draw the line somewhere.
The point is, stay, sit, lie down, and heel commands are all followed without hesitation. Nothing is more fun that watching her intensely wait for your go-ahead to chase down a frisbee or a ball that you won't let her touch until you give her the signal. I've had two other great dogs that I loved to no end, but let's be honest. Labs, let alone dogs typically can't be trusted. I can leave her in the car with an uneaten In-N-Out Double-Double sitting out and she won't touch it.
The best memories I have of her are from driving in my VW Golf with the sunroof open. Roca would stand up in the passenger seat, front paws on the roof taking the full force of the wind in her face. For some reason, she loved nothing more than having her cheeks fully inflated at 70 mph while people in other cars would laugh and point fingers.
When I moved out, I made it a point to kidnap her for the weekend as often as time and distance would permit. To know her was to love her, and whenever Roca was present, friends and roommates would play with her, ask to take her places with us, and some even just enjoyed her enough to fall asleep next her when she was spending the night. Dogs rarely come around that are this obedient, this fun, and this sweet.
I was heartbroken when I found out 4 years ago that she had been hit by a car and had suffered a broken leg. This dog was not meant to lie around the house. She was born to run, jump, catch and swim. I was incredibly relieved to see that she was back 99% only 6 or 7 months after the surgery where they reinforced her thigh bone with 7 screws and a steel plate so it could heal properly. This was a surgery most dog owners would balk at and just let the dog 'pass on', but Roca's the canine that most dog-owners never get to experience in their lifetime. We have been truly lucky with this dog. Until November, I secretly wondered if she held the secret to the fountain of youth... I never thought of her as old until recently.
In the Spring of 2008, I moved back to UT just down the street from my brother, and Roca. Since then, Roca has been a part-time member of our household, and a fixture in my life. We've taken her up the canyon to play in the river and reservoirs. She loves swimming the river at my parents house if there's anything you need her to fetch for you. Every now and then, we have to give her back to my brother and his wife but it's only a matter of time before Roca decides to run away and pay us a visit.
Back in November, she ran over to our house one evening and looked like she was having a hard time walking. We checked all over for signs of an injury but all we could tell was that her leg felt tender and she was swollen in a few areas. We took her to the vet the next day to have her checked out. Things looked consistent with her being hit by a car, but there were no signs of a fracture. In less than a week, it seemed like she was back to her old self.
The week before Christmas, she had been with my brother's family for a couple of weeks when she decided to pay us a visit. She arrived at our doorstep around 6 in the morning caked in mud and limping a little. It looked like she had crawled under the fence from my brother's place and had somehow pinned her leg under the fence or something.
We didn't think much of it, and within a few days she seemed totally fine. But over the coming weeks, the stiffness she was experiencing outdoors was looking like it had a lot more to it than the cold weather. By the end of last week, she wasn't putting any weight on the leg. By Monday, it was obvious that 'good' hind leg was so fatigued, it was about to collapse under the weight.
When I moved out, I made it a point to kidnap her for the weekend as often as time and distance would permit. To know her was to love her, and whenever Roca was present, friends and roommates would play with her, ask to take her places with us, and some even just enjoyed her enough to fall asleep next her when she was spending the night. Dogs rarely come around that are this obedient, this fun, and this sweet.
I was heartbroken when I found out 4 years ago that she had been hit by a car and had suffered a broken leg. This dog was not meant to lie around the house. She was born to run, jump, catch and swim. I was incredibly relieved to see that she was back 99% only 6 or 7 months after the surgery where they reinforced her thigh bone with 7 screws and a steel plate so it could heal properly. This was a surgery most dog owners would balk at and just let the dog 'pass on', but Roca's the canine that most dog-owners never get to experience in their lifetime. We have been truly lucky with this dog. Until November, I secretly wondered if she held the secret to the fountain of youth... I never thought of her as old until recently.
In the Spring of 2008, I moved back to UT just down the street from my brother, and Roca. Since then, Roca has been a part-time member of our household, and a fixture in my life. We've taken her up the canyon to play in the river and reservoirs. She loves swimming the river at my parents house if there's anything you need her to fetch for you. Every now and then, we have to give her back to my brother and his wife but it's only a matter of time before Roca decides to run away and pay us a visit.
Back in November, she ran over to our house one evening and looked like she was having a hard time walking. We checked all over for signs of an injury but all we could tell was that her leg felt tender and she was swollen in a few areas. We took her to the vet the next day to have her checked out. Things looked consistent with her being hit by a car, but there were no signs of a fracture. In less than a week, it seemed like she was back to her old self.
The week before Christmas, she had been with my brother's family for a couple of weeks when she decided to pay us a visit. She arrived at our doorstep around 6 in the morning caked in mud and limping a little. It looked like she had crawled under the fence from my brother's place and had somehow pinned her leg under the fence or something.
We didn't think much of it, and within a few days she seemed totally fine. But over the coming weeks, the stiffness she was experiencing outdoors was looking like it had a lot more to it than the cold weather. By the end of last week, she wasn't putting any weight on the leg. By Monday, it was obvious that 'good' hind leg was so fatigued, it was about to collapse under the weight.
None of the anti-inflammatories she had been prescribed were working and it was only getting worse. She finally got into the Vet's office on Thursday and we had her check out again.
It seems as though the broken leg that showed no signs of consequence last year, is finally coming back to haunt the poor pup. We didn't come away from the vet's with any conclusive information because there were no visible signs of a fracture, and no visible signs of bone cancer. The only visible issue we could identify is the marked difference in bone density between her good leg, and the one with the metal plate. Over time, it's been getting worse and it may be a long time before she recovers fully, if she recovers at all.
After 8 1/2 years, a dog is entering her 60's in the human equivalent of the average life span. Although she was spayed in her first year, Roca seems to be getting the same issue that many older women deal with once they've reached a 'certain age': osteoporosis.
I asked the doctor if there was something I could give her, like calcium supplements or some of that crap that Sally Fields is hawking for some pharmaceutical over the radio, but he said that there's really nothing we could do but pay for a very expensive biopsy to determine if it's bone cancer. Even if we got that diagnosis, then what? The options seem grim, but I'm committed to making sure Roca gets the most out of the rest of her days.
You can't see much in these x-rays but you can still see the metal plate that gives us our six-million dollar bionic dog.
It's a very depressing thing to think that there is a chance she has bone cancer that hasn't manifested itself yet, or that she has a hairline fracture that will keep her out of commission for the next few months. It has definitely broken her spirit, but she's none the less sweeter for it.
Right now, we really have no idea of what it is, but we're doing everything we can to help her recover and avoid further pain or injury.
Anyway, I write all of this because I can't help but think of how sad it is that you have to witness the decline of everything in life. Not to sound like a curmudgeon or a pessimist, but it always stings to realize that there will come a day when those you love the most (whether it be friends, family, or a pet) will no longer be as you remember them at their best.
Anyhow... here are some of the pics I've managed to take of Roca from my iPhone over the past year. I hope you enjoy.
Roca before her bath the last time she ran away to see us.
Roca after her visit to the vet in November
Roca loves Summer more than anyone (except maybe me)
This was how I put Roca in time out once.
1 comments:
awwwwwwwwwwww! I love this dog!!!! we really really REEEEALLLY would like a dog, we would like to get a grey Weimaraner. But due to living in an apartment, not possible. I've always been a dog lover and owner, I've loved and had 2 important dogs in my life, Lupa (long haired German-shepherd died at 14 from bone cancer) and Simba (greatest mutt who died at 13 from pancreas infection) dogs are such great companions and are truly members of a family.
They're always there for us, no matter what!
I loved reading your long about Roca! I just want to kiss that wet nose of hers!
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