I have had my Australian Shepherd mut Diamond since i was three. Diamond is now eleven and has grade three cancer. She originally had a wierd welt thing on her tail and after about two months the doctors cut off half of her tail. After a biopsy, they realized it was cancer. The vets decided they got clear margins and it probably wouldn’t come back. But about three months ago, we found weird bumps all over her body, and they discovered that they were tumors. About a week ago we took Diamond to have her surgery and get the 5 mass cell tumors on her skin removed. They took her in and about an hour later the vet called saying they found about four more on her skull. The vet said it wasn’t worth removing tumors any more and that we should just let Diamond enjoy her life untill the cancer spreads to her insides and she gets sick which is where the vet advises us to put her to sleep. Diamond has only about two months left and I hate knowing that she’ll leave us. I have had her since I can remember and she has slept in my bed every night that i’ve ever been alive. I cry myself to sleep every night and i absolutely hate knowing there is nothing i can do. Also, i have had a reocurring dream of the day we euthanize her and i am just sitting there with her crying. I am not ready for this and i don’t know what to do.

diamond died on march 7th, 2008

Sarah: First of all, I’m so sorry I didn’t see your story before now. I don’t know if you’ll ever come back here, and I’m going to have Toby dig up your email so I can contact you directly, but I am so very sorry for your loss. I hope you’re feeling OK.

Like I said, I’ll be contacting you directly in hopes of checking in to see how you’re doing.

Thank you.