Gryffindor
Introducing…the Swiss Lick Swissies Canine Cancer Fund!
Saturday, January 30th, 2010 | Canine Cancer, Gryffindor, Swiss Lick Swissies Canine Cancer Fund | 1 Comment
Since losing Gryffin to cancer four weeks ago, we’ve felt as if we need to do something more to help with the fight against cancer.
Dan and I are already involved in with a few charities that fund cancer research for humans. I’ve even participated in a couple events for canine cancer. Well, now it’s personal, so we need to take the next step.
Along came the Swiss Lick Swissies Canine Cancer Fund. It’s not an official organization. We don’t have a 501(c)3 designation. If this gets big enough, I will get one. Right now, we are fundraising for organizations the DO have their 501(c)3, like the National Canine Cancer Foundation (NCCF).
The NCCF is an organization that helps fund the important research grants that will eventually (hopefully) find a cure. Or at least get us closer to a cure. Here is their Mission statement, copied directly from their website.
The National Canine Cancer Foundation is a nationwide, contribution funded, 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to eliminating Cancer as a major health issue in dogs by funding grants directly to Cancer researchers who are working to save lives, find cures, better treatments and accurate, cost effective diagnostic methods in dealing with canine Cancer.
The purpose of the Foundation’s Research Grant Program is to encourage and provide grant support for basic, pre-clinical and clinical research in high impact and innovative cancer research, which is intended to develop innovative approaches to a cure, treatment, diagnosis or prevention of cancers in dogs. The program fosters collaboration between basic and clinical scientists with the intent of enhancing the transfer of basic research findings to clinical usefulness.
So, as of Friday night, we have a store on Zazzle with a few cool shirts for you to purchase!
I hope to add a few more shirts in the next week or so, and maybe some other products. The store may move to another location if I can find good products for lower prices, but I’ll let you know when that happens.
Please consider buying a Swiss Lick Canine Cancer Fund shirt. I’m sure it would make Gryffin happy!
Gryffin’s back on the couch!
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 | Gryffindor | No Comments
I got home last night to a surprise that I need to share…
A few friends had a wonderful Fetch & Throws blanket made with my favorite picture of Gryffin. I know your first question is likely how could I possibly pick a favorite picture of Gryffin because he was such a photogenic dog. All pictures of him are wonderful. But this one is definitely it.
So, while Indy and Beowulf were outside, I opened the box, put the blanket out, sat on it, and had a quick cry. (It was a happy cry. More of a “what wonderful friends I have” cry.)
Then I let the dogs back in and the silly Swissy stuff started. Indy was barooing like crazy, so for a moment I thought someone was at the door. Then I realized she was barking at the new addition to the couch.
Still going…
Beowulf was not amused with the loud dog.
And she’s still talking back.
She calmed down a bit, so I thought I’d try to get her on the couch. I don’t think she’s ever been up there. But it didn’t work. This is as close as we got.
So thank you again, my wonderful friends. You know who you are. I will always remember this.
Follow Up
Thursday, January 14th, 2010 | Gryffindor | No Comments
I thought I should post this for those of you that may be curious and don’t belong to the dog forums where it has been discussed.
It turns out that Gryffin definitely had cancer. More specifically, hemangiosarcoma. The emergency vet opted to biopsy the tumor on his prostate for their own information and decided to share the findings with us.
Hemangiosarcoma is an ugly cancer. According to information found on Wikipedia and a few other sources, it’s a “rare, rapidly growing, highly invasive variety of cancer.” Blood vessels will grow directly into the tumor, and they frequently fill with blood. (Remember Gryffin’s abdominal cavity full of blood? It was a ruptured tumor.) It is more common in dogs than in humans, but I understand there have not been a ton of reported cases with Swissies. Dogs with hemangiosarcoma rarely show any clinical signs until after the tumor has become very large or has ruptured, like Gryffin’s.
To be honest, even if the only tumor in Gryffin’s body had been on the spleen, he probably wouldn’t have survived very long. Average survival with treatent (chemotherapy in comination with other drugs) is 5-7 months. I don’t think I could have put Gryffin through that.
So now you know too.
Thank you all
Saturday, January 9th, 2010 | Gryffindor, Uncategorized | No Comments
I wanted to take a moment and say thank you to everyone out there. We have received so many phone calls, emails, forum postings, cards in the mail, and comments on this blog from friends, family, internet acquaintances, and readers about Gryffin. It’s very, very touching. It makes us all warm and fuzzy (and it’s not just the heated seats in the cars) to hear from you all.
We continue to miss Gryffin, of course. But you knew that, I’m sure.
For those of you that get sad when you think of him, I ask you to do what I do.
Smile.
It really helps a lot. And Gryffin would much rather you remember him with a smile. He was never one for tears. Typical male.
RIP Gryffindor, 4/10/03 – 1/3/10
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 | Gryffindor | 6 Comments
My heart is breaking to write this. Tears are fogging up my glasses and dripping on to the keyboard.
We had to let Gryffin go early this morning during surgery at the emergency vet.
The big guy started acting weird in the evening on New Years Day. More drooly than ever, kind of lethargic, just not right. We figured it was upset belly issues and gave him some Gas-X and Pepto and figured we’d be taking him to the vet on Monday. He was worse on Saturday morning, so we got in at our normal vet. We were hoping for a pancreas infection or something (sounds weird to hope for that), but it was not. They suspected either autoimmune disease or the big C word that I don’t like to say or type. They sent us home with prednisone with the promise of test results in a couple of days.
As the day progressed, we did see some improvement. But I was kicking myself for not pushing the whole Xray thing. So, thinking it could be a spleen thing, we decided to head to the emergency vet for the xray. The vet there was able to see fluid (blood) in the stomach, so we moved forward with a chest xray and abdominal ultrasound. He found a mass on Gryffin’s spleen, so we moved forward with the splenectomy hoping that it would get everything. Sadly, they found more masses on the kidney and prostate that could not be removed, so he recommended we put Gryffin to sleep. Not wanting to cause Gryffin any more pain, we did.
So today we trudge on.
Run free, big boy. Tell Alex we say hello.
Happy New Year!
Friday, January 1st, 2010 | Beowulf, Gryffindor, Indigo | No Comments
I’m such a mean human. I made the dogs pose with hats and tiaras last night, then left them to hang out with the neighbors.
Gryffn did not like his hat, but Beowulf did. Indy did not seem to mind her tiara. Either way, you benefit, right?
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 treat you well.
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