I have no catchy title for this post. But please read it.

I can finally talk about this now that things in our house have settled a bit. Last week Kaleb was diagnosed with Lymphoma. It doesn't seem real to even write it. He's still bright and happy, but has starting showing some symptoms. We suspected something was not right with him slowly over the past month (little changes that accumulated) and it was more than just getting old, and feared it would come back as this - and it did. He went in early last week for bloodwork, chest and abdomen X-rays as well as 2 biopsies of his lymphnodes, it entire case was sent to a specialist in Calgary immediately and we got the news last Thursday. Currently all 5 lymph sites are inflamed and I've been monitoring this for the past month, and with each week's massage I could feel the changes. It's a very confusing set of emotions in our lives right now - being so incredibly sad, and happy (with our new pup) at the same time. It's hard on our hearts. Mr. Fitz has a some very big paws to fill and Kaleb is a great big brother - he's so patient. We will cherish every moment with the K-man - more than we already do. We love our big goofy boy so much. We are still figuring out treatment options - and we've received so many wonderful emails from people sharing their experiences and giving some ideas as far as diet changes and homeopathic help.

So as of now he is being treated with Prednisone, which has taken down his neck swelling by 80% I would say, he's still playing, tugging, and his energy is good - though he tires fast (which was one of the symptoms we noticed). We are also adjusting his diet to one with a low glycemic index so as not to feed the cancer cells - Raw and Cooked mostly, no grains or other carbs (ones starchy or sugary) I struggled this year wondering when he will retire, when will I know? He's still running great! I guess the decision has been made. Hard to believe her was running Agility 2 weeks ago and still going on 5km runs. He is slower moving on his runs, but still trucks along and is happy - which is the main thing, he doesn't cover ground like he used too, but boy, he is happy. He's always been my true "performance dog" a good portion of our memories are "doing stuff", he has nearly 60 titles in 9 venues - looking back, he's truly amazing. And he's happiest when working, and that's what we truly enjoy doing together. He's never taken a lame step in his life, he's always ready to go, never been pouty, never not wanted to work. We've had so many great adventures together he's swam in each coasts' ocean, travelled more KMs than most people - he's the dog that always surprises me, surprises other people, and really has made people know what a Flat-coat is. He is my buddy. He is Pete's buddy.

He survived torsion at 8, a few benign tumor scares since then, I thought he would live forever. I can tell you this, we appreciate him more than we ever have. And if you think our new pup is being spoiled ... that's nothing! Hug your dogs and tell them you love them, 'cause you just never know.