Pet Memorials

Teddy's Story

Teddy passed away one week short of 11 years on June 14th 2006. I would like to share his story in hopes that it will help someone else diagnose this rare brain tumor sooner.

It all started when Teddy went in to have his routine blood work and we found that his liver enzyme levels were raised. The veterinarian said not to worry and that they would recheck it again in a couple of months. Upon the return visit, the level had gone down a couple of points so we weren’t worried much about it. Almost a year passed when Teddy started having seizures, so we took him to the veterinarian again and they told us to watch him and if the seizures became more frequent, they would put him on medication. Since Teddy was always shaved into a Lions cut, we started to notice his fur was not growing in right, but again the vet was not very concerned, attributing it to the fact that he was an elderly dog. The seizures became more frequent (almost every other day) and he kept loosing weight even though he was still eating his normal amounts of food. My mom recommended Dr. Elizabeth Novy, so I went to her for a 2nd opinion. She was a life saver and did all she could to help Teddy. First she sent us to get a liver ultrasound with an internist. When this came back negative, she did a test called an "ACTH STIMULATION" which also came out negative.

Soon after, however, Teddy had a seizure that caused him to have a stroke, leaving his one eye drooping and one leg not functioning properly, so we went to see Dr. Anne Chauvet, a neurosurgeon at Veterinary Neuro Services, LLC in Sarasota, FL. She knew right away Teddy had a stroke and that there was something pressing on the back part of the brain due to his motor functions. Teddy was then sent for an MRI which is how we discovered the brain tumor called a meningioma, a non- cancerous tumor that stems from the meningi cord. At this point Dr. Chauvet said she was sure she could get the tumor out due to its location and site. We were confident in her skills and of course wanted to do anything in our power to help my baby, so we scheduled the surgery. Although Teddy made it through the surgery and anesthesia, he unfortunately passed the next morning due to brain swelling, as the tumor was so big and the surgery was too intense for him to handle. Unfortunately we did not get to see our baby before he passed that morning. It has almost been 3 years since then and I miss him terribly, still thinking about him every day, and sometimes crying, especially around the holidays. He was our little baby angel and did everything with us as a child would. We grew up together and he was even the ring bearer when my husband and I wed in 2001. Teddy will always be in my heart...forever.

If you are a dog lover who thinks of your dogs as your children, please know that there are so many treatments, tests and possible cures for them, even if it just a matter of diagnosing the problem.

We Have a Secret

We have a secret, you and I
that no one else shall know,
for who but I can see you lie
each night in fire glow?
And who but I can reach my hand
before we go to bed
and feel the living warmth of you
and touch your silken head?
And only I walk woodland paths
and see ahead of me,
your small form racing with the wind
so young again, and free.
And only I can see you swim
in every brook I pass
and when I call, no one but I
can see the bending grass.Author Unknown