Ziggy, the inspiration

Today, I want to introduce you to Ziggy, the inspiration for this blog. Mostly, I want to share with you the journey we went on with him. Future posts will go into more detail about various aspects of his journey, including his Gotcha Day, the treatments we did, and the day we said goodbye.

The first second dog

Ziggy was our first second dog. We brought him into our family in March of 2019. Cookie was a few months shy of her fifth birthday. She was unsure about the idea of a sibling but quickly warmed up to Ziggy, and they became inseparable.

Like most puppies, Ziggy was a bundle of energy. I mistook that energy for not being a “chill” dog, but he was actually very easygoing and the friendliest pup around.

Around the time we brought him home, things were starting to click for Cookie in the agility world, so Ziggy came with us to several agility competitions. While he didn’t do much of anything besides looking adorable, it was amazing to see how easily this puppy adapted to chaotic environments. If you’ve never been to an agility competition, it can be overwhelming – noisy from the barking and the buzzers, crowded with all kinds of dogs and people.

Ziggy didn’t get much obedience training. Where we trained Cookie wasn’t offering classes, one place we dropped out of due to a lousy instructor, and many other places were either inconvenient or overpriced. Plus, we kept hoping and expecting that Cookie’s “school” would schedule classes. Thankfully, a friend (and agility instructor of Cookie’s) helped us with some training.

Ziggy and Cookie did everything together – walks, backyard shenanigans, agility trials or practices, spa appointments, and barn hunt trials. Ziggy’s sole teacher did encourage us to walk him separately and dedicate some one-on-one time with each dog. But we didn’t listen. This, however, is one of many lessons Ziggy would teach, but definitely, the key takeaway from him being the first-second dog.

The diagnosis

When Ziggy’s first Gotcha Day anniversary arrived, COVID-19 hit and I was working from home. The first few months were an incredible rollercoaster. Professionally, I went from starting remote work, being furloughed and ultimately laid off, and starting a new job remotely in just four months. Personally, I worried, like the rest of the world, about how everything would play out and what would happen if we caught COVID.

Meanwhile, Cookie and Ziggy were thrilled. The lack of a commute meant longer morning walks. Ziggy no longer had to spend whole days in his crate on the days my husband and I worked. I took my lunch breaks on our back patio so they could sunbathe, patrol the yard, and play together.

About six months into the pandemic, I noticed that Ziggy wouldn’t put weight on his hind right leg. It was so subtle I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it. The only reason I noticed anything was because I was working from home. One night, after a particularly rambunctious play session, Ziggy was obviously limping. It was time to see the vet.

Based on the description of symptoms, the initial suspect was a cruciate ligament injury. Though the vet observed that his gait was off, the physical exam didn’t indicate any injury. There were two recommendations: take an anti-inflammatory and rest for two weeks, or do a sedated exam and X-ray. (Apparently, big dogs can tense up and mask these injuries, which is why a sedated exam was suggested, along with an X-ray to rule out other possibilities.)

We started with rest and anti-inflammatories. We also got a second opinion, who confirmed that there was no way Ziggy had a torn cruciate ligament. While on the anti-inflammatory, Ziggy’s limping went away, and he regularly put weight on his leg.

The limping was back one or two days after he was done with the anti-inflammatory. We opted to do the sedated exam and X-ray.

October 2, 2020 was the day we heard it was cancer. The bone in his hind leg was severely wasted away. Looking at the image, it doesn’t take a professional to see something wrong.

We were devastated. Ziggy wasn’t quite two years old. We were also in denial. While waiting for the oncologist’s consult, we again got a second opinion. We hoped that we’d find that it was a fungal infection, but that was an incredibly uncommon diagnosis given where we live.

The oncologist confirmed the diagnosis and recommended amputation. It wasn’t an easy decision, but knowing that it wouldn’t take much for Ziggy to have a catastrophic break, requiring an emergency amputation, helped make the decision.

Ziggy’s hind leg was amputated on October 27, 2020 – about two months before his second birthday.

Despite having tissue biopsied as part of the amputation, it wouldn’t be until December that we learned what kind of cancer Ziggy had: hemangiosarcoma.

Treatment

Hemangiosarcoma is a horrible cancer. One that often leads to sudden, even traumatic, death. The fact that it presented in Ziggy’s bone, incredibly uncommon, is something I clung to as I hoped that he would defy the odds.

Armed with a diagnosis, Ziggy began chemotherapy in January of 2021. I started cooking for him during his chemo treatments to reduce his kibble intake. Any supplement that might help was added to his regimen. We found a holistic veterinarian. I dove into learning anything and everything I could that would possibly extend his life.

And we focused on giving him a high quality of life. He got lots of treats and toys; we started frequenting the local botanical garden and a doggy ice cream shop, bought a massive stroller for him to enjoy long walks in, and took him to Key West.

After he finished chemo, we started Ziggy on a low-dose chemo pill at home. He was on that until the very end. Every couple of months he would get chest X-rays and an abdominal ultrasound. We breathed a deep sigh of relief each time they came back clear.

Final Months

In January of 2022, we were devastated once again. A couple of days before a barn hunt trial, Ziggy went in for his scans. Our vet called. They found a small mass on his spleen that looked to be bleeding slightly. Splenic hemangiosarcoma, the most common form of hemangiosarcoma.

We canceled the barn hunt trial and miraculously scheduled a splenectomy within about a week of the scans. Surgery was successful, and sutures were removed.

We had a couple of good weeks following the surgery before Ziggy’s health took a turn. He underwent a blood transfusion after he started bleeding internally. Ziggy recovered, but he wasn’t the same. We got enough time to prepare and create a few final memories.

Ziggy crossed the rainbow bridge on March 12, 2022. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about or talk to him.

The Blessings

Ziggy’s story can seem sad or even tragic, given he died a few months after his third birthday. His story is filled with blessings, and that’s what I focus on most.

First, Ziggy was the happiest dog, and the best patient a dog could be. He was all smiles after being hospitalized to have a blood transfusion. His attitude is a big reason choosing the treatments we did wasn’t as difficult as they could have been.

Second, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed me to be with him 24/7 to notice that he wasn’t putting weight on his hind leg. Would we have noticed otherwise? Maybe. But it probably would have taken longer, and who knows how much the cancer would have spread by then. Or maybe we wouldn’t have discovered it until he had a traumatic fracture on the weakened bone.

Third, the ongoing pandemic, plus joining a startup that was remote first, allowed me continued flexibility to work from home full-time. Being home made it easier to get to vet appointments and monitor Ziggy’s recovery from his scans and surgeries.

Lastly, we were able to prepare. The loss of a beloved furbaby is never easy. But Ziggy living with cancer for 17 months post-diagnosis allowed us to prepare. It ensured that we focused on quality of life and prioritized making memories. Even when the mass was found on his spleen, we had almost three months with him.

Ziggy’s Legacy

There is so much that Ziggy taught me and that I have learned. I’m doing things differently for both Cookie and Chip. And that is my mission with this blog. I want to capture and share what I’ve learned.

I’m not a veterinarian, dog trainer, or other canine professional. I am a devoted dog mom who wants to encourage everyone to learn more so we can do better by the pups that leave pawprints on our hearts.