Today we learned the sad news that Gussie, a beautiful Italian Spinone who has been an inspiration to us on one of the message boards, lost her battle with HSA very early this morning.
Gussie had 4 months and 12 days of good, quality time after her splenectomy and seemed to be doing very well until yesterday. One of the very few "blessings" of this disease - for the animals, at least - is that, more often than not, the end comes quickly without a lot of pain or suffering. We family members are, of course, never prepared for their leaving.
While Harvey is still doing well at this point, he is only halfway to the survival time that Gussie reached. We had hoped to share our new friendship with this precious dog and her dear mom, Mickey, and celebrate many milestones with them for a long time to come.
This is a heartbreaking day for us, as it brings back into sharp focus just how dire this diagnosis is and what an uphill battle we're facing to achieve one of those remissions that happen far too rarely with hemangiosarcoma. We are, however, determined to carry on the battle that Gussie fought so valiantly.
Rest well, dear Gussie. Your determination and cheerful spirit will carry us forward as we battle on. You will not be forgotten.
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