I wish I had been on the internet and found your book sooner, but so glad I have it now. I have spent the last year helping my beloved 13 year old Champion Weimaraner therapy dog (who helped hundreds of people in his life) with brain cancer for which he was radiated, but had residual neuro problems, AND his 12 year old mate with her mast cell tumors, through treatment with chemo, then Palladia and Masitinib. We reached the end of the journey recently as quality of life for both got bad, and we had to put both down in the last 2 months. We did our very best for both of them, the vets at WSU said our care of them was “inspirational”. Instinctively we did what you recommend in your book to keep things upbeat for all of us, it was wonderful to get validation for our actions in your book. I have read the first half of it in 3 days and anxiously await the hard copy.

I have the Champion son and daughter of my dear old friends and the book has helped me keep things happy for my little orphans, who are also missing their mom and dad, and worry about my sadness. Unfortunately the daughter has had a life long struggle with MCT too, I’m eagerly learning about everything I can do now with diet and supplements to keep them healthy as long as possible.

I am so very grateful you take the time and energy to write these blogs and the book. I figure the price of the book is so minimal compared to the tens of thousands I have spent in the last year trying to manage the advanced cancer care of my beloved canine children, less than even one vet visit. So thank you from the deepest part of my heart.

I find comfort in thinking their souls were released from their pain, and as I keep their ashes with me to be spread with mine some day, they are with me in spirit now and for eternity some day.

However, we found incredible peace and love in sharing his life’s journey with him. And I reached a real emotional intimacy with Shadow, that we hadn’t previously experienced. I knew that boy’s soul, and he knew how deeply he was loved. I know that knowledge completed him in wonderful ways.

We need to experience our grief. I read somewhere that, to experience grief is to honor the depth of your love. But it’s OK to give grief it’s time, and then release it. Visit it again, honor it, feel it. Then release it. It becomes less bitter, and more sweet as time goes on.

I put aside my Survival Guide for months after Shadow died, but I’m picking it up again now. Not because we have another diagnosis, but because I want to learn everything I can about prevention for my other two dogs, and all the others who will come into our lives.

The book is excellent, and although I hope to never need read through it ever again, it brought me comfort when we first learned the diagnosis…helped me divise a game plan…helped me feel that I wasn’t alone in this battle.