26-3-2003 "Caintha O'Cockaigne" 13-1-2015

IMG_2729   End 2012 began Caintha with ' reverse sneezing '. It was not often but something too often. After research with an ENT specialist, the diagnosis was made ' tubulopailifeer adenocarcinoma '. Or a tumor in the nose. I was told that it was low-grade and that Caintha could be old with it but soon Caintha suffered from nasal outflows in the form of bloody mucus. Unfortunately I was not familiar with the possibility of a new protocol of irradiation, but when Johan de Vos told me this, I made a work of it. It is called Quat-shot protocol and it implies that the tumor is irradiated 4 times within 48 hours and then during 3 months, once a month. In advance a CT scan is made to see how the tumor is situated and a mould is created in which the head is fixed during the irradiation. The scan was made on Friday 7 November, for this she had to of course under full anesthesia. When she woke up, at first everything seemed normal but after some attempts to stand it turned out that she was somewhat paralyzed in the back. She didn't put her feet away well and couldn't stand stable. After several more studies and an MRI scan to exclude a possible hernia, the cause could not be found. After a long talk we left Caintha in Utrecht as she could get the best care if needed. The next morning we were called at half past ten that the weather went fine with Caintha and we picked it up. At first we had blown off the rest of the treatment but after a couple of conversations with several doctors we decided to have the irradiation carried out anyway. The first session was 17, 18 and 19 November. We had put the caravan on a nearby campground so that the drive would not take too much time. This was fine and was also a piece of more relaxed for Caintha. The short-lasting narcoses was fine, she was soon the old one and she had caught a myxomatosis rabbit even once an hour after the irradiation. (when she dropped it, hupte happily continued again). A few days after the fourth irradiation, the nasal outflows stopped and in the course of the following days the nose sounds were also a lot less. We were absolutely delighted! However, IMG_3009after two weeks the skin turned red and her yuling Balder. But yes, that was transient. However, Maurice, the treating oncologist, found it quite strong after the first irradiation session. The second session took place on 17 and 18 December. I had to drive this time back and forth since the camp site last time had a Christmas market and therefore no place for us. But… After Caintha had had her first irradiation on Wednesday morning, I found that she did not recovered fast enough. By the time I drove back in the afternoon I had big doubts about whether or not to let go of the irradiation. After arriving in Utrecht I first met Maurice and found that she was very sensitive in her stomach. To exclude all kinds of nasty things, they made an ultrasound and nothing was found again. Since she was light under anesthesia, she gave the second irradiation, but although she was walking out of the treatment room she was absolutely not in order. I stayed there for quite a while to see if she revamped but partly because Caintha was so incredibly easy and adapted to everything and everyone, I left them again on Maurice's advice there. There is always a doctor nearby and the nursing staff is also constantly in the same room. The next morning I was called that she was fine again. Of course I then decided to finally stop the treatment. Very sorry, we were halfway through the treatment and this struck but Caintha could not tolerate the anesthesia anymore. How it would proceed was not to say. On Tuesday morning 13 January, I wake up slowly from a back and forth running Caintha that makes very strange noises. I hear her sneezing, Proestonians and Rochen. When I was awake enough to realize that it was not good, she jumped in an alarming way with me on bed. I did the light and startled me rot; Her whole snoot and paws were under the blood and it gushed out of her nose. I quickly jumped out of bed. Caintha had also jumpIMG_1979ed from bed and ran into the room with great fear. What I saw there is with no pen to describe, the whole house, all the dog beds, the walls, the couch, the floor, everything sat under the blood. She must have walked around for a long while. I conducted her to a bed and quickly took out a towel and a bag of ice cream. I put this on her nose in the hope of stopping the bleeding but soon I saw that it didn't make any sense. Calling the vet I dressed up. In record time, driving through three red traffic lights, I was in the clinic. After a short conversation, Caintha had been lying on the ground, so much blood she had already lost, it was clear that Caintha had no future. If the bleeding vein could be already poem, it was a matter of minutes, an hour or a day but the vein would enter it again. And again I had to make a very simple but o so heavy decision. Caintha would be 12 years in March and if she hadn't had this tumour, it was also a breeze. She was still so incredibly fit and bright. She was the last surviving from the first litter of Amy, where she also became increasingly similar. We have done so much with Caintha, so awful of her companions, also during the coursings. From Caintha you could have one hundred, so straightforward, always sweet and friendly against everything and everyone, she was too good for this world.    

 Enjoy Caintha, from those eternal hunting fields!

     

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