When your pet hurts...

Hi,

do you have a pet or would you like to have? I suppose that the big part of you say 'yes'. When you are sad, a little bit alone, when everything goes wrong, there is always it, a small member of your family. I have always had a pet. My friendship with animals has begun from taking care of two hamsters (and later) another one. The first couple was siblings called Edyta and Maksiu. Edyta was mine when Maksiu was my brother's.
Just then for the first time I felt what does the care mean. I do not know why but Edyta was similar to me- dominant, sometimes aggressive. I will never forget many moments like that: Edyta wanted to run in hamster's reel and also Maksiu. When she was inside, he tried to go on the top but he always went down. Maksiu was very stubborn and took several attempts. But what was really sad to my was the day in which Maksiu died. My dad told us that the hamster had a worm in his small nose. As really could it be strange, I did believe in it. He died, suffering. From that time I have decided that no more animal will stay without my help.

Now I have two dogs. They live with my parents in my hometown. They have a really nice and great garden to run and bark. I am sure they are happy animals. However, about two weeks ago it turned out that the eldest is seriously ill. How has it started? In the past Alf was a really active dog. He liked playing, barking and eating as well. Recently, he started to be passive, very tired, sleepy and massive. He also begun to drink a great amount of water and feel always hungry. He has always like eating but it has started to be an obsession. He was spending much time in the front of the fidge, waiting for somebody who gives him some tidbit.

The diagnosis was really sad. Alf has his liver completely demaged and enlarged. I thought 'what had happened'? My two dogs eat the same food and the second one is as right as a rain. After the blood tests we has been really sure: our dog suffers from cushing's syndrome. What is it? It is one of the most common dogs' endocrine disease caused by hyperfunction of adrenal gland.. The same name is called the analogous people's disease. What are the main symptoms? Increased thirst, urinary frequency, a massive stomach, weakness and many more realated symptoms. My parents have decided to fight for the health of our twelve-year-old little friend. Now Alf is taking really toxic medicines which will probably have to take for all his life. Thanks God he tolerates medications and his condition is getting better from day to day. He is drinking less and has lost weight. We are not sure what has caused the disease. Probably it could be a cancer because one of most frequent reasons is a tumour of the adrenal gland. Unfortunately, the medicines, taken by my dog, are really expensive because those have to be imported from United Kingdom or Slovakia. However, the vet says that in November they will probably start the production in one of the Polish factories. 

So cross your fingers for my dog. Even if he is quite old, I belive he will win his life!