Pepper is my closest friend. She is my best friend of 8 years, and my sister. No matter how many friends I lose, no matter how much I get stabbed in the back, she will always be there. She and I have gone through alot together. I can't imagine life without her. Having that said... Pepper was diagnosed with cancer about 7 months ago.

 It started out with ulcers. One morning I came home from school, and Peppy wasn't there and my mom was crying. She had to rush Peppy to the vet because she had bled all over the house. After staying the night at the vet's office, she came home and was put on a special diet. The vet said she had gotten ulcers from eating too much scraps, human food. It gave us a big scare, but we thought as long as she was kept on a strictly dog food diet she would be okay. Occasionally though, she would bleed because someone forget and gave her a few bites of their food. 

The problem stayed away for awhile. Then sometime in May we took her to the vet to get spayed. Thats when they first found some lumps. The vet had cut out the lumps during her spay and he didn't think it was anything to worry about. She went in for surgery again in July when the lumps appeared again. He cut off a small portion of her lower belly. We thought he had gotten all of it and figured it was gone for good. Four months later a few lumps appeared on her belly again. Peppy went back to the vet and the vet put her on medication, thinking it would get rid of them instead of operating again. While she was on the meds, the lumps went away. But once the medicine ran out, the lumps came back. While she was off the meds the lumps started to spread to her upper tummy. She went to see the vet once again and was put on a higher dosage of meds. Again, the lumps seemed to go away.

 Just recently the lumps started to grow yet again. She was having trouble breathing, and coughing alot. And she was bleeding again. She went to the vets yesterday. The vet told us she had a fever, but he would operate that day anyway. Later yesterday, we picked her up from the vets. He had removed three large tumors in her belly. Her stomach is just a mass amount of stitches right now. I layed with her next to her crate for four hours last night, listening to her cry in pain. Its such a horrible thing to see her go through this cancer. But now that she had this operation... we are really hoping the cancer stays away for awhile. Last time it only stayed away for four months. We have no idea when the tumors will start showing up again...we have no idea how much time she has left. All I know is my best friend is dying and its tearing me apart.

UPDATE: (5-2-06) Pepper had her 5th cancer surgery to remove a tumor growth from her gums, one large tumor from her stomach, and another small one from her chest. She recovered quickly from this one. She will be back to dog training classes in a few weeks, and hopefully at our next show she will finish her UKC Agility title so we can retire her.













I love Peppy.










lol. I cut off a lot of her hair so it would be easier when she has surgeries and such. My sister thinks she resembles a fat poodle now. :P


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