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In loving memory of Darcy
Mr. Darcy

Darcy went to the Rainbow Bridge on Monday, June 16 2008

Karen writes:
Even though I feel like my heart is breaking I am thankful for every day I got to share with my sweet boy. I don't know if there is a place like the rainbow bridge or if Darcy's in heaven but either way I know he's not in pain anymore and I hope he's surrounded by plush squeaky toys, Pizza Hut pizza crust and lots of people to scratch his belly!

Thanks to all of you for your emotional and financial support
August 14, 2007
I adopted Mr. Darcy a few days after I was asked to foster him in June 2007. He was in a shelter and had contracted kennel cough. The shelter was full and was going to "destroy" him, so a representative from Dalmatian Rescue asked me to foster him, because I have no other animals, until he was well enough to be placed in a Dalmatian rescue foster home. Of course I said yes! Well, Mr. Darcy stole my heart and I adopted him only a few days after he came to stay with me. Mr. Darcy is estimated to be around 6 or 7 years old.
 
Once his kennel cough cleared up I took him to my vet, Jim Houchens at Arvada Animal Hospital, for a check up. He was concerned about a tumor on Darcy's abdomen. When I first met Mr. Darcy, I was told it was a fatty tumor, but Dr. Houchens thought otherwise. He surgically removed the tumor and sent it in for biopsy. Well, it turned out to be a high level II mast cell tumor! The biopsy further showed that the incision area around the tumor was not wide enough and there are still mast cells around the surgery site.
 
We went to a veterinary oncologist, Dr. Robyn Elmslie, on August 8th and she performed needle biopsies, a chest x-ray and an ultra sound. The results of these tests showed that there is a mass on Darcy's spleen. The needle biopsy did not confirm a diagnosis, but she said that there is definitely a matastatic mast cell growth in an enlarged lymph node in his abdomen.

Mr. Darcy started chemo that day (vinblastine) and, if his CBC and platelet count are good on Wednesday, I will give him 60 mg of lomustine on the 16th. Dr. Elmslie also removed a bruised mass on Darcy's abdomen between his hind legs that may be a type of skin cancer common in fair skinned dogs. I have not received the results of that biopsy yet.  Mr. Darcy goes back to Dr. Elmslie on September 9th for a repeat ultrasound and to determine if additional chemo is warranted.
 
Mr. Darcy is such a sweet guy and I will do whatever I have to in order to beat this cancer. I am concerned about the financial burden of the treatment but I know it will work out one way or another.
 
Karen Snuffer