Moose
beloved Great Dane

My Best Friend and Companion

June 13, 1994 ~ May 24th 2007

Dear Friends of Moose,

Moose has lost his battle against the ravages that old age brings. On May 24th, 2007 the sweetest Great Dane that ever lived, began that journey to the other side. The week of May 20th, his conditioned worsened. He had been almost immobile for some time, whether from spondylosis or degenerative myeopathy, we shall never be certain. With my help, I still managed to switch him from one bed to the other, and a few times we managed to get outside to the back porch where he could feel a modicum of his former dog self; sniffing the air, feeling the sun and the breezes. He and I could manage as long as he was eating. But that week, he began to refuse his food, and even treats he used to love, such as french fries and chicken nuggets. He had lost a lot of weight. He began having trouble swallowing and drinking water. He would become scared when he was having trouble swallowing. I had to make that horrible decision; to let him continue to worsen and become increasingly frightened or to help him end that suffering and fear. On May 24th, at 7:30 p.m. our vet came out to our home, and while lying on his bed, where he had spent most of his time the last few months, he died peacefully with the scent of home still in his nose. I did not want the scary scents of a vet hospital to be the scent he left earth with. He left earth with the scent of home and his family enveloping him. There will never be another Handsome Too Tall Moose in this lifetime. I knew that he was special those 13 years ago when I chose him out of a litter of puppies. He led a good life, was pampered, adored, and did not want for anything. In return, he gave his love unconditionally, protected his family with strength and a powerfully calm reserve, and was a gentle and kind patriarch. He was a rock that housed a gentle spirit. His eyes held immense wisdom and truth. In the hour before my boy left, I told him to go find my Dad. I like to think they are standing side by side now, both healthy again, until my time comes to join them.

I am not going to change his page here. It will be left as a small memorial to him and the path he and I walked together through this thing called life.

Sweet Baby Moose, I miss you so much.

Cancer Strikes a Cook Family Member

My sweet Moose had 2 mast cell tumors (cancer) removed in June 2003.

Both tumors were grade #2's. Both were removed with clean margins! The worst one to remove was in his left ear. Dr. Andress of Gate City Hospital in Greensboro, NC, did a terrific job in removing it while leaving most of his ear and ear drum intact! Thank you Dr. Andress!

Have all lumps aspirated. Mast Cell tumors can look like harmless fatty lumps. Don't take a chance. Aspirate!

The Cook Family

~Handsome Moose Cook's History~

I had always wanted a fawn Great Dane. In 1994, When Alyce was 5 years old, my husband and I decided it was time to add a new kid to the family. We perused the newspaper for pups. Fawn pups are rare in our area. Imagine my joy at finding an ad for fawn pups! We drove to the owner's home to see the litter.

Arriving at the home of the owner, we could hear the familiar Great Dane bark. Once you hear it, you'll always recognize it. There they were, an adorable litter of fawn furbabies. The Mom and Dad were on the premises. Both of them were gorgeous. I picked out one little fawn fluff of fur over the others, and fell instantly in love.

We had to wait out the weekend before we knew if we could get him. That was one of the longest weekends of my life! By Monday, arrangements had been made and we went to pick up our little boy.

Immediately upon arriving home, Moose was treated to a bath in our kitchen sink :O)

Moose grew into a handsome young man. He actually has three champions in his pedigree, including CH. Waterwoods Brew Meister, # 5 Dane in the USA in his prime. But to me, Moose is champion through and though.

He and Alyce became the best of friends, and grew to love each other very much.

When my Dad had to go into a nursing home, we made several visits with Moose. He caused quite a stir among the residents. I remember once when an elderly patient thought she had seen a horse going down the hallway.

Moose, as a young man, 1996

Snowfall, 2000

In January 2002, what I had thought was a harmless lipoma, or fatty lump on Moose's rear leg, grew to lemon sized overnight. The lump was aspirated and found to be a cancerous mast cell tumor. I was filled with anxiety and horror at the word cancer. It was a tough ordeal, dealing with surgery, anesthesia, and the lengthy recovery time. The incision was 6 to 7 inches long, and the way the incision was situated, it was almost impossible for him to get comfortable. The first week home after surgery was spent lying beside him on the floor, trying to comfort and help him get comfortable. The second week of his recovery was spent trying to keep a good covering to stay in place on his leg.

2 fatty lipoma's removed, and one mast cell removed on rear leg.

Close up of incision where mast cell tumor was removed. The middle
part of the incision gaped open, and had to heal that way,
leaving a large dragonfly shaped scar.

In February of 2003, I discovered a lump on Moose's ear. It was down low, near his skull embedded in the inside of the ear cartilage. On June 16, 2003, our vet removed the tumor. It was tough going getting it to heal. Imagine trying to get your Dane to wear a head turbin for a week. The tumor was rather large, but the good news is clean margins were obtained, plus his ear drum is intact. One vet we consulted recommended removal of the entire ear, inside and outside, and sewing it back up. Nope, couldn't do that.

Two days after Moose was home from that surgery, I was petting him, and discovered a new lump. This one was located in the loose neck skin that Danes have. It was providence that I found it. On June 30, he went back in and had that tumor removed. So far, all 3 tumors have been grade 2's. Grade 1 is the least agressive; grade 3's are the worst, and can kill quickly, prognosis is poor; grade 2's are in the middle and are hard to predict prognosis.

Moose is 10 years old as of this past June 13, 2004. We take one day at a time now. The cancer could come back. Every new lump is aspirated. It hurts to see his once black mask turning gray. I realize my boy is getting older. Treasure each moment of each day with your Great Dane......that's all we have.

A Truck Driving Angel meets my Great Dane

We live 7/10ths of a mile from the vets office. It was a nice, crisp morning on Tuesday, February 5, 2002. Moose, my 7 1/2 year old Great Dane, was due for surgical removal of 4 cysts, one of which had tested positive as a cancerous mast cell tumor. I was a nervous wreck, concerned not only about the cancer, but the anesthesia, which is especially hard on giant breed dogs. I tried not to show my worry to Moose. We had a scant 20 minutes until he would be on the operating table.

Thoughts about Moose kept running through my mind. Since that day in August 1994, when I picked him out of a litter of 12 other fawn furballs, he had been my best friend. More than that, he was my four legged child in a doggie suit. He had been there for me through lifes ups and downs. Now it was my turn to be there for him.

I took him out on the lead, and began to walk. I had planned to put him in the car and drive him there. But being a nice day, we just kept walking, hoping the walk might relax us both.

As we got halfway there, a huge semi truck pulled off to the side of the busy road. We were walking up to the truck, on the sidewalk, when a man came running around the cab towards us, "Do you mind if I pet your dog?" he yelled , smiling.
I said, "of course not!"
With a wistful look in his eye, in his slight Italian accent, he began to tell me how he and his wife shared their home with a Great Dane many years ago. He just had to stop and see my beautiful Great Dane out on a morning walk. He was all over Moose, petting, and talking to him. Moose enjoyed the attention immensely. The man guessed his age, and wanted to know what the shaved areas on him were about. I told him about the cancerous tumor, his
pre-surgical workup, and the impending operation.

The man then asked if Moose would stand up with his paws on his shoulders. I said, "yes, if you ask him to." So the man told Moose to jump up. Moose is never one to shrug off an invitation to dance.

There we were, cars whisking by, and a man, whom we had never met before, dancing with my 140 pound Great Dane by the side of the road.
As he returned to his semi, he yelled out, "I'll say a prayer for Moose!"
Five minutes later I was in the vets office, placing my baby's life in someone else's hands.

Heartened by the truck driver's offer of a simple prayer, I was somehow comforted that everything would be alright. I was so glad we had taken the slow way there that morning.

Lyn, Alyce & daMoose -- *note: Moose has healed from cancer surgery. It was rough going for at least 3 weeks as the incision healed. We haven't seen the truck driving angel since that morning in February.

~ Lyn Hamer Cook February 2002

A site explaining Mast Cell Tumors
Kate Connick's Courteous Canine

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A wonderful email list for folks whose Canine Companions
have cancer...

Canine Cancer Email List

The number of canines that are diagnosed with cancer is on the rise. This list is for dog lovers who want to learn as much as they can about this devastating illness and/or share their personal experiences with canine cancer. Discussions will focus on the treatment of cancer in dogs. This includes traditional therapies such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and alternative therapies, such as nutritional therapy and holistic medicine.
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Moose, 1994