Sad news yesterday. Heidi, my parents' GSD, has cancer. Sounds like it is kidney cancer, which is what Rudy had. I thought he was young (9 at diagnosis, 10 when he died), but Heidi is only 5. They got her from German Shepherd Rescue two years ago, shortly after their 8 year old GSD died - of cancer. Mandy was also from GSD Rescue. They've had three dogs die too young from cancer in the past seven years - Hobo, a Doberman who one of the best dogs to ever live, died in 2004 of bone cancer when he was 8. He was diagnosed at age 7. Six years ago, my Rudy died. Why are all these dogs getting cancer and dying too young?

I was thinking they've had three dogs in the past seven years, when sometimes you can go twice that long or more, having the same dog. My Penny lived to be 16 1/2, and Howie lived to be 15 1/2. Sophie is 12 right now, the upper range for a Basset (and she's doing great since her surgery in November). It's kind of strange, but in both Sophie's (especially) and Howie's cases, I have and had to fuss over them their entire (long) lives, because they were sickly - while Rudy was the picture of health, energetic and shiny almost right up until he died (too young) - hardly a moment of worry. But that was true even more of Penny, and look how long she lived.