Just lost him to cancer.. scared to get another as this is my 2nd dobie die from cancer

[Dozersmommy]

At 7 years old he was perfectly healthy. At 7 and a half he had a tumor that obstructed his intestines (unbeknownest to us) and went in for surgery as soon as he showed symptoms of an obstruction. It was already too late. We lost him.
Our last dobie made it to 8, he also succumbed to cancer. His sister, however, lived to 11 and died of other causes (she belonged to an ex of mine so limited details on her death). A friend of ours has a doberman who is alive and kicking at 15.

I loved my dobermans, but now I am afraid to get another. How often do Dobie's die from cancer and is there anything we can do to prevent it in them? It's so heartbreaking to lose a pet, especially since our pets are family. I feel like I let my dog down. His temperament was perfect, he was the best dog in the world (some of you may disagree, but we'll have to agree to disagree).
Please reply with your doberman's age, and health tips, as well as if any of you have lost one to cancer, and at what age.

It's important as there is a beautiful doberman at a local kill shelter. Hes a handful, I guess, but I dont want him to be murdered. However, my family is still devastated over the loss of our beloved. Any thoughts?

 

[Ddski5]

I fully understand your need and want to rescue this Doberman from the kill shelter but unless you have somekind of idea of heredity or health lineage, I don’t think you can anykind of grasp of what his health future will behold.

And of course you know this too, that even if you did have knowledge of “said above”, there is no guarantees.

I guess what I am saying is that one would have a better percentage if you could track the lineage of a Doberman’s pedigree. If the pedigree is free of cancer then you would have a greater chance. Without this, you are just rolling the dice.....

 

[Antman408]

Please save that dog.

 

[LifeofRubie]

I have rescued two Dobes. One is with my ex (I'm sure a similar situation), and my last boy came with health issues. When he passed, which was not from a health issue but complications from obstruction surgery, I was urged by several people to find a dog from a reputable breeder so that I wouldn't have more heartbreak from a dog with unknown health and lineage.

I absolutely understand wanting to give a homeless dog a home but with the losses you've already suffered, I can understand your pause.

And no, no-one here is going to disagree that your boy was the best dog in the world. All our dogs are the best dogs in the world, regardless of their pedigree.

I don't believe there are many instances of cancer in her lines but that and DCM are always going to be concerns for this breed. We have pet insurance because there are no guarantees. I BELIEVE, and someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but early spay/neuter has been linked to cancers. With vets and shelters altering young dogs as soon as possible, it was important for me to have the decision of whether to and when, if at all. My female Dobe was spayed at 18 months and my 18 month male Lab is still intact.

 

[LifeofRubie]

I would also say that if your family isn't ready, and he's being listed as a "handful," which I understand that Dobes don't show particularly well in shelters so taken with a grain of salt, are they going to be able to help sort through whatever baggage he may come with?

 

[Dozersmommy]

The only problem that I can foresee as far as a him being a handful is if he were aggressive. I hear hes possessive of his toys at times but that is not the same as aggressive. However, I know he has gone through 6 foster homes. So there's got to be something going on with him. I guess I really just feel like I was not able to save my boy and now I sorta have the opportunity to give the love I have left over after Dozer's passing to a dog that can really use it.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

First do you have kids or cats? How old is the shelter dobe? It may be that he is in the teenage stage and the fosters don’t understand how to handle that phase.
It’s also possible he may suffer from separation anxiety but you won’t know until you find out his age and problems he has exhibited. Me... I would be at the shelter grabbing him up or at least spend some time with him walking on lead around the property until you get a sense of what he experiencing and how he reacts with you.

Resource guarding in this breed is not uncommon. Mine will do it when it comes to “High Value” toys otherwise they will share toys.

My last girl developed osteosarcoma, had her leg amputated, went through treatments, had a GDV a couple days after I got her home from the amputation surgery and I was lucky getting her in for emergency surgery. She healed up, finished all her treatments and was checked every month and was clear of cancer. Then she dropped on me several times while running. I got her in immediately and she died of DCM on the exam table. I understand your loss and the pain. This breed is so riddled with genetic health issues that there is no guarantees of not developing something even if genetic testing comes back negative.
Only you can decide if this dobe should come home with you. I would do it, but that is just me. If you do adopt him get genetic testing done with a cheek swab so you will at least have some idea of his health. Of course get him to your vet to get a full work up with UA and Cat17 bloodwork and an Echo done to check out his heart.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[jazzies mum]

Only you can know if it's right to rescue this Dobe. As @Tropicalbri's said maybe going to the shelter and spending some time with him would help clarify that. Your family do need to be onside though. Good luck!

 

[Liberty & Justice]

Well after a painful goodbye missing my Liberty I can say without a doubt I have no regrets. I loved every moment I had with her and I'll be damned if I wouldn't do it over. Thanks to Jan S and some kind words I can move on and realize the great amount of joy that comes with a doberman. There is no deterring me to another breed, dobermans for life as hard as it is seeing them go. Save one, breed one, the amount of smiles and loyal companionship that comes with them is bar none.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Welcome. If your Dobes have lived 'til at least 8 then you're doing well. I know having a dog with cancer is not easy though, and no one wants to go through that!

My two Dobes that have come and gone so far have been taken at 8 1/2 and 8 – both of other diseases or conditions common in the breed.

 

[Dozersmommy]

Well after a painful goodbye missing my Liberty I can say without a doubt I have no regrets. I loved every moment I had with her and I'll be damned if I wouldn't do it over. Thanks to Jan S and some kind words I can move on and realize the great amount of joy that comes with a doberman. There is no deterring me to another breed, dobermans for life as hard as it is seeing them go. Save one, breed one, the amount of smiles and loyal companionship that comes with them is bar none.

Thank you, for this. You are right. The last week was bad but the rest of his life was all happy.

 

[Dozersmommy]

Welcome. If your Dobes have lived 'til at least 8 then you're doing well. I know having a dog with cancer is not easy though, and no one wants to go through that!

My two Dobes that have come and gone so far have been taken at 8 1/2 and 8 – both of other diseases or conditions common in the breed.

Thank you. Really, thank all of you. Maybe it has something to do with time (I dont think so) but since I posted last night and read all of the comments it makes me at least think about his life in a positive way and not dwell on the worst.
I am so grateful that I posted on here.

Thank you all for the support. It is really hitting home.

 

[Liberty & Justice]

Thank you, for this. You are right. The last week was bad but the rest of his life was all happy.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry and have those " What if " moments but in brutal honesty I'd do it all over again. I'm sorry for your loss but like with most death, remember the good. Makes me smile every time.

 

[C908]

If it were me I would rescue that dobie. Our blu boy was a rescue and lived to be almost 14, he had DCM. I knew absolutely nothing about his background. He was a Great dog with a Great temperament. Our others lived to be almost 16, 8 1/2 and 10. They died from kidney failure, addisons disease and a heart attack. It's a gamble no matter how you do it.

 

[Lisak444]

So sorry for your loss.
I lost my 12 year old boy of CSM in August. It hurts every day but I am getting ready to bring home a puppy in 3 more weeks. I didn't expect to be ready for a while but decided to get this one because my older rescue mutt was so depressed. I have found getting ready for my new pup has helped with my grief. She will never take the place of my Jagger boy but she will help me to move on. Maybe this rescue dobie could help you.
We definitely lose them too soon but there is no love like a dobie!

 

[Dozersmommy]

The rescue Dobie's foster mom jus test got back to me. He bites at random. They have not been able to figure out what his triggers are yet. He bit his owner of 2 1/2 years for giving a piece of food to their other dog.
Any thoughts on this? He's apparently been through several fosters after biting each one. However, his current foster apparently is reporting that he is doing well there. Should I just leave him? I dont want to get bit...

 

[Kaiser2016]

They have not been able to figure out what his triggers are yet. He bit his owner of 2 1/2 years for giving a piece of food to their other dog.

Just an idea, but maybe this incident was a pack order problem and the owner was feeding the lower level dog before feeding the Dobe? Maybe the other dog was also a male of the same age? I'd ask more questions if you're really interested.

Are you working specifically with a Doberman rescue?

 

[Tropicalbri's]

It could also be because no one has trained the dog and he thinks he can get his way by this. You could enlist the help of a behaviorist. Also it’s occurring because he has been passed around so much without anyone trying to train/work with him.
Understand and eliminate the triggers with a behaviorist’s help and help him overcome these episodes. It may very well be fear based and not as an aggressive dog.

Most fosters have other dogs so that may be hard for him in that setting. He may be the type of dog that needs to be the only animal in the home.
I would explore that more before passing on him. He probably was never properly trained and may have learned negative behavior from the other dogs.

 

[MyBuddy]

He bites at random

This is a tough one. I would only get involved if I knew I was qualified to handle a dog with these issues. I am not. I also have small grandchildren. For me, choosing a dog is not just about what I want. It's what will fit into my family. What I have time for. A dog with questionable issues needs a good trainer and time. I don't feel I am qualified to handle every issue. And more so, I don't have the time to put into him before integrating him into my family. For me, the most important thing is knowing that my family is safe around him. Random biting can be so iffy. Every dog should be watched around children, no matter how gentle. But knowing a dog bites at random brings a whole new set of rules. It's just not something that I want to deal with at this age. If I were younger, with no grandchildren? It would depend on my level of expertise and the amount of free time I would have to put into the dog. I would have to be pretty confident in my ability to help this dog. Because the one thing that would always weigh on my mind is that it wouldn't work out. Then what do I do? Now I have a dog that needs yet another home and the pickings may be slim.

I went through this when I was looking for a small dog as a companion to me and Buddy. I looked at several. One, we traveled 80 miles round trip to look at! It was a Min Pin that I saw online. She looked tiny and adorable. When we got there she was overweight and growled at my grandchildren! I was just sitting there talking to the foster with the dog under the table. The kids were at another table with my daughter and husband, not even paying attention to us. They happened to walk by us and I heard the dog growl from under the table. With wide eyes, I said, "She just growled!" With that, I asked to hold her. Then I had the grandchildren walk past me without even looking at us. Just walk on by. Each time, the dog growled. I gave a calm correction to the dog with a finger to her neck similar to Cesar Millan. Just to see if it would make a difference. It didn't. I knew I was going to pass on that dog. I purposely ask them if she was good with children. They said they thought she was. Obviously they never tested this. But to their credit, when I looked back at her online, I was happy to see that they added, 'Not good with children.'

 

[LifeofRubie]

that is tough... If he doing well there, I'd have a tough time uprooting him again. Is his current foster home working with him on his manner and their expectations? As others have said, perhaps he's just not been taught what is and isn't OK. Does the foster home have other dogs or is he the only one?