(Additional photos are on the picture album page . Click on thumbnail images to enlarge)
Final Photo of John and Mozart – 4/4/02 (click on thumbnail for larger image)
Mozart - Nov 13, 1991 - April 4, 2002
On July 5, 2001, just before Sebastian's death, Mozart was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor, and the growth was surgically removed 3 times before radiation was attempted between Nov 7 and Nov 28, 2001. Two additional surgeries occurred after the radiation, the most recent being that of March 4th (by Dr. Bruce Butler, of the Tennessee Avenue Animal Hospital, Norwood, Ohio).
And so, on March 28, 2002, he began Chemotherapy treatments with Dr. Cheryl Harris in Milford, Ohio. She had originally sent us to Dr. Terry Hamilton in Cleveland, Ohio, for the radiation therapy, on the initial tumor. This site had responded well, and that growth had successfully been eliminated.
Unfortunately, what appeared to be a sarcoma type growth had invaded Mozart's crotch area, and as a result, surgery was no longer an option. His right leg was swelling and had a reddish color as well, which is apparently symptomatic of a sarcoma type tumor. Therefore, considering our alternatives, we opted to treat him to a chemo round to see if the growth could be reduced thereby.
Mozart had not eaten since the day before his chemo was began, though he continued to play ball, and drink water.
But, on April 1, he actually regained some appetite, and drank some gatorade. Plus, the swelling in his right leg is vastly improved, and no longer reddish. On April 3rd, he continued to behave well, though his appetite lessened noticeabely. In the evening, he started shaking a bit, which, as we would find out later, was the result of an increasingly elevated temperature.
On April 4th, Mozart and I traveled to Dr. Harris again, in Milford, potentially for his 2nd Chemo treatment. Unfortunately, when I arrived home from work at 5pm, he didn't want to get up. This he has never done before. He didn't eat, of course, and when we arrived at the office, the vet tech confirmed his temperature at 107. A blood test proved he had no white blood cells to speak of. The prognosis didn't look good. After briefly examining the options, I didn't think it made any sense to submit him to further medical experimentation. After checking with Ute about the options (either end things in Milford or in Dayton), we agreed to have Dr. Harris put him to sleep.
Dr. Harris also mentioned that the tumor was the same that Mozart had originally had, and that the aggressive growth was causing it to respond to the chemo treatment, i.e., not a sarcoma variety.
His ashes have been buried next to Rosco's and Sebastian's grave.
The long saga of the "biggy man" is now over, and Mozart Grand Finale, has finally had his finale.
Mozart Grand Finale and John
Sebastian von Pueschel died July 15, 2001, after a very speedy illness. Click on the link above for more info on him.
Saint-Saëns (Sassy) - October 11, 1993 - February 23, 2004
Sassy died February 23, 2004, after a brief bout with cancer that was first notice pathologically on 2/19/04. Click on the link above to read his little tribute.
Kimberly (who was originally named "Givy" having been born on Thanksgiving, 1996) was put to sleep on Friday, November 11, 2006, following several months of mobility issues.
We adopted her from the Cincinnati St. Bernard Rescue in June, 1999. Erika named her "Kimberly", in honor of her cousin. Weighing nearly 180 lb., she was having a lot of trouble trying to stand up. Prednisone was able to relieve a part of her discomfort in moving around, but that wasn't seen as a very optimal solution. Rather than prolong her condition unnecessarily, it was decided to take her to Dr. Custis in Lebanon for euthanasia.
She was cremated at the Pines Pet Cemetery. Her remains will be buried in the pet cemetery on our property. Princess and Alexis, who she raised, to some extent, miss their "mother".
Princess
Princess, arrived at Pekin Rd. on Dec 30th, 2001. She is from a kennel in West Liberty, Ohio, owned by Pam Schneider. Princess was whelped on November 13, 2001, 10 years to the DAY after Mozart. And, based on pedigrees of the two, Mozart and Princess are half 2nd cousins (they share a great-grand-dam, Liberated Lady).
Princess, owing in part to her being a female, is lagging behind Mozart in weight and size. As of 11/13/02 (one year old), she weighed 74 lbs., and is 21.75" tall.
On October 9th, 2003, Princess graduated from beginning obedience classes, at Loving Touch, in West Chester. She is well on her way to learning the art of Frisbee catching.
Princess is by far the most energetic hound we've ever had, being a master of jumping, climbing, and standing up. Her right ear didn't quite get with the program, ever since Alexis pulled the ear bandage off when Princess was a puppy.
Alexis
Alexis is a very stately mix of mostly Belgian Sheepdog that we obtained from a rescue in Michigan in August of 2001, following Sebastian's untimely demise. She is a great companion for Princess.
Lani - March 18, 1995 - October 12, 2003
Lani was initially a rescue foster mini-schnauzer, who arrived in the summer of 2002, owing in part to her diabetic condition. She was adopted for several months during the fall and winter of 2002-2003, but returned in January when she didn't seem to get along with her adoptive family. On Valentine's Day, 2003, we adopted her; Ute presented her to me as a gift for the occasion.
During the weekend of Columbus Day, 2003, however, Lani's kidney failed, and she quickly succumbed to the problems that that would entail. On Sunday, October 12, she was put to sleep and buried in our pet cemetery. We spent the better part of a wonderful year getting to know this little girl, who had endured many maladies, who was given up for adoption when the task of caring for a diabetic schnauzer was too much for the original parents. She was unique, in that she'd had diabetes for several years, but had shown no sign of blindness.
Bruno and Nero
On February 12, 2004, Ute received an email from a vet assistant who works with Dr. Custis, our Vet, to let her know that there were two (2) giant schnauzer brothers at a farm in Clarksville, Ohio, that needed to be transferred away from the owner. They were at a farm where racing horses were raised, and they had inflicted considerable damage to the horses by inadvertently chasing them into fences, etc. Ute contacted the northern Ohio Giant rescue association, and tentatively arranged to deliver them to a drop off point in Columbus. We went to pick them up on February 14th, (how convenient) and when we found them, they were very docile, and had no trouble being brought to our house.
The rescue folks were very relieved to know that we'd be happy to foster them for a time (unless of course we adopted them ourselves).
Both weighed about 96-95.5 lbs, each, and do not have cropped ears. We suspect they are at least 2 years old. They are house broken, and were, apparently in the owner's home for a time, but were subsequently tossed out to roam the farm (and chase the horses, hence their fate). They were very shaggy, having last been groomed possibly during the fall of 2003 or earlier. We arranged to have them immediately bathed, and then, I completed their first grooming in our care, on Sunday, Feb 15th.
Later in the summer, however, it became apparent that Bruno was a bit too aggressive for Nero, let alone, the rest of the crowd. We found an adoptive parent in Dayton who was willing to take him, and everything has been much better ever since.
Nero continued as a key player in the canine household until 2011, when he was diagnosed with lymphoma by our vet, Dr. Custis. He developed numerous white tumorous lesions that were the precursor to the condition. On May 16, 2011, he had a lymph node biopsied to determine if he had cancer. On May 20, Dr. Custis indicated he did have cancer, and that he wouldn't be around much longer. As it turned out, he lived until July 29, at which point, he had stopped eating and had started a labored breathing. Plans to take him to the vet for being put down were thwarted when Erika called me at work to let me know he'd stopped breathing. There was a vast amount of blood where he'd been lying on the bed, but otherwise, he'd expired on his big brown bed. He was taken that morning to the Pines Pet Cemetery for cremation. I wrote the following little poem in Nero's memory... (pictures below are from June, 2011)
Nero – July 29, 2011
The passing of a simple life,
No matter how big or small,
Is never an easy thing to take,
Especially when they’re loved by all.
Nero arrived on Valentine’s Day, in the year 2004.
In the seven years he roamed our place,
He became the friend of our friends and more.
A gentle giant, he always was, and in the end, gentle he was to remain.
A noble guy, the “Biggy Boy”, we’ll miss you as we let go of your chain.
Remember us all, dear Nero boy, and keep us close wherever you go;
And we’ll keep a place for you in our hearts,
Where the tears of your passing won’t show…
Zach arrived in the late Spring of 2006 as a local "rescue" of sorts. His owners from down the road decided they no longer wanted him (!) and so, we adopted him. He had appeared at our neighbors one Saturday PM, and on the following Sunday, we temporarily accepted responsibility for him, while his owners were sought. As it turned out, they were right down the road, and then we found out (on the following Friday), that they had actually been trying to have him adopted. He was born on August 8, 1994, not even a year after Ute and I were married (!)
Zach had an exciting life at 2594 Pekin Rd. When we first adopted him, we found he had never been neutered. Holy Moly we said. That occurred in June 2006. In January 2007, he broke his jaw. That was a experience. Then, starting in 2008, we noticed he was behaving strangely, and noted that his earlier records indicated he may have canine cognitive disorder (CCD). Plus, he began going blind as well. And so, by the time he was 15, he was often found to be walking in circles, had had at least 2 strokes, a seizure or two, and was bumping into things a lot. The total approximate financial outlay for this little adoptee, from May 2006 - December 2009 was in the area of $2400.
So, on the evening of December 18, 2009, he went to Dr. Custis who agreed that it was time to let him rest. He was taken to be cremated at the Pines Pet Cemetery that weekend.
Junior
Junior arrived in 2008 as a rescue from up north. He's the first (near) Giant Schnauzer we've had that is a bit aggressive with strangers. But he generally has adapted well to the rest of the canine crowd.
On April 25, 2011, Erika decided she'd be willing to adopt a neighborhood dog that had turned up a few weeks previously. She named him BABII. He was a smallish (46lb) puppy of from 4-6 months old apparently, and is most likely a flat-haired retriever. He has a spotted tongue, a little beard, and a black coat that is growing in length. Within a few weeks, he weighed more than 65 lb.