# Can't do anymore Goldens. Just lost third one



## laff66 (May 29, 2009)

That's it. Our first golden died at 4 from cancer, the second one at 5 from cardiac effusion, and we just lost the third one at 6 to hemangiosarcoma. I guess we were making progress with ONE additional year each time. Different breeders each time too. Even our vet said we must be crazy, and that she wants a Golden desperately but cannot bring herself to get one. No more. This hurts far too much. 

I would think this has been a huge topic on this forum already, but I just found it, and it killed me. Ted Talk about dog diet and the cancer epidemic. Jaw dropping if you haven't seen it. I can't imagine its as simple as they're saying or I would have heard about it before now, right?


----------



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm so sorry for your losses. 

It is hard when you lose one, but I love Goldens and I will always have one. 
I'm on my third one.


----------



## Yaichi's Mom (Jul 21, 2012)

I am beyond sorry to read about the loss of your beloved Goldens...all 3 to cancer and at such young ages. Beyond heartbreaking :crying:

I too lost my previous GR Yaichi to hemangiosarcoma, albeit at a much older age of 12.

The video you posted is an excellent one IMHO and one I would urge any and all pet owners to watch. Rodney Habib, along with Karen Becker and experts all around the world just completed an extensive documentary titled Dog Cancer Survival Series - Rethinking the Canine Epidemic, which takes the "mind blowing" in the first video to another elevated level. 

Just maybe it is that simple as some of the evidence in the documentary addresses. 

Once I saw the video that you shared in your original post, it made me think and make many changes regarding how I would raise, feed and medicate my current GR, Brisby. I guess for us, time will tell if these changes will help us dodge the dreaded cancers that are felling so many of our beloved GRs and younger and younger ages.

There is nothing like the love of a Golden....all dogs are precious, however these special souls cannot be compared to any other breed IMHO.

I totally understand your heartbreak amplified 3Xs beyond what I went through when I lost my girl Yaichi, however I knew that my heart would never be complete without having another Golden soul in my life.

We all do for our beloved dogs the best we know in the moment, with love, so please don't second guess...and I know after copious reading, videos etc., I did.

I hope that in time that your heart will heal remembering the precious times you spent with your 3 that will help ease the pain you feel now.

Hugs from our heart to yours.


----------



## BrennaB (Dec 15, 2017)

I am going through the exact same thing right now. I don’t know if I want to ever put myself through this again. I just had to put my boy down Tuesday at 4 (four) years old because of cancer. A couple years ago we had the same thing happen to our 6 year old. He had one live to 12 years old so one out of 3 lived a long life. After our last died this past Tuesday, I am heartbroken. My son is devastated. My husband is even crying and he never cries. These dogs are our whole world. 
True, there is no other breed with the loving disposition of a Golden. I just don’t think I can do this to my family again though.


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I'm going to be very honest here...

1. There is cancer in the breed, no question. Typically it is old age onset, with the cancer being related to cells in the body going wonky.

2. Your experience is not normal for the breed. <= Meaning that I would be asking bigger questions of your vet and others to understand why you lost three dogs at such young ages. 

A very typical experience with golden retrievers right now is you should not have any health issues through the dog's life through age 8. After age 8, things get a little dicey, but you can still expect your dogs to live 11-12 years on average. And usually by that time, your dog is not suddenly dying from cancer. Usually, there are other health issues which are creeping up on you (primarily arthritis). 

In my neighborhood, we had one neighbor who lost their dog fairly early (between age 6 and 9). And the other neighbor who owned a littermate of that dog, had their dog live to be almost 18. 

A lot of people talk about dog food, vaccinations, and other things - but I do not believe a lot of that matters as much as other things which are beyond the home owner's control in some cases.


----------



## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

We have had 8 goldens over the past 30 years. We have lost 4 to cancer and 1 to aspirated pneumonia due to MegaEsophagus. I love the goldens to much to ever not want to get another one. And, as I type this I have two goldens at my side. Do I know the risks, oh yes I do, but I also know that the years of devotion, love and joy my goldens gave to me is worth that risk. It is a very personal choice and your heart is hurting deeply now. I am so sorry because I know how awful you feel.


----------



## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I agree with Megora. I lost a healthy Golden retriever very suddenly, at age 8, to hemangiosarcoma. She lived in the same house as, and ate the same diet as, my Labrador who lived to age 14 and my cat who lived to age 18. If we're going to base our conclusions on anecdotal evidence from a single case, as the gentleman in the video appears to have done, then my case would suggest that environmental factors and food have no impact.

Obviously, that is not true. But IMHO it's also not true to say that diet alone is responsible for what has happened. There's no single answer to the problem of cancer in Goldens. It's a very complex issue, and the answer, if and when it comes, is likely to be equally complex, and will involve more than tossing a few cabbage leaves into the dog's food bowl.

My Golden ate exactly the same food as my instructor's Viszla, which lived to be 15, and my friend's Belgian shepherd, which is still going strong at 13. I do think we should be thinking carefully about what we feed our dogs and how we medicate them, but I don't agree that food and medication are the only causes of the cancer "epidemic" - or even that they're the main causes. 

The sad truth is that we just don't know what the causes are. I sympathize greatly with the OP, who has lost three dogs to cancer at ridiculously young ages. I sometimes look at my current dog and wonder if I could bear to have another one if ever he dies early, as my last one did. I'm doing everything I can to keep him healthy, but I also know there are factors at play here which are beyond my control. 

To the OP: I'm so sorry for your loss.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I am sorry for your heartbreak. I wish someone here had some magic answers for you, but we're all doing the best we can, trying to make decisions that might mean extra years for our dogs and wondering if we are doing the right things or if it matters. My yard hasn't been sprayed for weeds in years. It is impossible to keep it looking acceptable but I've given up and embraced the weeds as proof that i'm not exposing my dogs to herbicides every day. My golden girl eats raw, will it matter ? I don't know.

I have tried to have other breeds and for me there is nothing in the world like a Golden and I hope and pray this girl has a long healthy life. I have a never lost a dog in his prime, they have typically been age 10 but still had wonderful quality of life: but I've never been ready for a single one to go at any age. I continue to need them in my life like I need air to breathe and I will not stop having them even though they die too soon. I just know that I can't be without them. 

Goldens aren't the only breed that has issues, Newfies and Berners, Boxers and Bulldogs, Great Danes and Wolfhounds, Flatcoats and Cavaliers, they are risky to love but the reward of the time we have with them makes it unthinkable for me not to take the risk.


----------



## Yaichi's Mom (Jul 21, 2012)

I do not want to be either argumentative nor confrontational, nor to derail laff66 anguish and pain at the loss of his 3 beloved GRs, well before their prime.

Please watch The Dog Cancer Survival Series which has incorporated studies and opinions from DVMs, scientists, immunologists etc all around this planet before you purport to state/claim that diet, medications, preventatives etc. that we choose for our animal companions has no impact....and this is not anecdotal evidence on a one case basis.

The fact is, that our canine companions over the past several decades have scientifically proven a significantly reduced life span among many breeds. Why is that? 

Our beloved GRs seem to be at the top of the list. I cry every day reading here on this forum about so many of our young dogs being diagnosed and dying of cancers of varied kinds or being put to sleep way before what their life expectancy should be. 

If I believe what current studies have shown, they say that the genetic component/predisposition of cancer is about 10% overall, both for humans and canines...the rest is "environmental". That include a myriad of things: diet, medication, vaccination, "preventatives", chemicals/pollution ( house, yard, environment) ,

I beat this drum of mine because my hope is that you will all read, research, watch the information that I am trying to share with you so that you both can consider what you may or may not be willing to do for your GR/dog/cat to hopefully allow for the healthiest and longest journey you have with one another. 

We all love our dogs, our cats and often times we do what we think is best and safe as we are conditioned by society and the veterinary medical profession to believe that what we are doing is best. What if it's not?

laff66, my heart breaks for you. I am beyond sorry for the loss of your 3 fur babies way before their time.


----------



## dlmrun2002 (Mar 4, 2011)

I think the average age for a Golden to live is 10.8 last time I found info ( last year) on it. In the 1970's the average age was 12.4. That is not good. Cancer rate is over 61% with Golden's. Somehow I missed cancer on my first two Golden's. But loosing my 3rd Golden very abruptly to a Hemangiosarcoma leaves me sympathizing with Laff66. I too, will consider a different breed if need be. A year and a half later... still dogless. The cancer epidemic in dogs is running a close parallel with humans. Even though there have been many medical developments to treat cancer in humans, there is more cancer today then ever in humans. Cancer survivorship is up but so is cancer. I'm not surprised our Goldens are having problems. But I am a believer and hope to live to see a change in the western medical world. 

"Nurture Nature"

dlm ny country


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

Any cancer after 10 years old in a golden is considered old age cancer, and cannot be compared to the cancers that our goldens get at earlier ages. Most breeds the size of goldens also have high cancer rates, I went through this with cancer of the spleen with two of my German Shepherds.

I know in my golden retriever club, we have many members that currently have or have had dogs living to 14 to 17 years old. I was shocked when we were doing our introductions and they were talking about there dogs. Yes, many of them were from the same lines, do not get neutered, eat a quality dog food and are kept lean. Amazingly the older ones eat a dog food that many people frown upon.

Hopefully the Morris Study will give us many answers. 

One thing about goldens is also they tend to have many allergies, allergies cause inflammation, and inflammation can encourage cancer.


----------



## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

I am so sorry for your losses laff66. Younger losses such as yours are not that common IMO and think you got the short end of the stick. You have every right to feel the way you do.

My 1st Golden lived to be 10 and my next two lived to be 13. I adopted a 7 yr old Golden last March and hope she also reaches double digits.

I have done all I can for them over the years but found one thing true. A dog will not live longer on new "cancer free" diets much as I hate to say it. Fact is once they hit teenager status your waiting for the ball to drop. Feed one dog junk for 18 years then another a better diet and they die early...or the other way around.

It is all a crapshoot IMO. No guarantees.


----------



## sophieanne (Feb 4, 2014)

I too am so sorry for your losses. And I too, can relate. I lost my first golden at 3 to kidney failure, my 2nd at 7 to lymphoma; my 3rd at 10 to hema.... and just 3 months ago, my 4th(my wonderful rescue boy) to cancer - age unknown but I'm suspecting around 8 or 9. It breaks my heart and rips me apart everytime. After the 3rd I said no more goldens but my vet told me her experience with her own dog (not a golden) and how the breed is one of the cancer ridden ones. She asked, does it make me scared - yes, do I want the pain again - no, but you know what I love the breed and there will always be dogs of that breed looking for homes and I'm always going to put my pain aside and give one of them a wonderful home/great life. The words stuck with me and it's now the way I think. I've been sick for the past year but once I'm better I know there will be another golden who will be getting a new home. My last one really taught me unconditional love and I know he'ld want me to provide love to a new dog who needs me. You do what's best for you and your family. I hope wonderful memories will get you through the difficult times.


----------



## gingy (Sep 23, 2020)

BrennaB said:


> I am going through the exact same thing right now. I don’t know if I want to ever put myself through this again. I just had to put my boy down Tuesday at 4 (four) years old because of cancer. A couple years ago we had the same thing happen to our 6 year old. He had one live to 12 years old so one out of 3 lived a long life. After our last died this past Tuesday, I am heartbroken. My son is devastated. My husband is even crying and he never cries. These dogs are our whole world.
> True, there is no other breed with the loving disposition of a Golden. I just don’t think I can do this to my family again though.


Sad ,they break your hearts .


----------



## Searsco (Jun 23, 2021)

gingy said:


> Sad ,they break your hearts .


Its so difficult. Just give yourself time to grieve. Don’t rush into another puppy.


----------



## Searsco (Jun 23, 2021)

sophieanne said:


> I too am so sorry for your losses. And I too, can relate. I lost my first golden at 3 to kidney failure, my 2nd at 7 to lymphoma; my 3rd at 10 to hema.... and just 3 months ago, my 4th(my wonderful rescue boy) to cancer - age unknown but I'm suspecting around 8 or 9. It breaks my heart and rips me apart everytime. After the 3rd I said no more goldens but my vet told me her experience with her own dog (not a golden) and how the breed is one of the cancer ridden ones. She asked, does it make me scared - yes, do I want the pain again - no, but you know what I love the breed and there will always be dogs of that breed looking for homes and I'm always going to put my pain aside and give one of them a wonderful home/great life. The words stuck with me and it's now the way I think. I've been sick for the past year but once I'm better I know there will be another golden who will be getting a new home. My last one really taught me unconditional love and I know he'ld want me to provide love to a new dog who needs me. You do what's best for you and your family. I hope wonderful memories will get you through the difficult times.


Beautifully stated!


----------

