Skylar the Dog

11/22/2023

Memories of November 2020. BTS released their song "Life Goes On". It's a song about, well, you know, but it fits well with all of life's sucky moments. I loved our mom and doghter dates 💜

10/31/2023

The cutest unicorn. Skylar's first Halloween.

I better be getting a lot of good treats tonight.

10/20/2023

One week ago today, we said goodbye. Today, she came home.

10/17/2023

❤️😢

Getting used to the new normal of walks without my big sister, but using her hot pink flamingo leash to keep her close.

10/16/2023

Hello. This is Skylar's Mom. I have heart-breaking, sad news to share. We gave our final kisses to Skylar and said goodbye on Friday night.

Skylar had been doing really well since her last update in September. We apologize for not sharing more stories or photos since then. We did a post-Labor Day dog swim. We went to a BBQ competition. We did lot of sniffing walks around the neighborhood. She had so many chicken nuggets and good treats. She was doing so, so well, considering the cancer, and we didn't have any reason to suspect things were going to suddenly take a downward turn.

When I woke up on Friday morning, she was acting differently. She turned her head away from a piece of rotisserie chicken, and I knew something was wrong. My girl never said no to roti chicken unless she was feeling very bad. As the day progressed, she became weaker; she could barely hold up her head. She did her best to walk, but it seemed so hard, and she would lay down after one or two steps.

We're grateful for a last-minute appointment with her friends at Burke Animal Clinic. I went into the appointment optimistic that she's just constipated but worried that maybe the high calcium levels returned, similar to what she experienced in May. Instead we got a devastating update after a chest xray. There was a lot of stuff going on around her lungs and heart.

If Skylar had felt anything bad before Friday, she fooled us. Even up to Thursday night, she was picky about food, as usual, but eagerly scarfed down the chicken, tortillas, cheese (the humans were making enchiladas), peanut butter, eggs, various treats, and even the pill pockets hiding her medication. She climbed the stairs to go to bed without an issue. She freely gave out kisses, and her barks were full of energy. Thursday night was so uneventful, I can't remember exactly how we spent the final good hours together.

To make the day a little more meaningful and easy to remember in the future, Friday was also Skyar's 12th adoption anniversary. October 13 will forever be a day to remember as one that brought the greatest joy and the worst sadness.

Thank you for sharing in Skylar's adventures for the past 12-ish years. I have photos and videos to share of a few things from the past month, but I'm not sure how frequently I'll update in the future. In the meantime, I hope to give more attention to chronicling the life of Skylar's sister, Maybel the Dog.

We are forever grateful to Skylar's besties at The Oncology Service. The Springfield and Leesburg teams gave her so much care and attention through her chemo and radiation treatments. I know they did their best to help her live her healthiest life. I hope to never need to introduce their doctors to Maybel or any future pups, but I'm glad Skylar was in their good hands.

If you knew Skylar, or if you feel like you knew her through this page, Mom, Dad, and Maybel would love to read your favorite Skylar stories in the comments.

Forever My Best Girl, 2010-2023.

09/08/2023

Had another check in with the dogctor and ... (drum roll) I'm still the sweetest, most perfect dog (other than the cancer). My tumor is a tiny bit smaller, and my poo has a clear path to exit! 🥳 💩 My new tradition with Mom is that we celebrate the visits with a shared ice cream. She gets most, and I get what's left!

09/06/2023

Hello from the woods! My pesky little sister and I had super fun this weekend hanging out with our family. Can you believe this scenery is a fenced-in forest just for us dogs?

08/24/2023

Mom is excited because she bought a matching one. She said we'll be twins. This is mortifying. Send help!

08/21/2023

Sad: Mom left me again to go work someplace else. 😭
Rad: She came home!!! And I had perfect poops! 😁

08/18/2023

After three of the best years ever, I am the saddest of all the sad dogs. Mom has to go and leave me alone three times a week now! Look at my sad eyes! I know she needs to go so she can get the money to buy me all the best food but whyyyyyyy. Stay home forever, Mom!

08/12/2023

Family fun day at Paradise Springs Winery, Virginia, one of my favorite places to go with mom and dad. Mom wouldn't share her wine but she gave me a little cheese! We then got ice cream (grown ups) and pup cups (dog kids) at Peterson's Ice Cream Depot, but Maybel and I ate our pup cups too fast for Mom to take a photo. Best day ever!

08/08/2023

Am I doing couching right?

07/28/2023

My pesky little sister ate my bowl of Skylar girl dinner when I walked away to get water, so I took over her cozy bed. Seems fair, yes?

07/23/2023

We had a nice Sunday evening sniffing walk. Mom is on her nonsense again, taking photos when she should be opening gates.

07/22/2023

It’s been awhile since I’ve barked for breakfast! Barky bossy Skylar is back!

07/06/2023

Visited my The Oncology Service besties in Springfield today. Prognosis: Sweetest pup forever! My bum is a little sore, but everyone says it will feel better soon. In the meantime, I’m going to guilt Mom and Dad into giving me chicken nuggets.

07/03/2023

New game because I’m so good and puzzles are my favorite way to eat kibble and treats!

06/30/2023

Wow! Friends, I am feeling so good that I forgot to update you all on my news! I completed all my 8 sessions of radiation therapy last week! I even humored Mom by wearing a crown. She says Im her queen. I miss seeing my The Oncology Service Leesburg besties, but I’m so happy I am starting to feel better. Cross all your paws that my tumor shrinks, stays shrunk, and the cancer doesn’t spread more.

06/18/2023

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, David. He likes to wake up early like me and feed me all the snacks! He makes sure I get to all my dogctor appointments on time and tells Mom she is ridiculous for putting me in clothes. He’s the best!

06/16/2023

Happy FriYAY! I’m visiting my besties again for my sixth dose of radiation! I have only two more to go! Send me lots of hearts and good wishes and cheese!

06/11/2023

So happy to roll in the grass!

06/09/2023

FRIYAY! One week of radiation done! One week and two days to go!

06/07/2023

Day 2 of radiation treatment is done! I feel really great! I love my new besties at The Oncology Service - Leesburg. They take such good care of me while I take a little snooze, and they put magic on my bum. They tell me I’m pretty and feed me snacks. Here I am at home wanting all the snacks! I’m playing with my sushi treat puzzle. Mom hid kibble and dried salmon skin bits for me to find.

06/02/2023

What are you making in the kitchen and can I have some? We are no longer dogs but hungry, hungry (furry and velvety) hippos. I guess the medicine is working at keeping my calcium levels ok again! What snacks do you think Mom and Dad should give me? (I guess pesky little sister Maybel can have one too.)

05/31/2023

What a difference a week and lots of medicine and attention make. Mom told me I’m having a good day! I had a little hop in my step and extra wag in my tail as we walked. I ate more food than Mom expected, and I was a barracuda when Mom slipped me some canned anchovies. Why has she been keeping these from me all my life??

On sad news, I learned my radiation treatment won’t start until Monday. The machine broke last weekend, and my dogctors are working so hard to get it fixed. Mom and Dad are a bit sad and nervous because they said this is the best shot I have to feel more like my hyper, play bowing self again. But I told them to hang tight, I’ll do my best to stay OK, and we’ll patiently wait. I practice “patience” and ”wait” all the time when I watch my parents eat, knowing they’ll evening slip a bite to me. You just have to sit and stare and look super cute and determined.

Some photos of my walk tonight with Mom. I even let out some of my trademark barking!

05/30/2023

Hi friends! I’m home! And I’m feeling sooooo much better. I came home yesterday. I’m eating again, and I’m steadier on my feet. I was supposed to start radiation today, but the machine broke! So no radiation until it’s fixed. Meanwhile, Mom is being annoying again with the photos. But I’m so happy to see her, I’ll let it happen for now.

05/28/2023

Hi friends, I’m still at the hospital, trying my best to feel better but I’m still really meh. Good news is that I started nibbling on food again. Not a lot and not everything, but tiny bites.

The doctors and nurses tell me all the time that I’m the sweetest girl. As if I didn’t know that! They said my calcium levels are still high, but steadily dropped tiny amounts each day. Other than the cancer, they said everything else looks good!

Mom and Dad have visited, and it was the best to see them. My tail wagged so hard Mom thought I would break it. Mom kept handing me bites to eat, and I was OK with it until she was decided to invade my privacy and capture this moment. Let me have my dignity, Mom.

I really want to go home and snuggle with Mom and Dad and see my pesky little sister, but mom said I should stay one more night to get more fluids, medicines, and have all the attention on me. She said it’ll give me the best shot to be even a little more better. Crossing paws!!