four-legged friends this week — Joy and C. Brown. Joy was a 9-year-old female boxer who wiggled her entire rear end as she wagged her tail whenever she saw me.

I first noticed multiple knots on her neck in early April and decided we needed to biopsy the lesions to check for lymphoma. Several biopsies were taken under the mandible by Dr. Randall and sent to Mississippi State University School of Veterinary Medicine for histopathologic evaluation. The initial tests was inconclusive but suspicious of lymphoma. Joy responded to prednisone and antibiotic therapy at first.

Unfortunately, Joy's response was short lived. Dr. Duke and Dr. Culpepper both treated Joy in the next few days while more and more lymph nodes became enlarged eventually to the point where she had trouble breathing and swallowing.

Dr. Culpepper referred Joy to the Louisiana Veterinary Referral Center (LVRC) in Mandevillle, La. Joy was diagnosed with lymphoma there and the cancer was spreading rapidly.

The LVRC discussed chemotherapy options including aggressive treatment using a multi-drug chemotherapy regimen, but the owner decided not to pursue that option due to Joy's poor prognosis. I agreed. Joy lived for 19 more days. She finally looked at her owners and told them she was not having fun anymore. Her quality had ebbed away from her and she was suffering. On May 26, we gently and mercifully let her pass on.

Sometimes the toughest decision is the kindest one.

C. Brown was a large and lovable 7-year-old Labrador. We first met in January of this year. He had lost some weight and was nauseous for the last two days. Upon examining C. Brown I decided to draw some blood and have it analyzed. The findings were startling. C. Brown was in renal failure — a rarity for a dog so young. I started IV therapy immediately and he responded initially for a few days. Eventually the IVs had little effect on the kidneys.

The owner decided to take C. Brown home for one last visit and to bring him back on Monday and let him go peacefully. Much to our delight and surprise C. Brown rallied and lived for two more months before he lost his appetite and began to suffer. During his last remarkable stay at home I told the owner that if C. Brown weighed 80 pounds then his heart must weigh 50 of those pounds. I went to their home, and we all gathered around C. Brown and loved on him before I gave him a shot to let him rest in peace.

I tell you the stories of these two special dogs to bring out a point to all you pet owners. Neither of these dogs could have been saved even with earlier detection. Both kidney failure and cancer take no prisoners. Yet there are many other diseases that can be treated through early detection.

I strongly advise having your cat or dog to have a complete blood analysis and thorough physical on an annual basis. In all medicine there are some problems that cannot be fixed, but remember that preventive medicine is the key to a long and healthy life for your pets.

Please consider having your pets given a good physical annually, feed them a good quality dry food, keep their teeth clean, and love them like there is no tomorrow.

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(Dr. Don Palermo is a veterinarian at Bienville Animal Medical Center in Ocean Springs, Miss. Questions for this column are encouraged. Write to South Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association, 20005 Pineville Road, Long Beach MS 39560 and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.)