January 3, 2009
Bocephus, 14 year old Labrador ROMPING :)
Yes, Bo is old, but he has never really acted OLD.
He is always been a tad crazy, VERY HYPER, and now, add in some old age dementia and what do you get? An active senile dog LOL
He will still play ball, but most of the time he just runs around. I think because he can't remember if he is getting or retrieving the ball anymore. The game of "ball" has become just too much for his old brain to process.
At the age of 12 he started to have some health issues. Early spring 2007 he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in his mouth. There is to date, no successful treatments available for that type of cancer, it is a death sentence once diagnosed. There is a new trial treatment with a type of vaccine, but it doesn't offer a cure, only a POSSIBLE extension of life. With the vaccine life may be extended to ONE YEAR, as the usual estimate for living after diagnosis with this cancer is 6-8 months.
We opted to treat his cancer with benign neglect, (In other words, we chose to DO NOTHING)Because we didn't want subject him to trials that would cause him pain and probably wouldn't work anyway. The nearest cancer treatment center place is almost an hour away, and BO HATES riding in the car. Just getting to the cancer center would cause him undo stress (and diarrhea in the car)
I'm happy to report, it has been over a year and a half since his diagnosis.
I switched him to Canidae dog food, and he gets Welactin supplement, Previcox, and osteo biflex OR Dasuquin (whatever of those two is on sale!)
Then, August 2007 he had an emergency splenectomy, for something totally unrelated to his cancer.
By all accounts, he should not be alive AT ALL and we are very blessed to have him for as long as we have.
He has a zest for life, and is a true survivor, and a wonderful companion and is probably the BEST DOG ever. If it weren't for the fact he is insane.
ENJOY 
Duration : 0:4:27
Filed under Labrador by admin
Comments on Bocephus, 14 year old Labrador ROMPING :) »
It's remarkable and …
It's remarkable and wonderful that he is doing this well after being diagnosed with cancer. It looks like this sweet boy has a lot of life left in him!
He is a very active …
He is a very active dog with a zest for life.
It is funny, he LOVES puppies, and for the first few weeks after we got the bloodhound puppy (since he is a bit senile) he would react like
OH WOW, a NEW PUPPY!
And then, the next day
OH WOW, a NEW PUPPY!
He was kinda forgetting we had her.
Oh, well, Bo's world is a happy world. Indeed
It is getting cooler here, and he LOVES cold weather. I need to get more vids of him, he is REALLY romping now
Great soundtrack!- …
Great soundtrack!-another inspirational dog from your amazing pack. Seems like i know them all personally. Still sad about Tuff, but the new Bloodhound is very cute.
Thanks for the …
Thanks for the reply & info. I know the thinner the better; unfortunately I have been sharing human food with my pup for the last eleven-and-a-half years… hard habit to break at this point! She is happy, though, and only overweight by a few pounds. I will look in to your supplements. Thanks again and have a great weekend!
He is on Previcox, …
He is on Previcox, and I supplement his diet (Canidae dog food) with Welactin and Dasuquin and MSM. I'm out of the Dasuquin(ran out about a month ago), and have been using 2 OsteoBiflex (same ingredients as his dasuquin with the MSM added in) the OsteoBiFlex is a human supplement, but it seems to be working well. I think keeping him thin helps, you can feel his ribs easily and he has a pretty good tummy tuck. He gets NO fatty foods, and he only gets all natural low calorie snacks once a day.
What kind of …
What kind of supplements are you using?
My lab was on Rimadyl; now Deramaxx, in conjunction with Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate but has nowhere near this much energy. She also blew out both of her ACL's and had surgery for that but still has loads of arthritis. Can't believe they were able to remove your dog's spleen and had so much success! Long live our dogs! Having great owners helps!!
He has always been …
He has always been incredibly energetic
Now, he just needs arthritis supplements so he can KEEP being so active
His meds must be working
(He has had malignant melanoma surgery(mouth) twice, and his spleen out last year. He has an excellent vet!)
W-O-W!
That is one …
W-O-W!
That is one amazing, energetic older dog!
Well, they say age is only a number
Cute puppy! I LOVE LABS!
I think he is …
I think he is deliriously happy
Thanks for watching and stopping by my channel! VERY APPRECIATED
Bo looks like a …
He's really lucky to have such a great owner! 
He looks really happy!
Bo looks like a great dog!
Hi Brian and thanks …
Hi Brian and thanks for stopping by my channel! He is young at heart, indeed.
I do have to give credit to mother nature, though. The days have felt more crisp with fall coming, and Bo LOVES cold weather and snow. I think he is feeling FRISKY and he can hardly wait for fall and winter to get here
i have to say those …
i have to say those dogs you have are probably so happy to have an owner like you. he is still so young in the heart.
Hugs and kisses to …
Hugs and kisses to you girlie.
Keep your chin up.
He wouldn't run …
He wouldn't run around if he wasn't feeling ok. That's a good vet that you have that keeps him going and going. Gosh I miss my doggies. It's so painful not seeing them. Oh Wendi it breaks my heart. Please send your hugs to me. I need them.
Hi Mindy!
It is …
Hi Mindy!
It is hard to get a good photograph of him, because he is ALWAYS running and jumping around. Well, I could take a photo when he is asleep…
Thanks …
Thanks NickYorkieDog. Yes, he is very happy.
wow..nice vid! …
wow..nice vid! Bocephus is very happy!!5*****
GREAT SONG!
if he is happy …
if he is happy that's all that matters.
Sweet Bo! He's doing good running like that!
wow!