Ali
A donation was made in memory of Ali by Doctors and Staff of the Associated Veterinary Services on Jan 16, 2013.
Ali's Story
Ali was a lively Boxer puppy who enjoyed walks around the neighborhood and playing with our kids in the backyard. Ali truly fit the profile of “man’s best friend.” She had a loving demeanor, and she always provided a warm welcome when someone walked through the door. Ali joined our family in 2008, and she immediately became a member of the family.
After shortly joining our family, we noticed a small lump on Ali’s back leg. We had sought medical attention a few times regarding her lump, and we were told by a previous vet that Ali had a skin reaction. Although Ali continued to exhibit her upbeat personality, the lump continued to worsen. We finally decided a second opinion was necessary. We received a referral from our family member for the Associated Veterinary Services with Drs. Newman and Bares for a second look at Ali’s lump. The recommendation was to have the lump removed immediately and have a biopsy sent to a lab for further examination. Ali’s first surgery was a success; however, we quickly learned that the lump Ali had been suffering with was a mass four tumor. We were soon faced with the tough decision of how to treat Ali with this aggressive form of cancer. Dr. Newman, Dr. Bares, and the numerous staff at Associated Vet researched treatment options for Ali. We decided chemotherapy was the best form of treatment we could provide for her. After several months, Ali responded well to the chemo treatments. Over those few months, the Associated Vet Clinic became a part of our family. Our family was very optimistic about Ali’s treatment, and we were praying for the best. Shortly after her treatment was complete, Ali developed another lump on the same leg. Her cancer returned. As I recall, Ali had three total surgeries for tumor removals, as well as the chemotherapy treatments. My husband and I further consulted with the Associated Vet team and discussed the decision as a family, and we decided we had provided Ali with as much treatment as we could possibly afford. We decided that we would allow Ali to live out her life as long as she could battle the cancer. We continued to provide medication management with prednisone. Periodically, Ali had spells of vomiting and weakness, but she would shortly recover within days. Over several months, we could tell both the cancer and prednisone were taking a toll on Ali’s body. She had gained a significant amount of weight and her energy level had decreased dramatically. We continued to treasure each moment we were given with her.
Nearly one year after discovering the cancer, Ali was losing her battle. She stopped eating and was barely moving throughout our home, so we decided that her time with us was ending. Associated Vet Services helped us a great deal with deciding upon the right time to end Ali’s pain. On December 18, 2012, Ali lost her fight. We felt a significant loss that day, but we will continue to treasure the memories we were given with Ali. We write this memorial of Ali as a tribute to her life and as a thank you to Drs. Newman and Bares for the generous donation to Washington State University in Ali’s honor. We hope the donation will serve as resource for further research to assist other animals like Ali. Thank you for allowing us to tell our story. Ali was an amazing pet who will forever live in our hearts.
Sincerely,
The Dresch Family
The Dresch Family
Ali was a lively Boxer puppy who enjoyed walks around the neighborhood and playing with our kids in the backyard. Ali truly fit the profile of “man’s best friend.” She had a loving demeanor, and she always provided a warm welcome when someone walked through the door. Ali joined our family in 2008, and she immediately became a member of the family.
After shortly joining our family, we noticed a small lump on Ali’s back leg. We had sought medical attention a few times regarding her lump, and we were told by a previous vet that Ali had a skin reaction. Although Ali continued to exhibit her upbeat personality, the lump continued to worsen. We finally decided a second opinion was necessary. We received a referral from our family member for the Associated Veterinary Services with Drs. Newman and Bares for a second look at Ali’s lump. The recommendation was to have the lump removed immediately and have a biopsy sent to a lab for further examination. Ali’s first surgery was a success; however, we quickly learned that the lump Ali had been suffering with was a mass four tumor. We were soon faced with the tough decision of how to treat Ali with this aggressive form of cancer. Dr. Newman, Dr. Bares, and the numerous staff at Associated Vet researched treatment options for Ali. We decided chemotherapy was the best form of treatment we could provide for her. After several months, Ali responded well to the chemo treatments. Over those few months, the Associated Vet Clinic became a part of our family. Our family was very optimistic about Ali’s treatment, and we were praying for the best. Shortly after her treatment was complete, Ali developed another lump on the same leg. Her cancer returned. As I recall, Ali had three total surgeries for tumor removals, as well as the chemotherapy treatments. My husband and I further consulted with the Associated Vet team and discussed the decision as a family, and we decided we had provided Ali with as much treatment as we could possibly afford. We decided that we would allow Ali to live out her life as long as she could battle the cancer. We continued to provide medication management with prednisone. Periodically, Ali had spells of vomiting and weakness, but she would shortly recover within days. Over several months, we could tell both the cancer and prednisone were taking a toll on Ali’s body. She had gained a significant amount of weight and her energy level had decreased dramatically. We continued to treasure each moment we were given with her.
Nearly one year after discovering the cancer, Ali was losing her battle. She stopped eating and was barely moving throughout our home, so we decided that her time with us was ending. Associated Vet Services helped us a great deal with deciding upon the right time to end Ali’s pain. On December 18, 2012, Ali lost her fight. We felt a significant loss that day, but we will continue to treasure the memories we were given with Ali. We write this memorial of Ali as a tribute to her life and as a thank you to Drs. Newman and Bares for the generous donation to Washington State University in Ali’s honor. We hope the donation will serve as resource for further research to assist other animals like Ali. Thank you for allowing us to tell our story. Ali was an amazing pet who will forever live in our hearts.
Sincerely,
The Dresch Family
The Dresch Family
