Terminally Ill Doberman Enjoying All of His Favorite Foods Breaks Hearts

Footage of a terminally ill dog getting to eat whatever he wants has the internet in tears.

Dex the Doberman passed away in June of this year after a battle with bone cancer. His heartbroken owner Sarah Cothran (@dexthedisableddobe) has shared a video of his final days, which included eating all of his favorite foods.

The clip, which was shared to TikTok on August 18, showed the rescue dog being treated to a Big Mac, cookie dough, popsicles, hot dogs, ice cream, beef brisket and more.

Since being shared, the tearjerking video has received over 337,000 likes and 3.7 million views.

'Do what they love best'

Discovering your pet is terminally ill is a devastating experience. However, Nell Ostermeier—integrative veterinarian and AKC Pet Insurance Spokesperson—said there are lots of things you can do to make their final days happy ones.

"It can be difficult to accept," she told Newsweek. "But shifting your focus to keeping your pet comfortable is a great way to provide them with the best quality of life.

"Pay attention to what your dog enjoys most at this stage of life and spend more time with them doing what they love best."

Ostermeier said that in some cases, alternative treatments—such as acupuncture and herbal therapies—can help to alleviate your pet's symptoms and prevent suffering.

"Another option that can add to your pet's comfort, especially if they are a senior with arthritis, is massage," she said.

"Massage helps to loosen muscle tension, improve circulation, and even enhance the immune response. Most importantly, dogs tend to love it because it makes them feel good."

As dogs can pick up on their owner's emotions, Ostermeier said it's important to try and remain positive and make the most of the time you have left.

"Try not to dwell on the fact that your time with them is limited," she said. "I've never met a dog who didn't appreciate more one-on-one time with their person.

"That being said, it is normal to feel sad and to begin the grieving process when you know that your dog is reaching the end of their life."

'I'm crying'

Dex was a rescue dog that Sarah adopted seven years ago. The Doberman first became an online sensation in 2020, after breaking his neck in a freak accident. Sarah documented his recovery journey on TikTok, with Dex having to learn to walk all over again.

Unfortunately, less than two years later, Dex was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and passed away.

In the clip, Sarah can and her partner can be seen feeding Dex all of his favorite foods. Captioned "Things my terminally ill dog ate—whatever the f*** he wanted," the footage broke TikTokers' hearts.

"I am so sorry," commented kimberleeLovejoy.

"I'm crying," said hollywoodvintageglasses.

"Our puppers deserve everything," wrote Kr8286.

While NikkiBee said: "I did the same thing. My vet even recommended it. Pure pet love. So always happy to see people loving their pets."

Newsweek has reached out to @dexthedisableddoberman for comment.