Dog In Need Of Surgery

[NovaNocturne]

So last week, I took my dog to the vet to get checked on some lumps I found on him. They were diagnosed as tumors, though, without sending them out at a ridiculous expense to get biopsied, they couldn't say for sure if they were benign or malignant. Now the vet was concerned at how fast they had appeared, as my gosh darn dog has been to the vet multiple times in the last year because of his own crazy actions, and the lumps hadn't been detected at those times. So, now my dog is scheduled for surgery on Monday to get all the lumps removed, and I'm in a bit of a bind with the cost of the procedure. I'm not really expecting any help, but I did want to vent this stress a little bit and share a little about my dog.

Back when I was in high school, he was my saving grace. I was super depressed, and I wanted to quit pretty much everything. Including life. My parents agreed to let me get a dog after nearly a decade of begging for one. I thought I had one in mind who was from a shelter in my state, but that one got adopted before I could try to get it. One day while looking on the local classifieds, I spotted an ad of a family who was barely a 5 minute drive away, who needed to rehome their new puppy because they were moving out of state and couldn't take the pup with them.

We scheduled a visit that night, and brought him back home with us without batting an eye. My first introduction to this pup, he was obsessed with socks, was a conniving trickster, and too smart for his own good. But his old owners named him Bentley. No offense to anyone of that name, but this ball of fur that looked like lumpy oatmeal was too wild to be called Bentley So I worked on renaming him Kairo (a variation of Cairo) named such for his vibrant eyes that looked like they had Egyptian make up around them. With a nub tail, giant ears, and a funny disfigured toe on his back foot (which we call his Raptor Toe because the claw on it grows straight upwards and curls just like a raptor's), he has always been quirky He's been a wild pooch all his life, but an amazingly devoted one. He gave me something to care about, to care for, and his unconditional love helped heal me.

I remember one time as a puppy, he chewed up a book from the library, and I got so mad at him that he never looked at a book twice again. He learned so many tricks and skills, and even the ones I haven't practiced in years, he can still recall. Despite this ability to learn, he always liked doing things his own way. He has me so whipped when it comes to calling him inside. He will literally just sit just beyond reach when let outside, until you offer to give him a treat. He will do anything to have his leash put on him, and walks very obediently by one's side; but he is too friendly for his own good. More than once has he been scratched at by cats when all he wants to do is sniff them, and chased by horses who don't like him near their foals. More than once, I've come home to him having figured out how to get outside on his own, but just sitting in the yard waiting for me.

During some of his wilder younger years, he wasn't familiar with cats, and upon spotting one when the front door was cracked open, he bolted. I was in my bedroom at the time but immediately knew before it even happened, that something was wrong. I was already down the stairs when I hear my sister scream. My pup had been hit by a car. I was out to the curb cradling him as he screamed. It absolutely broke my heart. His left arm was sticking out at a 90-degree angle from his body. There was no blood, and we rushed him to the vet. We had to wait nearly an hour because it was past closing time, and the vet had to come from a city over. I was crying. My life, my soul was so attached to Kai, I couldn't bear that he was so hurt and I didn't know what was going to happen. The vet took Kai to the back and laid him on a table. With an x-ray and a swift movement, he was able to pop Kai's arm back into place. Amazingly, my blockheaded dog only had a dislocation, and not even a concussion even though he took an SUV to his skull. The vet warned that if the dislocated leg had been pushed only a fraction further, it would have severed all Kai's ligaments, vessels, and so on, and would have required an amputation. It was an absolute miracle that Kai survived, let alone would make a full recovery. Even the Vet doubted he would ever walk normally again. Kai was determined to prove that wrong, even while heavily drugged to keep him down. He has made a full recovery and now can predict storms like an old man by whining because the change in air pressure causes his leg injury to ache.

I feel like he has been going through a midlife crisis in the last year or so. He has been a lot more reckless: running so hard he ripped up his paw pads, got in a scuffle at dog-day-care that ended up with him losing the tip of his ear, and somehow gouging his flank open, not to mention he has snagged some onion that ended up making him vomit blood. It's like he wants to do all these crazy things before he gets too old. The vet estimated he would technically be around 60 in human years, but he seems to be going through a second teenagehood. Now, with the worry about these tumors, I have been stressing that they could shorten his lifespan if not taken care of sooner. He is my dearest pet. I'd consider him my child even. I am praying he will be around for a long time to come.

There are pics of him in the link below:
https://www.generosity.com/animal-pet-fundraising/tumor-removal-for-kai/x/15763299

[The Skarzs]

I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like quite the pal.

[Jukka the Sling]

I'm sorry.  I hope he makes a full recovery.  I'll be praying!

[Wylder Treejumper]

I'll be praying too. I hope everything works out for you both! A good dog is truly a precious thing.

[NovaNocturne]

Thank you guys for all the well wishes. It really means a lot to me.

[MeadowR]

I'm sorry to hear this, Nova; I do hope things work out for both of you.

[Cornflower MM]

I'm so sorry to hear that, Nova. *Hugs*

[Lady Amber]

Oh, wow. That's awful. I'll be praying that everything works out.