by Anna on Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:56 am
from Darren:
Scamp, my black lab retriever boy that I found on the streets in South Central LA, has been coughing up blood, and thought maybe it was cancer a few weeks ago. The vet couldn't see much for sure on the x-rays then. Well, today we did another x-ray as he has not been eating so much as usual. The x-ray today showed it is worse, and we can see now that it is cancer in his lungs for sure. It has spread from someplace else. Can't find where from, but the cells usually travel through the blood to the lungs first. The vet says that he has a few weeks to a month at the very most!
I am very upset. I will miss him so much. He is my boy, and a huge, every day part of my life. I found him 30 lbs under weight, a bag of bones, and with contagious mange, in 1999. He was so contagious, he had to be kennelled alone at a dog place for a whole month, and I went by everyday to walk him till he was well. He is possibly the sweetest dog of all of ours. Not a bad bone in his body. He is not eating much, but tonight he had chicken which he ate most of, and tomorrow he is having porterhouse steak, and everyday as long as he is eating. It is not an easy time. He will be missed by all his brothers and sisters here, and by me and everyone who knew him. We are just making him comfortable and giving him any food that he will eat. He likes drinking soy milk too.
The first sign there may be something wrong was about a month ago, as he was slowing down on his walks. We took him to the vet immediately, but not much was showing then. It was guessed that it was cancer, the x-rays were showing little circles, but nothing clear. Chemo is an extreme option, but he would not understand why he is being treated so badly and going through hell, and the vet said that it would buy him a few months at most. I just want him to be happy and comfy now at home. I am going to spend every second I can with him.
