Sadly, we had to let Turner go today. The vet told us that his mass was inoperable. It was extensive, had wrapped itself around his pancreas, spleen, stomach (and other things I can't remember now), and she believed it was cancer. At any rate it could not be removed. His prognosis was not good. She said that often when cancer is exposed it grows even faster, and that it was going to strangulate his organs, which would lose their blood supply and die, which was not a pleasant way to go. We decided to let him go then rather than have him wake up to not only the pain of a large abdominal incision but the impending strangulation of his organs. He was a sweet dog--the sweetest I have ever known--and we miss him terribly. But we felt that letting him go now was best for him. It's hard for me to understand how this mass had become so extensive when he got his last annual wellness check less than a year ago and his organs were palpated. The vet said sometimes they grow really quickly. Our other pup is very subdued today, which is about as far from her personality as you can get. Yesterday she sniffed him at a distance and backed away. I think she knew. Later that night, Turner lay down right against her for a while, which they usually don't do. Thank you all for your support during this crisis. |