[Chester's_Mom]

So, here's the latest update on Chester.
We got the blood test results back from Monday's exam, and it is one of two things...a low thyroid or kidney stone/tumor. Since our visit on Monday, Chester has appeared to get better...alert, walking around, reactive, and wanting to be near us...however, he still isn't eating on his own. Monday after the vet he vomited twice, and again on Tuesday, and again today. We called the vet thinking that he might have an allergic reaction to the meds he's taking, but she didn't think so. A bit gross here, but his vomit was very small, did not contain food, was clear & slimy with a yellowish color in it. Nothing we have fed him is yellow...this was the main cause for concern. The vet informed us that, she believes, his urinary track is blocked and the fluid has no where to go but up...thus the yellowish color. She thinks that the problem is either a kidney stone or a tumor. She is out of town tomorrow, so we have an appointment 1st thing Friday Morning. She's going to do some x-rays of his bladder, an ultrasound, and possibly surgery to remove the blockage.
Chester has been such an influencial part of our family, and in many ways keeping us strong and together. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and I will be sure to update the situation (good or bad) so that others may learn from our experience.

Staying Strong,
Chester's Mom


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I guess our main problem is money. We have a Yorkie that has been the highlight of our lives for the past 3 years. My husband & I rescued Chester from the dog pound 3 years ago (he was about 7yrs old at the time) and since then he has been a very valuable part of our lives, he even wore a tux and walked down the asile at our wedding.

Eventhough we love Chester dearly, we have maxed out credit cards and streched ourselves thin just trying to keep him healthy. When we 1st got him he had really bad paradontal deasase and we needed to have the majority of his teeth pulled ($1000) - a few months ago he got a hemriod and we needed to get that taken care of ($500) - Today, Chester is very sick and at our last vet visit she said that it appears to be phnomia. Our last visit, with xrays and medication, cost us another $500. Now, I know that it's only $2000 at this point, but we are a young couple in our mid-twenties, still paying off both our student loans & our wedding, trying to save for a house...and now we have a dog that is very ill. Chester is our baby, in every sense of the word and it breaks our hearts to see him like this.

He hasn't eaten in a week and we are giving him baby food through an eye dropper every hour or so. He gets medication every morning and every night. He no longer has any bladder control; and when he's not sleeping he is just staring off into space. He breathing is short and seems difficult. His coughing has seemed to die down, but he still wakes us about about 3 times throughout the night with a cough attack and won't go back to sleep until he calms down. Even though it does seem like he's gotten better over the past week, I don't expect him to recover for at least another 3 weeks or so...and it's so hard to see him like this.

He will be going to the vet again tomorrow for a check up, because he's not eating. But, my main concern is: How much will this visit cost me? I am willing to do what ever it takes, but my resources are thin and I don't know if another $500 visit will actually make him better.

I guess I just need someone to tell me not to give up and that he'll pull through this.