Sequoia update (April 14, 2011)

Bad news. It's the tumor coming back for Sequoia. 3 weeks to 6 months is the outlook.

The tumor can grow a different way than the way it grew the last time. So it can go around his windpipe or into his lungs which will make it a shorter time frame. Or it can stay on the surface and make it a longer time frame. His foster mom had heard him rasping to breath a few days in a row a few times throughout the day but not constant. It could be the tumor of just a little hay fever. The vet has given us a list of signs to look for. He lost 2 pounds in the 2 weeks since his last visit.

He's on pain meds and antibiotics. So we will just hang out and chill with each other until the end is near.

In rescue work you meet so many dogs and some you click with and some are "meh- just ok". His foster mom says, "He is a great dog that is right up my alley. Thank you for letting him come to my house and letting me get to know him." Thank you to Molly LaMountain for spotting him at the Fulton Co. Dog Pound and alerting PPI of him. She drove him the vet and got kisses from him that first day. It was a sure sign he was a great dog.

But ultimately it's just about quality of life at this point. We're hoping the pressure doesn't burst his fresh skin where the incision was and fillet him open. We plan on enjoying the sunshine together. At this moment life is pretty good as long as we are enjoying the moment. And that's what the love of a good dog can do- make you enjoy the moments.

An Editorial

Editorial

I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.

I am not a thing. If I am hit - I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.

I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack - my family - my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love...I crave companionship.

I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.

I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.

When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.

I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.

Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.

I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.

Sequoia update

Sequoia gained 4 pounds. And the mass appears to be a bit smaller. Things are looking hopeful. YAHOO!

If he continues to improve we will get him neutered in a few weeks and offer him for adoption. The big guy was at a foster meeting on Saturday with mostly all small dogs and was a peaceful, friendly dude. He was happy to get attention from humans but laid down and was quiet throughout the whole meeting while the little dogs were busy bees. Sequoia is at an ideal weight of 84 pounds and we will be maintaining that.