Tumor Free!

As I write this post, Dory is asleep at my feet. Not so much asleep but rather drugged out of her mind. She looks content, peaceful, dead. But she’s breathing, I promise.

After today’s successful surgery, we were able to check off the most important item on her Bucket List…being tumor-free. She looks so adorable without the scrotum hanging off her ear. Just as anyone would.

The patient. Squeezable as Charmin.

The surgery went great and she handled it beautifully. It took her a while to recover from the anesthesia before we were allowed to pick her up, but based on her demeanor, I think Dory was still zooted when she was escorted into the exam room.

She slowly wandered over to Kamryn and Heather, gently nuzzled Kamryn’s face, and then collapsed to the floor.

The nuzzle...

...the collapse.

The incision needs to be tended to every day and the vet prescribed both antibiotics and painkillers to get her through the next week of recovery. We’ll have to keep Kamryn’s hugs to a minimum as she tends to squeeze Dory until her eyes bulge out of her head when smothering her with affection.

It looks painful, but on the plus side, Dory has avoided the cone of shame and the surgical area is quite inconspicuous beneath her floppy right ear.

A stitch in time saves pride.

She’ll get plenty of rest over the next week and then we plan on attacking the other items on her bucket list. No doubt she’s going to be a happier dog once the fog lifts.

Heather and I wanted to thank everyone for all of your generosity. Even today, the day of her surgery, a few more donations arrived. In the end, we had less than $250 in out-of-pocket expenses, and that includes the cost of having the mass tested for cancer. Results we expect back in a week or two. Signs point to a benign tumor but it was worth $105 to find out for sure.

This is her "Thank You" face.

Today at Empire Farm Days, which I can’t wait to write about tomorrow, I came across a vendor selling smoked dog bones. In anticipation of Dory’s return, I thought purchasing her a slathering beef bone would make for a great welcome home gift.

This is the first thing dogs see in heaven.

The problem was that none of them seemed big enough for her. This is a huge occasion for her, and if she was going to get her own beef bone, it had to be a big ‘un.

Searching throughout the Farm Days grounds I finally stumbled upon someone selling shin bones from the elusive Tyrannosaurus Rex. This bone had her name all over it.

She'll need a backhoe to bury this baby in our backyard.

Thank you again, everyone, and we hope you stay tuned for even more Dory adventures! For now, we’re going to let her stay just as she is. Until like Tuesday.

Like I said, she's breathing. I promise.