Last week, my current roommate, Daren, was watching Jake, his ex-boyfriend Chris' dog. Jake is getting very old, has been having trouble walking, and had a seizure like episode a few days before we started to watch him. Chris had been taking him to the vet regularly and they had assumed the symptoms were from arthritis, because of Jake's size. One morning, I woke up to Jake having a seizure in my bedroom (freakiest thing I have ever seen) so Daren took Jake for another trip to the vet, who encouraged an ultrasound to check for potential tumor in the spleen. That evening, Daren noticed he was dragging his left hind paw when he walked, which was concerning. That night, after Daren went to bed, Jake was licking his abdomen on both sides pretty aggressively, and he was drinking a lot more water than normal, and had eaten very little. The next morning, Daren called Jake's vet, explained those symptoms, and we were encouraged to take him to the animal hospital immediately. Upon our arrival, the vet who looked at Jake told us a story about his 14-year old golden retriever and how he had died from an aggressive form of cancer found in the breed. Daren's face fell, and a wave of grief and despair fell over him, so I started to communicate with the vet, listening to every word and writing it all down so I could call Chris, who was in California for work, to let him know what was happening.
As they performed the ultrasound on Jake's spleen and abdomen, I could clearly see the tumor and I was looking at the reaction of the techs who were helping to hold Jake. They were smiling when it started, and then quickly there were not, so I knew it was serious. The doctor announced rather casually to Daren, "Yes, Jake has a large tumor in his spleen."
When the vet was finished with the ultrasound, he took a few x-rays while Daren and I waiting in the exam room. I had a feeling that Jake would be having emergency surgery given the size of the tumor, the location, and Jake's current symptoms, so I started to prepare Daren for the possibility. When the doctor came into the room, he was pretty direct and candid about the situation and encouraged surgery that afternoon to remove the spleen and tumor. I called Chris, explained everything, he quickly spoke to the vet, and authorized the surgery.
The picture above is Daren with Jake in the hospital the day after he had surgery to remove the tumor. Daren and Chris are both very close to Jake and this has not been easy on either of them. Jake is back with Daren, as Chris had to return to California for work. He is in pain, is having trouble walking, but for his age and the surgery he went through, he is doing remarkably well. Chris and Daren are awaiting the biopsy results to determine the next course of care for Jake, and may face some emotionally challenging decisions given the results. All I know, is that Jake is one of the better dogs I have ever met, and I wish him good health and a speedy recovery.
