Our pup, Harley, had surgery on November 12 to remove a blockage in his intestines. We didn’t know what the problem was at the time, he was refusing all food and we had to force water into him. The surgery revealed a malignant tumor that was causing a blockage in his intestines. No wonder he had lost 15 pounds over the course of a month!
The veterinarian was able to remove the worst of it and told us it was a grim prognosis with or without chemo treatment: survival of 2-6 months.
Within two days of the surgery, he was feeling so much better and when the sutures were removed the day before Thanksgiving, he was feeling and acting like his old self, full of energy with a great appetite. Knowing that our eight-year-old pup’s days were numbered, we gave him the best we could. Tom and I both feel fortunate we have been able to truly appreciate him in his last days.
This past Sunday was a great day. Tom gave Harley a real feast at dinner time and then more because Harley had been doing so well and gaining back some of the weight he had lost. Sometime overnight, there was a dramatic change. He was very lethargic with a high fever on Monday morning. Over the day, he became more withdrawn, to the point we think he was somewhat comatose. We will never know what happened; possibly brain damage from high fever or a stroke, but he seemed comfortable and essentially slipped away over the course of two days.
Thank you everyone for your kind words. Tom and I are dog-lovers.
OMG!-Between us we have over 100 years of dog ownership! We both agree Harley was hands down the best dog either of us has had. I feel equal measures heartbroken and thankful for every second with this sweetheart.