Travis

Wow, Travis had a rough start. He was picked up as a stray and landed in a shelter.  He was severely malnourished,  had a big heart murmur and a mouth so full of infected rotten teeth that his breath would knock you over. And he wouldn’t eat. We hoped it was because of his mouth so we started him on antibiotics and pain killers while we got him ready for his dental procedure.

He saw the cardiologist and was cleared for anesthesia. When he had his dental the veterinarian said it may have been the worst she had ever seen. His teeth actually fell out when she touched them. He also had 3 fistulas repaired (a fistula is a hole between the oral cavity and the nasal cavity, full of infection). We  hoped he was on the road to recovery.  But he still would not eat, and he could not afford to lose any weight. We tried everything we could think of – scrambled eggs,  chicken (in tiny pieces) and rice, baby food,  special dog food.

So off we went to in internist. An ultrasound revealed a mass on his right kidney that is probably cancer and nodules on his liver that may or may not be cancer. At this point both his liver and kidneys seem to be working well,  so we will just watch and see what develops. The big news was a small foriegn object lodged between his stomach and small intestine. We went back and they were able to endoscopically remove a small triangular piece of hard plastic, about 1/2 inch on each side.  Once we got home he started eating.

Now he’s eating and gaining weight and getting stronger.  His personality is emerging and I’ve learned he is not a morning dog,  he dances when it’s time for a walk.  He grabs the leash in his mouth as if to walk himself.

He loves to sunbathe, take sniffy walks and run. We’ll deal with the cancer when the time comes, but for now we’re calling it a win and are very grateful to Old Dog Haven for getting our boy the vet care he so badly needed!

Update:  He was here for a little less than 5 months, but he touched me and his friends in a very special way. People who met him were immediately entranced. Even people who only knew him on Facebook were drawn to him.

Travis was on borrowed time when he arrived, emaciated with heart problems and a mouth full of infection and rotten teeth. Then there was the foreign object in his stomach and the tumor on his kidney and nodules on his liver and the issues with his back and a growth on his leg. In spite of it all he was a fighter.

Until the last few days when it got to be just too much for his frail little body. We stopped at Starbucks for a puppaccino and McDonald’s for cheeseburgers on the way to the vet where he passed peacefully in the arms of his foster mom.