Scary News

It’s been a difficult day around here. Many of you know that Bacchus has been acting strangely for a while. He has been throwing up a lot, and has lost a lot of weight. Today we learned that he has a massive tumor blocking his intestines, and appears to have a cancerous development in his lymph nodes. As of today, he is down to 61 pounds, from his normal weight of 85 pounds.

The surgeon at the local animal hospital believes there is a chance that they can remove the tumor. They will then do a biopsy to find out exactly what are dealing with. We’re expecting to have some chemotherapy after he recovers from surgery. We have an appointment for the procedure Monday morning. We won’t know much until at least Monday night or Tuesday.

An indication of the criticality of his condition is that the vet wasn’t sure he would be a candidate for surgery if his condition worsened over the next few days. She put him on some special canned food to try help get some sustenance in his system. They won’t operate if he loses much more weight. He is also receiving periodic IV’s to keep him hydrated through the weekend.

In the mean time, the comforting thing is that he doesn’t seem to be in pain. He has a lot of noise coming from his gut, and he obviously has some discomfort, but he still shows flashes of his characteristic joie de vivre. He is also still trying to eat and drink. Even though he might not be able to keep it down, we’re taking the desire as a good sign.

As you might imagine, we’re going to be on pins and needles this weekend. Anyone who knows us knows just how big a part of our family Bacchus has been for the last 8 1/2 years. He’s getting up there in years, but he’s far too young to let go just yet. Sure, he’s a little more lethargic than normal, but he hasn’t given up – and neither have we. We’d appreciate it if you’ll keep him in your prayers over the next few days.