Because Good Things Should Happen To Good Dogs

Things have been pretty stressful out here on The Ponderosa over the last few days.  My Lovely Wife noticed a nasty looking purple growth on the belly of our dear dog Abby on Thursday afternoon.  She made a call in to the vet who had her in for a look the very next morning.  He got her in for surgery the following Monday (today), saying that he would have operated that day on her if he possibly could have.

Now, a nasty looking purple growth is not something you want to see on your dog's belly.  My Lovely Wife and I reasoned that it was probably just a hernia from where she had been spayed.  That or some harmless fat lump.  The vet didn't think so.  It didn't feel like a hernia and it didn't feel like a fat lump.  The purple color was cause for concern.  The vet didn't actually know what it was, but he knew it had to come out.  My Lovely Wife and I did not question this course of action for a second.

We spent the weekend thinking positive thoughts.  Abby was acting her usual self and didn't seem overly sensitive in the area.  We focused on all the things it could be that were not bad rather than the things it could be that were bad.

Abby went in to the vet at 8:00 am this morning. We got a call around 12:30 pm that she was just coming out of the anesthetic.  My Lovely Wife picked her up from the vet around 3:00 pm. This picture was taken around 6:00 pm.  Apparently, it is going to take more than a nectarine-sized growth removed from her belly this morning to keep a good dog like Abby down for long.

Not Every Dog Can Rock A Pink Pressure Bandage Like This

I came home from work today to see My Lovely Wife and Abby waiting outside for me.  The sight of her standing there brought tears to my eyes.  I had been dreading a call from the vet that the news was very bad and there was nothing they could do.  To see Abby standing there almost as if nothing had happened was huge.

We are very relieved and very happy to have Abby back home, but we're not out of the woods yet.  The vet said that he was able to remove all of the growth, but he is uncertain as to what the growth actually was.  He has sent it off for analysis and hopefully we will hear some good news back soon.  All we can do in the meantime is help Abby along with her recovery and keep thinking positive thoughts.

The vet did warn us to feed her sparingly because she wouldn't be able to keep it down.  But they don't know Abby.   After nibbling on some soft food and having a bit of chicken breast, she's just finished chowing down on some of her usual kibble with no evidence of ill effect.  All this while the anesthetic and painkillers continue to course through her veins.  If I were to only look at the front half of her, I wouldn't know that she was on the wrong end of a scalpel only hours before.  Her eyes are clear and her expression is normal.  The only giveaway is the head-bob now and then that suggests that she is actually exhausted.

It is only fair that the growth turns out to be nothing.  Abby deserves a break, because good things should happen to good dogs.

P.S.  Click here for more on Abby's (mis)adventures in the years she's been with us.  You're sure to get a chuckle or two out of it, and I'm sure you'll agree that "The Pup" is indeed awesome.