And This One....

...has been a part of our family for over ten years. Longer than Ava. This is Mahalia Jackson, our Shih Tzu. We're not over-the-top pet owners. Well, I mean no offense to anyone who considers their pets their Furry Babies, I just mean we've always known that our pets enhance our family, but are not PART of our family, in that PETA kind of way.

That's why we decided, a year and a half ago, that we were not going to intervene when growths started appearing along her mammaries. We were reassured that she was in no pain, but we've been waiting for that shoe to drop ever since - about 18 months.

Over Easter weekend, we saw some alarming symptoms which made us think the time had come. We were sad all Easter day and dreading the trip I'd make with the pup to the vet first thing Monday morning. Before the kids went to school on Monday, I encouraged them to give her extra loving, since I anticipated that it would be goodbye. Brooks petted and sighed heavily. Sophia refused to pet or even look at the dog, until right before she walked out the door, sobbing. Ava was nonstop tears, interspersed with flinging herself down to Mahalia's bed where she could hug her.

I cried for my kids.

Lo and behold the vet told us that her symptoms were unrelated to the presumed Doggie Breast Cancer. It was the result of an infected uterus, which led to alarming blood work and significant blood loss. Somehow we ultimately decided that surgery was a good investment for our family. They removed the infected uterus and did a lumpectomy to do a biopsy.

All is going well. I even got a call from the vet yesterday to say that the results of the biopsy came back and the lumps are benign! It makes us feel better about the investment in her health. We're not waiting for the cancer shoe to drop anymore. She's not a pup anymore, but she likely has many more years of good health ahead of her.

"First you take my uterus, then you take my dignity." - Mahalia the Dog