It has been a very difficult Christmas day for the wife and myself. Normally, I would never post this here, but I needed an outlet.
Last night, when we returned from church, our dog, Hunny, our 5-year-old Baenji, did not meet us at the door like normal. Something was wrong. We didn't think too much of it and put her in the bed with us, although we were concerned.
This morning, she did not have the strength to stand so I took her to the emergency clinic.
Long story short, the doctor discovered that Hunny has a softball-sized tumor in her spleen and she was bleeding internally. We elected to spend the money for surgery because the dog is our child.
We are not out of the woods yet but Hunny came out of surgery in the past hour and is recovering. However, there were complications and the chances that the tumor is benign is less than 30 percent.
So, I need your prayers. I have cried on end today and I dread what may come. I have put down too many "family members" but this one would hit the hardest. We do not have any kids yet and Hunny - if you met her - has a very unique personality.
I'm scared.
UPDATE 1: We just returned from the animal hospital and Hunny is fighting. She wagged her tail as we came back to see her and was able to walk on her own power (she couldn't move this morning). We left her her Christmas toy bear.
The doctor said the surgery went very well considering 600ml of blood spilled out of her when they opened her for surgery. The tumor was already split in half so they had to act fast. Good news is her blood levels are holding and her heartbeat issues from earlier seem better. Tonight will be the big test.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I cannot tell you how much it means.
UPDATE 2: Hunny made it through the night without problems and her condition has been upgraded to stable. We took her from the emrgency clinic to our regular vet today for continued monitoring.
I can say Hunny was her normal self this morning, as she was able to get in and out of the car without too much problems and she looked really good considering the significance of the surgery.
Her blood levels have steadied and she should be able to return home this afternoon. The vet is sending the spleen sample out to determine if the tumor is malignent. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Again, I can't thank you guys enough for your kind words and prayers. Your words have provided much comfort in dark times. God bless.
UPDATE 3 (Thursday): She is home!
We brought Hunny home late Wednesday. It was a great reunion. My Husky, Dakota, was very happy to see her. The night had some hiccups but all seems well.
Took her back to the vet early Thursday for more blood work and it appears her levels have not decreased despite being off fluids. This is obviously great because a transfusion could be a risky venture.
The vet sent the tumor to confirm whether it is benign. At this point, she is resting comfortably at home. Her appetite is good all things considered and she has some of that pep back in her walk. I will keep you guys informed. Thanks again.
Say a prayer for hunny tonight before bed. I don't care what anyone says. Animals are a part of your family. Keep us posted.
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