OT: I need your prayers on this day UPDATED #3 (Hunny is home)

Submitted by Crime Reporter on

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.

jdib

December 25th, 2012 at 6:41 PM ^

It's amazing how pets become our family members and we treat them as close and bond nearly as much as a child of our own. Prayers to you and Hunny. Keep your head up and stay positive for your wife and your Hunny!

WMUgoblue

December 25th, 2012 at 6:12 PM ^

Absolutely will do. Make sure to keep your head up and think of all the good memories she gave you if things don't end well. Dogs truly are man's best friend, and anybody who's ever had to put one down knows the pain that follows. I hope she ends up ok, and you have a merry Christmas.

exmtroj

December 25th, 2012 at 6:16 PM ^

Thankfully there were such dedicated veterinary professionals on duty on Christmas day. Keep us updated on Hunny's status, you guys will defintely be in my thoughts tonight.

BIGWEENIE

December 25th, 2012 at 6:32 PM ^

We rescue weeniedogs and have had plenty that it didnt look good for. One thing with dogs they are much tougher than you think. We picked one up in Detriot this summer and we knew it was a tough road with him but he had prime rib tonight and is doing great. We have had 3 that we payed for back surgery for all, did fine. 1 spent a week in Lansing at MSU and did fine. I know we will be pulling for you as there is NO better friend than a dog.Give Hunny a big hug.

tzwolverine

December 25th, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^

Will say a prayer for you and for Hunny. As you can see by the photo with my post, I have two little guys that are my "boys". Have faith and hope things get better

victors2000

December 25th, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^

Just as I started reading your entry one of my cats, Mowgli, noticed me on the laptop and came and jumped into my lap. He's currently there, paws on my hands as I type away. Yep, pets are certainly family; hopefully the Lord sees fit to bring Hunny back to health. Said a little something for you and the missus as well. :)

MGoAndy

December 25th, 2012 at 7:25 PM ^

Really pulling for your family and Hunny. Just had a cat make a big recovery from illness - hope your Hunny can do the same!

Twin Cities Wo…

December 25th, 2012 at 7:27 PM ^

aout 3 years ago.  My wife woke me up to tell me our 9 year old german shepherd was limping really bad.  We took her in to the emergency vet and was told they coiuld put her down or we could take her home and let her die peacefully with her family.  We decided to take her home and hope for the best.  I stayed with her every waking hour for the next week.  I came home early from work to check on her to find that she passed.

I feel your pain.  Prayers are on the way.

SmackJack

December 25th, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^

I had a jack russell terrier named Chauncey that I had to put down a few days after my 21st birthday this August. If ever there was the definition of "a boy and his dog", it was Chauncey and I.

He survived a tangle with a SAAB convertible, and many yard moles. At the end of the day he was 12 and totally blind, partially deaf and had a benign tumor on his side though. I was mostly away at school and my parents thought it best. I asked my mom for that last summer up to my birthday with him.

I had time to prepare but couldn't bring myself to go the day of his appointment. I went golfing with my friend and my little sister accompanied my mom. I shot terrible because I smoked and drank myself dumb. This was my first Christmas since ten years old without Chauncey. Cheers to Chauncey and all loving dogs like him! My prayers go out to Hunny. I have faith she'll make it through..

goblueva

December 25th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^

I lost my dog and best friend back in February after a post op infection became very bad. We were pals for 11 years. I will keep you and wife and dog in my thoughts tonight. Best of luck!

ILMichFan70

December 25th, 2012 at 7:37 PM ^

Our dog is our life too. We would do the same thing by opting for surgery with the hope that it would get rid of the tumor and help our dog to get back to normal. I hope the news is good and hunny makes a full recovery. My prayers are with you.



Merry Christmas!

GoBlueGoWings

December 25th, 2012 at 7:48 PM ^

to say goodbye to my dog in August after 10 years. The worst thing I had to do.

There is no better felling then when an animal is happy to see you at the door.

Go Hunny Go 

 

weasel3216

December 25th, 2012 at 7:47 PM ^

I will keep your family and Hunny in my thoughts tonight and this week. It is crazy how much pets become a part of the family. It is so gut wrenching anytime a pet is hurt or sick. Again good luck and stay strong.

Cromulent

December 25th, 2012 at 7:51 PM ^

Best wishes and prayers for Hunny.

Please allow me to be a bit impertinent and offer some advice for your dog-loving future. Maybe you've done this but I'm sure some doglovers here have not.

Feed your dog a species appropriate diet. He'll thank you for it.

Our first dog was a black lab/shepherd/golden mix we named Goliath. Name fit. Thing was a beast. One day when he was 4 I took him out to a local field popular with dogs. Met a nice lady with a pair of dogs. One a pup. The other one was older. She asked me to guess how old it was - a black lab mix. He had some grey around the mouth but a slim and tight frame. The former factor said old, the latter said young. I split the difference and guessed 6.

He was 10. This dog was darned athletic for a 10-year old. I asked her secret. She said "a BARF diet". BARF = bones and raw food. You can look up the basics; I won't cover that here. I told my wife about it when we got home. I wanted to try it; she didn't, I didn't trust myself to do it right. So it passed though I never forgot it.

Fast forward to spring 2009. Goliath isn't doing well. Wife organizes what she thinks is his last trip to the vet. I don't think he's doing quite that badly just yet. Doc agrees with me. Says he will give big G a cortisone shot and "we'll see" in 2-3 months. I lie to myself and say we'll just get another shot then.

In the meantime I changed G's diet. To a BARF diet. No sense pussyfooting around now. I'll make it a shorter story and just tell you that we had G for another 7 months. In that time he lost 17 pounds and a number of his symptoms from the spring disappeared. Most notably his increasing glaucoma which reversed completely. Vet was genuinely suprised to see him; he'd assumed G had passed months ago. I couldn't postpone the Reaper permanently but thanks to BARF he was delayed for a good long while. And after a month of BARF he was even jumping on beds again.

On that last day - December 1, 2009 - I made a promise that I would not make the same mistake with our next dog. He'd get an appropriate diet from day 1. Goliath died earlier then he had too and it was completely my fault. I'm not making the same mistake twice.

We went all of 6 days without a dog. Murphy will be 4 in May; a purebred Golden. The previous owner already fed him an appropriate diet which I considered a nice bonus. I wish I could say that he's perfect thanks to BARF. Thing is Murphy is the product of one heckuva genetic legacy. BARF's true benefits will be seen only as he gets older.

But I can tell you the benefits you get right away: less poop, tighter poop, less smelly poop, less water consumption, sweet, sweet puppy breath long after he's past the puppy stage. The vet will never tell you your dog could stand to lose a few. I'd need a control for this but I'd wager the temperament improves. If you think your dog likes dinner time now, just wait till you start feeding him raw meat. You may find yourself admiring your dog's carnivourous capabilities. My son & I used to time Goliath with a stopwatch. Its never too early to teach a young boy how to make a line on a sporting event.

Anyway, pardon the ramble. Prayers for Hunny.

 

Young John Beilein

December 26th, 2012 at 3:59 PM ^

Probably stating the obvious here, but changing Hunny's diet at this point to anything other than a critical care diet prescribed by the vet could be disastrous. Raw diets can be a source of parasite infection and anything other than a trial-tested formulation may be deficient in essential nutrients (particularly important for growing dogs).  Having said that, they can be done properly, and like you say, the dogs might love the taste and be happier on the home-made diet.

Vets will frequently tell owners that pets can stand to lose a few pounds.  Obesity in dogs is a leading cause of degenerative joint disease and diabetes.  

To the OP, I hope the pathology report comes back with good news.  Prayers for your pooch.

Cromulent

December 27th, 2012 at 12:51 AM ^

Yes, obviously a dog in Hunny's situation may need something different for awhile.

But BARF is a trial-tested diet. Ever hear of evolution? I loves me some evolution.

My dog gets his some of his raw meat gently cooked for a short period of time to deal with the shortcomings of our industrialized food supply. For example a chicken thigh gets about 45 seconds per side in over medium heat.

For smaller dogs you might want to pre-prep things a bit. I've heard of some owners using an industrial blender to pre-grind some cuts.

But as I said I didn't think this was the time nor the place to get into specifics. And then you criticize me for not going into specifics. Thanks much.

gotohail

December 25th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^

I have two dachshunds and a golden and if something would ever happen to them I'd freak out. I completely understand what you are going thought and I really really hope it works out :)

JeepinBen

December 25th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^

my dog maize spent 3 nights in the hospital earlier this year. dogs are great, they're fighters, and they know that they're being helped. visit as much as you can, bring her toys and things that smell like you (I left maize a t shirt) and be prepared for a long recovery.
best of luck.

Eyebrowse

December 25th, 2012 at 8:48 PM ^

Thoughts for you and your family.  I can't imagine losing our coonhound, she's the only thing that's gotten us through the toughest year of our lives.  I'm hoping for the best for Hunny.

champswest

December 25th, 2012 at 9:02 PM ^

but we have 2 dogs (see avatar) and they are as much a part of the family as we are. In fact, our lives revolve around them and their needs. They get 2 walks a day, healthy food, daily morning play time and they sleep in our bed. I have been through emergency surgery, 18 months of chemo (previous dogs) and the inevitable day of decision of putting them down. I don't regret any of the hard times, as they are more than worth it. Dogs give way more than they ever get.

Good luck with Hunny. My boys and I will be pulling for you both

BILG

December 25th, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^

When their basic needs are met, they have one function in life, to give love.  Hopefully Hunny has many more years to share hers with you.