...for little Sams!
Some of you know and some of you may not know that my beloved sidekick and roadtrip companion Sam has been struggling with a mysterious illness for months now. About 8 months ago, he started getting bloody noses. In January, they got much worse, and I took him to the vet. He has seen three different doctors and been on two or three different medications since then, and although for a while things were looking better, this week he started bleeding pretty heavily again and couldn't stop. After all the treatments that had been tried, all the indicators pointed to the probability of a nasal tumor, something that he would not survive. I don't believe in giving chemo or radiation to dogs since in the case of a nasal tumor it would not be a cure, but just a measure to add a few months to his life. The next step was a ludicrously expensive CT scan of his head, which he went in for yesterday. The chances of it being anything minor at this point were so slim that I was convinced I'd be having him put down today. At ten-ish years old, he seemed much too young still to be losing him, and I was, as you can imagine, devastated.
Imagine my UTTER amazement last night when the surgeon called with the news that there was no cancer, and no bone-eating fungal infection. The CT scan was clear. The probability is that Sam (an inveterate digger and sniffer of all things, appropriate and otherwise) got some splinters or plant matter lodged in his nasal tissue, which created a wound that couldn't heal. His sinuses have been flushed with saline, and he's coming home today!!
I am so incredibly happy that I put together a little photo montage of the Sam for your (and my) viewing enjoyment:
Sam cooling off in a glacier.
Sam and Max in roadtrip mode.
Tiptoeing through the flowers in Steamboat Springs.
Nearing the summit (and not even breathing hard) on La Plata Peak, one of Colorado's "fourteeners".
Chillin' in the snow above 13,000 feet.
In the daisies, Vail.
This is Sam telling his mommy how happy he is that they're hiking together.
On Mosquito Pass, near Leadville (much more pleasant than it sounds!)
Looking for pikas in a rock field at 11,000 feet.
With mommy in Moab.
I heart my dog.
11 comments:
now THATS a dog!
H
HOORAY for Sam! What a sweet dog! Great photos, too. I thought of you yesterday when browsing the archives of the Growing Snowflowers blog and came across a photo of trick-or-treaters dressed as Pippi!
Have a great weekend!
I love the one of Sam and the daisies in Vail!!! That deserves a frame!!! :)
xo
Oh Sam in the daisies just melted my heart :) What a sweet boy, and I'm so glad he doesn't have cancer!
That last picture just got to me. Hooray that Sam is OK!!!!
I know how hard it is to lose a pet, and how faithful a friend they are. What a blessing that he does not have anything serious.
And I agree about the daisies photo...that should be on one of your awesome *S* digital pages!
Please give Sam an extra big hug today from Kerri and Pookie the Superhero's sidekick.
Yay for Sam! I'm glad you've been able to rule out some bad outcomes and he's cancer free. He's a very photogenic boy.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND SAM!!!!!!!!!! I KNOW HOW MUCH HE MEANS TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The scan was not a waste of money but an investment. You now have no worries and your beloved pet for years to come.
I am so happy that he is well. Beautiful pics.
Keep smilin!
G-d I am so glad Sam is ok. What a little cutie. Animals are the salt of the earth.....hugs to you sweetie.
cool! This is a good day! I am so happy to hear this great news! Gorgeous photos of your sweet, sweet sam!
Stacie
Oh my gosh, what a blessing your little guy is okay! Whew... I am sur you are SO happy!! I lost a Boxer when he was 4 to a brain tumor, it's so sad when a dog dies before their time! Glad to hear Sam's got a lot more digging and romping to do :)
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