PUPdate!
Wowzers… So, my last Dogmommin update was in April huh? This might get long… I’ll do my best to be succinct and fill ya’ll in on what’s been going on with these sweet little canine children of mine.
So, my last Pupdate let ya’ll know that we’d been dealing with some pretty scary stomach problems. It was honestly so scary and it was so difficult to get good veterinary help that it really forced me to face the inevitable fact that I could lose one or both of my babies at any time and all the days I have left with them should be spent thoughtfully.
I was all set to start sharing my senior dog’s happy ol’ retirement days in this blog series…I can’t even believe what more has transpired since April.
After working super hard to get the studio remodel wrapped up and re-opened in May, we’d been looking so forward to a little family road trip through Yellowstone and Wyoming.
Here’s some photos from our trip, we had such an amazing time just being together and exploring new places & things.
During our travels, we started getting concerned about the lump on Bogie’s leg.
I’d had cytology done on it at the end of 2020, which came back with an inconclusive result. Not wanting to sedate my old dog to biopsy a lump (amongst so many other lumps, dude’s a lumpy king) that wasn’t bothering him or causing him any discomfort at that time, I decided to leave things alone. It stayed the same size for a while and caused him no issue; But then, the lump started to grow and by the end of May, it began to ulcerate and ruptured through his skin (yes it was gross, yes it caused him discomfort, yes I have photos- if you want to see them).
When I tell you that I called and called and called and called veterinary offices, chasing referrals and specialists trying to get someone to see him… it was awful. Most of the places I called weren’t accepting new patients, didn’t have any availability for at least a month (usually closer to 2), or didn’t have anyone on staff who would attempt “that kind of surgery”. It was a really horrible, somewhat traumatic period in our household. I cried and behaved in ways that I am not proud of, to people on the phone just doing their job. I was truly at the end of my wits when I finally got in touch with Dr. Dammeyer. I am so grateful to him, he promptly and kindly told me the new cytology results from another clinic that had hurried me through and left me waiting. He informed me that Bogie’s lump was in-fact cancerous and would likely only be able to be removed by amputating his leg. He didn’t even charge me for the visit.
I was directed first, to what ended up being a rude, shitty clinic in Tacoma where I made an appointment for a surgery consultation (a month and a half out) and kept at my job of keeping the bleeding lump clean, wrapped, and un-chewed by 2 dogs who absolutely thought that they could take care of it themselves until then. My house smelled like rotting, bleeding, cancerous tissue for over a month. To say it was challenging for my normally queasy stomach, is a bit of an understatement. I diligently cleaned and changed the bandage myself 3x/day and proudly kept infection away from my poor dude. He was already dealing with so much, so stoically.
Such a good boy. For a month and a half we waited for that appointment and poor Bogie had to live in a cone to prevent him ripping the bandage off immediately and bleeding all over the house. Dogs get depressed too ya’ll.
The night before the consultation, the clinic called me to cancel.
The next day I collected myself and called them back to reschedule ASAP and was placed on hold, bounced from employee to employee, snapped at and generally treated like an annoying burden for over 20 minutes. I decided not to entrust my old man’s care to that clinic and called Dr. Dammeyer’s office back to see if they could give me any other recommendations. They told me to try Dr. Adams at Poulsbo Animal Clinic.
When Cheyanne answered the phone that day, she was like a ray of sunshine in a cloudy-ass month. She got me scheduled right away for a consultation. Honestly, I feel like I could write a whole other blog post about my gratitude for Poulsbo Animal Clinic (and maybe I will), but I promised you I would try to keep this short and we have 7 months worth of crazy shit to get caught up on.
Dr. Adams did everything he could and talked me through every step and decision he was making about Bogie’s surgery. We really wanted to try to save the leg so Bogie wouldn’t have to struggle so hard in his old days, but ultimately that was not the outcome. His amputation was July 9, 2021.
We’ve been working hard at his rehabilitation, as a new member of the tripawed gang (he’s doing so great!!); and i’m working hard to pay back his medical costs, sadly at this point in the story, i’m not even done accumulating those bills.
Bogie had to have one more small operation in August to remove a couple little tumors on his head that had began to grow (they were benign, he’s a healthy, cancer-free boy now). To top the year off, i’m sad to say we’ve now been having some medical issues with June as well (probably/hopefully not life threatening). She’s been having day/night reversal symptoms which has been keeping her awake and extremely anxious all night for the last couple of months. We’re doing everything we can to get her feeling more herself but so far, nothing has really helped. Tonight, we’re trying reiki… I’ll let y’all know the outcome *fingers crossed
I’m so tired ya’ll.
The frustrating irony of the situation i’ve found myself in this year is that so much of these medical emergencies have come into our lives as a direct result of the toxic, unhealthy and unsanitary (not to mention annoying af) apartment complex conditions where we’re currently living (that’s a whole different conversation for another day…).
I desperately want to get us out of here but… I just spent everything I had saved for a home down payment on vet bills. I’m SO grateful it was available for me to do so, but like… damn.
I’ve been tired, stressed, busy, depressed and isolated since finding out about Bogie’s cancer and for right now, we’re stuck living in an environment that we are being grossly overcharged for and is making us sick.
Please keep us in your good thoughts and if you know of any available short-term housing rentals or pre-market sales that might be suitable for us, please get in touch. We’re working really hard to get to where we want to be, cause it sure ain’t this place.
As always, doing my best, holding out hope and feeling… exhausted.
Sending out so much love friends, thanks for reading.
Look for some changes to the website in the form of some new Member’s Only content… I got mad bills y'all.
-Alicia