We had to put old, blind Frasier to sleep today. This elderly fellow had come to us just about a year ago from a shelter in Illinois. We knew he had heartworms when we had agreed to take him. Only after he arrived did we learn he was also in right-sided heart failure. And there was more. Frasier had pulmonary hytertension, ascites (fluid build-up in the abdomen), and allergic airway disease. If all that wasn't bad enough, he had a yeast infection that made his skin and hair oily and stinky. He was, as we described him then, a medical disaster. The least of his problems was his blindness!
With excellent medical care, we went to work on this old boy. We restored his heart and pulmonary functions to safe levels (although he remained on multiple heart medications right up to the end), eliminated the fluid build-up, got the allergic airway disease into remission, and successfully treated him for heartworms, too. We were still treating the yeast infection when Frasier suddenly started to go downhill in the last few weeks. He began losing weight, seemed listless, just didn't look right.
We took him back to our specialist for another examination last week. On ultrasound we found he had developed a thyroid tumor AND a giant spleen tumor. The thyroid tumor had engulfed the carotid artery that supplies his brain with blood and two major nerves. Surgery to remove the thyroid tumor alone would be very tricky and full of risks for an old dog like Frasier with his history of medical problems. As for the spleen tumor, we wouldn't even know how far the cancer had spread until we opened him up. We might find it was already too late.
There was no point in doing only one of the surgeries. We'd have to do both. After consulting at length with our specialist about the risks and likely outcomes, we decided not to put Frasier through this.
It turned out that nature had already taken its course anyway. In the past couple of days Frasier had begun shutting down. He stopped eating. No amount of cat food or other usual 'lick-the-bowl-clean' yummy stuff could entice him to eat more than a tablespoon or two. He lost all interest in anything. Yesterday we decided the time had come. I took the photo of Frasier this morning, before we loaded him in the truck for the last ride to town. Sadly, this is how he had looked for the past couple of weeks.
We had brought Frasier through a lot in the year he was here, and we know he enjoyed his time just hanging out being an old dog. We're glad we could give him that. Bless his heart.
That old boy knew how much he was loved and cared for.
Posted by: Karen SA/TX | September 26, 2005 at 06:08 PM
Please remember that Frasier has crossed the Rainbow Bridge but still looks back on the love and care you both have given him. God and St. Francis have a special place for the two of you! I read the stories about your loved ones to my five critters and they also appreciate what you are doing!
Posted by: Sandi Hoffman | September 26, 2005 at 04:59 PM
Good bye sweet boy. I'm so glad Frasier was loved and got the medical care he needed. Thank you, Steve and Alayne, for the tireless work you do to help the beloved animals at the ranch.
Posted by: Roz | September 24, 2005 at 06:39 AM
I am sad to read about Frasier. Thank you for taking such good care of him for the past year. The year you gave him was very special.
Posted by: Leigh | September 24, 2005 at 03:10 AM
I am very sorry to hear about Frasier. So often tears come to my tears and there's a lump in my throat reading about the animals at Rolling Dog Ranch. But there is also a feeling of supreme gratitude and relief that I feel that you at the Ranch have such amazingly big hearts to give these animals the chance to be happy that they deserve. Thank you so much for the work that you do. Bless you, Frasier.
Posted by: Carrie | September 24, 2005 at 12:32 AM