[Dailydrool] Wyatt Update

[stevebarlow4 at verizon.net]

Well, I saw the X-Ray, his bone, femur and tibia.. specifically the femur above the knee is beat eaten away by a tumor.  That's causing his pain. Because he's a basset, that's a thick bone, so she doesn't THINK it will break.

She said that I have two options.

- Quality of life, this is a class 4 agressive cancer... very agressive.  Pump him with pain killers and anti-infmamatories until he tells me it's time to go.  Then I can give him belly rubs as he goes to sleep.

- Aputate the leg at the hip(because half the femur is affected).  This is a major surgury that WILL remove the pain, but also take away his ability to walk. He would have to have weeks of recovery and a doggie wheelchair.  If he handled is well, and the cancer has not spread, he could have a few more years of life.

Remember, he's 11...   he can't get by on three legs... he's proving that right now.. he'll be cart bound. 

So.. what would you all do? It's hard... it tears me apart to put him to sleep while he's so healthy in the top half of the body! But surgury means that will never walk again, and may never fully recover..  at best it's a doggie wheelchair, at worse, it's worst than he is now.  

What's the humane thing to do with the best friend you've ever had?

Steve, Clover and Wyatt