Two weeks ago a friend was over giving Dillan the rubs he so enjoys when she noticed that his lymph nodes felt enlarged under his ears. Now that she had pointed it out, we could tell that they were swollen, so I called the vet and got him in the next day. Turns out the years of neglecting his teeth had resulted in an infection in his mouth - which should have explained the enlarged lymphs. Just fighting an infection. But the vet wanted to sample it anyway.
Over the next week we noticed Dillan's energy levels sinking. He wasn't jumping up and down with excitement when we grabbed his leash. he wasn't begin for pets as much. He spent more time in the floor than in his beloved chair or on the couch. In the words of our neighbor, "he's not quite himself."
We got the official news on Friday afternoon. Dillan has lymphoma and in multiple nodes meaning at least stage 3. Over the course of the weekend he developed edema of his back legs and a large bruise on his whole stomach. He's declining quickly. He even surprised our vet today when we brought him in. I would guess it's definitely stage 4 now and possibly 5.
We're keeping him comfortable and giving him lots of pets and rubs. He's such a good dog. I know he's not a person. But he is special. We appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers as we prepare to say goodbye to our much loved boof.
I am so sorry to hear this news! I will definitely pray for your family.
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