Name: Boomer
Gender: Male
Estimated Date of Birth: 11/22/05
Size: 53 lbs
Color: Red and white
At 84 years old I don't even know how I ended up at the shelter, but I'm glad to have made it out of there alive. The first thing I did when I got to my foster home was a little 'happy dance' for being free. I've had a couple of baths and I smell/feel so much better, that once I have dinner, I'm going to just crash out....
Hi everyone, I'm definitely feeling better and enjoying the good life. I met a bunch of great people at the vet office and got lots of love and attention. My heart, lungs and blood work all look great. My teeth are in bad shape and I may need to have some dental work in the future, but we're waiting to see how the biopsies go. You see I have a couple of lumps on my back so they took samples of and my foster mom said we should know more soon! Now, back home to my comfy couch!
November 29, 2017
I'm back and feeling better every day. After a long chat with my vet and foster family we have a plan for my medical rehabilitation. Of the three tumors that were tested I do have one cancerous mass cell tumor. The tumor near my right shoulder came back as a mass cell (cancerous) tumor while the tumor closest to my tail is just a fatty tumor and doesn't require treatment. The big gross tumor that is hanging off my left side (and is bleeding) is not cancerous. It's just a skin tag, but since I'm already going in for surgery we are going to take it off.
Mass cell, cancerous, tumor, will be removed
Skin tag, non-cancerous, but will be removed
Fatty tumor, non-cancerous, will not be removed
Since my mass cell tumor is so large, the vet is estimating my incision will be approximately 6 inches in order for her to take the appropriate margins around the tumor. That's a large incision! My foster mom said she will be watching me closely and is ready to do warm compresses to help me feel better. I don't know what a warm compress is but it sounds soothing! My foster mom said that Casa del Toro just had one of these surgeries for an alumnus, Luna, and knows what to expect. Once I have recuperated from the tumor surgery we will discuss my next two surgeries - dental work and neuter. We're going to combine those surgeries so that I only have to go under one more time.
I've had such a hard time for so long that Casa del Toro seems like a dream. My surgery to remove the cancerous tumor is scheduled for Tuesday, December 5th.
Donate to my Surgery Fund Now!
Thanks to everyone that has helped me so far. Learn more about mass cell tumors in dogs. Good news everyone! My mass cell tumor came back low-grade and with good margins. That means that they got all of the cancer and it is not likely to return. I'm healing up nicely!
December 16, 2017
I got my stitches out today. Luckily the whole 'procedure' was a piece of cake. I basically took a day trip, got a lot of lovin' from the ladies at the vet office and got these pesky, pulling stitches out. The drawback? I'm too thick through my shoulders and pulled my incision open. So I have to endure the cone of shame while my foster mom runs to the store to purchase bandage supplies. The hardest part? She tells me I can't scratch or roll on my back until after Monday! Well, we will see about that.
Sutures out
Close-up
December 17, 2017
So far so good everyone! My foster mom has wrapped me and put a shirt on and that's helping my incision site. I can't wait to roll around on my back all day long!
December 21, 2017
I think I'm going to the vet today and by the look on my foster mom's face I don't think I'm going to like it. I heard her say 'neuter' and since I don't know what that means I googled it while she was gone. I just have to say, she's right I don't like it! I like my balls. We've been together for 12 years and I don't see why I need to be separated from them now. But when I told my foster mom that she said I won't even notice when they're gone and that a healthy dog is a neutered dog. The vet at VCA Beech Grove is also going to extract some of my broken teeth so that should help me feel better when I eat too so I'm ready.
So far we've raised $790 of my $1,000 fundraising goal. Please take a minute to share my story and donate today! 100% of the funds Casa del Toro receives from my fundraising campaign goes directly towards my vet bills.
I'm out of surgery and boy am I groggy. In addition to being neutered today I had dental work done too. So I hurt on both ends!!!! They had to extract 8 teeth that were loose and my right top canine tooth needs to be extracted, but they couldn't get it out. Apparently my tooth has fused to my jaw bone so even though it's gross and needs extracted I'm keeping that tooth. I have three other fractured teeth, but the vet didn't want to continue with extractions if my canine tooth is staying. After all, if the worst tooth in my head is staying why remove the others if they're not causing me trouble.
The good news is that once I'm fully healed from these surgeries I'm ready to go home to my forever family. I can't wait. I love my foster family, but I can't wait to have a family of my own!