Just ten days ago, street feeders in Cleveland, Texas had spotted a dog with a huge mass on his face eating cat food that had been left out on a nearby resident’s porch. Drops of blood had been left behind on the porch, and ThisIsHouston stepped up to help and sent out an envoy of volunteers to find the dog.
His name is Bear, and a few days after he was captured and evaluated by a team of veterinarian surgeons, Bear underwent surgery to remove his enormous tumor. The mass was not cancer, but a necrotic abscess, likely the result of a recent bullet wound. The dog had been shot in the neck with the entry wound to the right side of his face. The bullet traveled through his neck and became lodged on the left side. An infection from the wound caused the mass or at least part of the swelling and the infection.
And as if being an unwanted stray for eight years, an enormous tumor on the side of his face weighing 3.5 pounds weighing his head down to the side and subsequently having been shot, wasn’t enough of a challenge for any dog to overcome, add to that being diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). Basically, his diagnosis meant his heart is was weak, and the muscles had stretched out resulting in right-sided heart failure.
And there’s more; Bear has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, and although his time is limited, everything is being done to prolong his life as long as Bear wants to fight. Yes, life in tough, but according to Bear’s advocates and caretakers, he is tougher.
Today on Day 12 with Bear, he is starting chemo.
He’s been doing extremely well – he has a great appetite, he’s quickly learning to walk on a leash, he seeks affection and loves belly rubs, and he’s wagging his tail more and more every day.
They did a FAST scan of his abdomen this morning after we dropped him off and didn’t find any free fluid. Bear had an Elspar injection on Wednesday to kick off treatment for his Lymphoma. So this is fairly good news. He’s getting the CHOP treatment which will be about 19 weeks long.
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We will keep everyone posted and keep hoping for the absolute best for Bear.
Read previous coverage here.
To donate to Bear’s care:
Paypal.me/ThisIsHoustonTX
Venmo @ThisIsHoustonCash App $ThisIsHoustonthis-is-houston.org/ways-to-help/donate/
Checks: PO Box 2821, Houston TX 77252
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