Sweet Oliver has gained almost 10 pounds since we rescued him. He is still very underweight and has at least 30 more pounds to go before he is at a normal weight for a Rottie. The biggest issue we are having is that his cancer has started to come back. We could not get clean margins when the tumors on his mouth were removed, or he would have lost far too much tissue for him to be able to function. The large lymph node that was removed does show the cancer had spread. He is seeing our wonderful Oncologist, Dr. Kerry Rissetto this morning to see if adding radiation would enhance his quality of Life and give him more time. His cancer is extremely aggression and is going to require us to think outside the box and come up with a plan that will not take away from his Quality of Life. As you can see from the pictures, he still has a large swollen area. That is where the cancer had already begun to grow.
Oliver is a delightful dog. He is starting to feel better and is letting everyone know that is a lot stronger than he looks. He can be a little head strong at first because of the horrible life he has had, but once he realizes we are here to protect him, he relaxes and allows other dogs to come around him. Oliver was tied up his entire Life and not given any Medical Care. He was used to being hurt and abused without any care for his safety. It is very understandable for him to feel like he needs to protect himself since that is what he has had to do all his Life. The best news is that he has begun to trust us and the Trainers that work with him daily.
The other major issue we are having is that dear Oliver is incontinent because of the massive bladder stone that was removed. He is showing improvement, but he will have to wear a Belly Band since he is always leaking a certain amount of urine. This in no way means dear Oliver is not Adoptable. It just means that he needs a Family that can be home more often to change the Belly Band. Oliver is not going to have a Long Life, but the Life he has left is going to be spent surrounded by people that love and adore him. He will never have to worry about being Abandoned or Alone. He is considered one of our Hospice Dogs. If a home does not come available for him, we will always be his loving Family, and he will not know any different.
Oliver's bills are quite extensive because of his Cancer and ongoing Medical Care. The Chemo he is on is extremely expensive but is a necessary component to him having the best Life possible with the time he has left. We know we can't cure him or take away all of his cancer. The Chemo is to keep the cancer from getting out of control and allow his body to heal. We will know more about further treatments after his Oncology appointment today.
Please, keep Oliver in your Prayers and if you can spare any change, please Donate to Oliver. He needs for people to believe that he deserves this chance. We are all the good he has ever known. We are going to make sure he is loved and nurtured and given every chance possible to have some great days ahead. Thanks for caring and making his Journey to Heal and find Love, possible.
