MCT : Mast Cell Tumor is the most common malignant skin tumors in dogs. They are usually found in individual masses, though in some dogs there can be multiple. Appearances are found in canines aged 6 and older. By this time Rimsky was 7. Luckily, we only found one tumor on Rimsky’s skin, though it was growing daily- a scary thing to witness.
The Operation
Oky brought him to a good vet. Rimsky was drugged for days after, but thankfully there has been no regrowth since the surgery.
At the age of 8, Rimsky experienced the sudden harrowing death of his caretaker. If I thought I was devastated by Oky’s death, it was nothing compared to Rimsky’s emotions. The edge of his ears to the tip of his tail was flushed with absolute loss. He did not bark for a week. The only sound he made was whimpering near the chair Oky usually sat. Each morning he waited by the gates of Gupondoro. With every car and guest that arrived, he never lost hope that Oky might return. When guests petted him sadly, he seemed to absorb their emotions directly into his furry body. He stayed unenergetic for a couple months.
One afternoon, he chewed through an expensive leather wallet of mine. His bad behavior was returning. I looked him in the eye and decided to put him to sleep. It was clear I could not take proper care of Rimsky, so I thought perhaps his spirit could accompany Oky’s wandering soul. I began to ask around for how to accomplish this. As it turned out, nobody would do it. A neighbor even called to say he would gladly adopt Rimsky- no need for me to end his life. People thought I had snapped! And perhaps, I did. I wanted to take out on Rimsky all the anger and injustice I was feeling over the whole situation of Oky’s tragic death.
A couple weeks later, I moved out of Gupondoro into a studio apartment. Gupondoro was to be a high-end mountain villa, available for rent on AirBnB. The income would help me maintain the property I inherited. What happened to Rimsky? After all that drama, the golden went back to my parents house. Now that they were retired, they had time to love and care for the dog.
Now Rimsky is 10. He is healthy and happy again, being spoiled by treats from my dad. He recently proved to us his intelligence and quickness by catching a a rat hiding in one of the bookshelves. He still snacks on tissue though, especially when no body is looking.
I only hope we can give him the love he craves for until his last day.
The human – pet relationship is something so special. Do you have a dog or a pet? How is your relationship?
