To make the thread a little bit more uplifting...

Saturday, 13 Feb, we took our dog to the emergency vet and they diagnosed a tumor on her spleen.  (After more than a year of the local vet saying, "She's fine...you just overfeed her.")  Got some meds and a referral to a surgeon to call on Monday.

That Sunday she took a downturn (tumor was bleeding internally) and she was back at the emergency vet.  They had to give her a blood transfusion just to stabilize her.  Vet gave about a 10% chance of surgery/post surgery survival, but we decided to go ahead.  Even though they would have preferred having the specialist surgeon doing the work, they started surgery at 10pm finishing at midnight.  Removed a 1 lb tumor (plus spleen) from a 14 lb dog.

She was recovering well, and we took her home Tuesday (16 Feb).  Home for an hour and had a stroke and became unresponsive (she was also having a heart arrhythmia common to post spleen removal).  Off to a different (closer) emergency vet.  She seemed so bad we were expecting her to pass away before we could get there.

3 days later she came home.

Now it's been over a week since her surgery and she's getting restless being kept in a crate (impressive zipper of stitches up her belly) and mostly turns to the right and has weakness in her front left leg (from the stroke).  But she's getting visibly better each day.

Cost us a ton, but we are fortunately in a situation that we can afford it and are willing to do so to keep our dog.

I’m so very sorry for your loss of beautiful Midnight.  She had a wonderful life because of your family.  Thank you for adopting a middle aged dog in need.  I truly believe we are reunited with them one day. God created dog to show his unconditional love here on earth, and sends them for a brief time, then calls them home when their jobs are done here.  Until then, she is happy and healthy playing at the bridge.

Condolences