Junior came to CCDR at age 12, an owner turn because he needed dental work and she didn't want to spend the money. 

After checking him over it was determined that there was much more going on than just his teeth, he had an unidentified abdominal mass.  He was a sad old man and you could see the resignation in his eyes when you looked at him and he moved very carefully and slowly as if every step pained him.

He came to stay with me in Mass initially to take his antibiotics so he could get his teeth done  and then see what was going on in his stomach.  Upon returning from a rare evening out  we found Junior lying in his bed with a
stomach almost the size of a basketball, he was in a lot of pain and didn't want to move, so we  picked him up and headed for tufts emergency clinic with him since it was in the evening.  They ran  preliminary tests and  it
was determined he would need further testing for the suspicious lump and  because his heart he had a grade 4 heart murmur, he was not a candidate for surgery until tested.  The testing showed he was bloated from the way his digestive system handled food ( it didn't very well) and the lump was on his liver.

The options were put him to sleep or an expensive operation to try to save his life. With information in hand we brought him home  to decide. 

Here was this wonderful, loving, deaf old man who  hadn't done a thing to anyone and just wanted love. He is quiet, well mannered and good with everyone here. The Board for CCDR decided he would be operated on.

Below is a letter of progress on him since his surgery

His staples are out and he is doing well- will be on special food the rest of his life -- the problem was irritable bowel that was never treated, became infected and developed growths around his liver/ gall bladder which had to be rerouted to work again. He is still on antibiotics and heart medications ( for the valves damaged by the infection he had)  The initial antibiotics the vet put him on helped significantly to start his healing process, otherwise he probably wouldn't have made it through any surgery. 

Junior is happy,  he has more life than he had before and will even play once in a while. He now enjoys his food and even though it doesn't look that palatable because of it being a special dietary formula, he seems to love it and makes sure to remind me if I am late in getting it to him.

Junior had his dental after he was well enough after the initial surgery and now has nice pearly whites.  He didn't lose too many teeth so he can still eat his food with no trouble. He is on a special diet for the rest of his life due the the stomach problems but other than that his troubles seem to be in the past, he is happy and looks forward to eating  more than the others at times!

If you would like to help CCDR with the medical costs of Junior and the other special needs dogs like him,  please send any donations to:

Thank you!  Every dime helps to save those that need special medical care.  Click here DachsieAddict@aol.com  to ask about Junior from his foster mom, Lin.
 

Queenie