Four on the floor: The news is promising on Torky’s tumor

As I wrote earlier, my housemate’s dog has a pad that just won’t heal, despite a handful of veterinary visits, multiple courses of antibiotics and months and months of wearing protective footwear. Torky’s owner has no money and nothing to sell to get any, so I’ve been struggling with what to do with a dog in my home who isn’t mine but needs care her owner can’t pay for. Again, here’s the backstory.

The biopsy results came back yesterday, and my veterinarian’s gut feeling was right on the money: Torky has an aggressive, malignant tumor in her paw pad.

That’s the bad news. The good news — and really it is good news, considering the situation involves the words “aggressive,” “malignant” and “tumor” — is there is no indication the cancer has spread beyond the paw. Even better, there’s good reason to believe the surgeon can get it all by removing a large hunk of pad — no amputation of the leg is thought necessary. Things could change once Torky’s, in surgery, of course, but for a prognosis termed “guarded” by the pathologists, this is all about as good as it gets.

Torky has an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow.

Now, we just have to figure out how to pay the bill. Yes, this is Ed’s responsibility, not mine, but I can’t turn my back on this dog even though she’s only in my life by accident — her owner is the house-sitter who never left my spare bedroom. While Ed has fallen hard (and this is not the place for a discussion of him, and I will enforce that), I cannot help but imagine how much worse things would be for him without Torky. She truly is one of the most incredible dogs I’ve ever known. Her loyalty alone sets her apart, and that’s before you consider her intelligence and common sense.

The estimate will be in tomorrow, but I’m going to guess that we’re going to need between $1,500 and $2,000 (I’ll update with information as a I have it, and if we happen to go over actual costs, I’ll donate those to the AAHA Helping Pets fund). Since my veterinary hospital, VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center, is AAHA Accredited, and since Ed is on food stamps, Torky is eligible for an AAHA Helping Pets grant, which he’ll be asking the hospital to submit. If that comes through, that’s $500. The chip-in fund is a little more than that already, so we’re closing in on two-thirds of the minimum we need if we can get the grant.

If I need to close the gap myself, I will, but honestly … I hope I don’t have to. Things are pretty lean right now, trying to get a home for all my critters, horses included.

I’m hoping we can close the gap with a slew of $10 donations.

Can yours be one of them? If you can’t see the graphic immediate below, go here.