Elvis currently is wearing the cone of shame as he goes through antibiotics for a swollen mass he has on his dew claw. He was bothering it repeatedly so it became a sore, which has now healed with some help but the swelling still remains. After one week of antibiotics they put him on a second round of a different type that will last two weeks and hopefully have more of an effect.
They took X-Rays of his paw to ensure the mass hadn’t reached or is not attached to the bone. Luckily, it doesn’t appear to be doing so but the X-Rays did show a decent amount of degenerative changes in the bones of his front legs and paws due to arthritis. He’ll need to be on supplements and anti inflammatories for the rest of his life to help with comfort, which isn’t too surprising as he will be 11 years old next month. Sadly, they did say that if the swelling of the mass does not go down within the next week after the antibiotics, they will need to amputate the toe in order to be sure they can fully remove the mass and send it to the lab to test it for cancer.
I’m worried about my little bubs, but the situation could be worse. I feel awful about the idea of him having to have his toe amputated, going through the surgery & the healing process. He seems so chipper and chill, he doesn’t even expect that may have to happen. At least it’s just the dew claw so it won’t make too much of a difference.
Additionally, I’m still catching up on the cost of his MRI and previous vet bills which over time keep stacking up and I’m sure surgery will not be cheap. I’ll do anything for my baby, though! I love him so much and as long as I do for him what I can, I believe he’ll be around for quite some time longer. All I wanna do is give him the most time & the best experience during it. 💚 To Elvis! 🐾
