An Addition and Subtraction

With Morty pretty much settled in, mid-July brought the arrival of a new foster boy: a 12-year-old Golden Retriever named Hawk. 

Hawk was surrendered to a shelter along with three other Goldens named Rooster, Wolf, and Rufus, from a legal situation in Maryland. He has a nervous personality, and startles easily at sudden movements or sounds. And as unsure and as nervous as he was about all the changes, Hawk immediately bonded with our other two foster boys, Teddy and Simba, who easily made him part of their all boys club. (photo below, left is Simba, Teddy in the middle Hawk on the end)

~The only and not so good photo of the 3 together~

But Hawk developed one very specific, very persistent and often annoying behavior, he constantly licked Teddy’s left ear.

At first, we thought it was just a behavioral quirk that unfortunately led to Teddy developing an ear infection. We took Teddy to the vet on a Friday, and got the usual round of antibiotics, and we did our absolute best to keep Hawk away from Ted. But Hawk was relentless and laser-focused on that left ear.

By Monday, Teddy wasn't any better. Added to that, both he and Hawk had stopped eating. I was off to the vet with both. 

~Monday Vet Visit~

For that visit, Hawk was given medication and allowed to come home. Teddy however, didn't fare as well. He had a temperature, and so we were sent to a 24-hour (emergency) animal hospital for an overnight stay for Teddy.

~At the 24 hour vet - Waiting to be admitted~

On Tuesday, with his fever down, Teddy was cleared to come home and he seemed brighter. But by Wednesday evening, visible swelling appeared around his left eye and ear. That led us straight to another urgent vet on Thursday and the (new) vet took an x-ray of Teddy's head.

The x-ray revealed a mass near the bottom of Teddy’s left ear canal, pressing right up against his brain. Its appearance strongly suggested cancer. Teddy was in visible pain, and with practically no options, we felt that the kindest, hardest choice was to say goodbye to this sweet boy. 💔

We really think that Hawk had to have been sensing Teddy's mass all along, which would explain why he was so determined to keep licking his left ear. It's the only explanation. We've all heard stories about dogs sensing illness and hidden trouble long before we can, but for me, this experience has changed what I thought was possible.

Teddy and Simba weren't littermates. But their 2017 birthdays, were just weeks apart, and they had been together since they were puppies. 

~Simba on the left - Teddy on the right~

Teddy was the quieter, more serious of the two, while Simba has that same fun confidence, but with a much more carefree and playful spirit. We loved having them as part of our household. And I am beyond grateful for the nearly one year we were so lucky to have them both together. 

In writing this, it reminds me of how much Teddy is missed. He was a gentle, calming and big spirit with a joy, that treated every single day, no matter how routine it may have been, like a new and fun adventure.

~Teddy~

So, as Teddy runs ahead to wait for us, we have welcomed Hawk, who has proven that he may appear nervous and unsure on the outside, but inside he has an extraordinary soul. 🐾

~Hawk~

Thank you Blogging Friends for stopping by again today. 

But don't wander too far, believe it or not, there's still more to tell you about.