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Tue 12 Dec, 2006 01:08 pm
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Thank you all very much - Big Sam has been my bestest buddy for over 14 years now, and following a major surgery, it appears he'll be around to remain a pest for at least a few more months ... best Christmas present I've had in many, many years.
Oh, good, Timber.
reprieve, renewed chance for association, however much well and good you had before.
In my part of the woods, we would refer to Sam as a noble beast...
Emphasis on noble.
dlowan wrote:LionTamerX wrote:In my part of the woods, we would refer to Sam as a noble beast...
Emphasis on noble.
Hey!
Where you been?
I've been in lurk mode... Lurk and pizza, actuallly.
Major surgery, timber?
What was the problem?
I must say, though, he's very handsome!
Yeah - lotsa folks say Sam is "Noble" - another thing said of him is that he's "Sturdy". As a wee pup he was brought in for his first vet visit. The vet, an oldster now long retired, popped him up on the exam table, poked and prodded a bit, looked the puppy over appraisingly, and said, "My, what a sturdy pup!" From then on, in that vet's office everyone, receptionist on up to the vets themselves, referred to him as "Sturdy Sam".
Some years later, we moved many miles away, and of course, had to find a new vet. Sam by then was fully mature, with a rather commanding presence. On first meeting Sam, the new vet (who is, and for all the years since has been, our current vet) knelt down (no "popping" a 180-pound-plus dog onto an examination table), poked and prodded a bit, looked him over appraisingly, stood up, and said "Wow! At first glance, I thought he was overweight ... but he isn't fat at all; he's just one helluva sturdy dog".
But mostly, folks refer to him simply as "Big Sam" ... and folks who've gotten to know him frequently say he's "Noble", "Confident", "Majestic", and even "Serene" ... all of which he is.
msolga, the surgery was for a large, fast-growing abdominal tumor. It was cancer, but the vet - fortunately for us a specialist and instructor in canine surgery - said it had not infiltrated any organs and there was no sign it had spread beyond the abdominal cavity. The good news is the vet thinks he got it all, and better yet is that some weeks on, Sam is well on the mend. The not-so good news is that there's little doubt the cancer will regenerate ... but we're glad to have whatever time the surgery has gained us.
And while Sam doesn't really have any idea why it might be, he's certainly pleased with - and taking every advantage of - the special attention and consideration he's been receiving since his illness. We're cool with that - very, very cool with that.
An aside - when the tumor was diagnosed, the vet said that while given both Sam's age and the nature of the illness, normally surgery wouldn't be considered an option, but, noting Sam was fitter than many dogs half his age, in the vet's opinion and exact words, he said he felt confident that Sam was "... sturdy enough to have a damned good fighting chance".
Anyhow, thanks again to all for the good thoughts sent Sam's way - I really appreciate your concern.
timberlandko wrote:...msolga, the surgery was for a large, fast-growing abdominal tumor. It was cancer, but the vet - fortunately for us a specialist and instructor in canine surgery - said it had not infiltrated any organs and there was no sign it had spread beyond the abdominal cavity. The good news is the vet thinks he got it all, and better yet is that some weeks on, Sam is well on the mend. The not-so good news is that there's little doubt the cancer will regenerate ... but we're glad to have whatever time the surgery has gained us.
And while Sam doesn't really have any idea why it might be, he's certainly pleased with - and taking every advantage of - the special attention and consideration he's been receiving since his illness. We're cool with that - very, very cool with that.
An aside - when the tumor was diagnosed, the vet said that while given both Sam's age and the nature of the illness, normally surgery wouldn't be considered an option, but, noting Sam was fitter than many dogs half his age, in the vet's opinion and exact words, he said he felt confident that Sam was "... sturdy enough to have a damned good fighting chance".
It's good they got it all, timber, though sad to know that the cancer will regenerate.
But wow, at 14 years old, he's in the most fantastic shape!
Yes, I'll bet
he is pleased with all the special attention he's receiving! He obviously deserves every bit of it, having given you & your family so much joy & such loyalty for so many years. It's good that you now know what you know & have the opportunity to pamper him in which ever manner he most enjoys. May Sam thrive on this special attention for quite some time yet!
Sturdy Sam's a fine-looking fellow.
Glad to hear that he's had the advantage of a loving home and a really good vet.
I'm sure he's looking forward to some good snowy rambles with the pack.
I'm sure Sturdy Sam's having great dreams these days
we all know pampering leads to good dreams
Such a noble face. Can almost see them walking together, stopping occasionally, Sam sniffing the air and Kevin looking at the stars.
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