June 21, 2024
This morning, our carefree, energetic, and (for all we knew) perfectly healthy 7-year-old dog-daughter, “Cat the Dog,” stumbled as she got out of bed, then listlessly slumped to the ground. Something was very wrong.
My husband, Craig, & I rushed her to the closest emergency vet, Triangle Veterinary Referral Hospital (TVRH). She was hemorrhaging internally, diagnosed with acute hemoabdomen from a ruptured spleen. Without surgery, she would die — today.
Turns out, TVRH was unable to treat her, and unfortunately, her condition deteriorated significantly in the hours it took them to admit that (more on this later). SO. MUCH. TIME. WASTED. We would need to rush her to NC State Veterinary Hospital in Raleigh.
Craig, still recovering from his own major surgery, helped hoist our failing 80lb dog into his Jeep. I climbed in beside her, & Craig sped off. I called NC State’s emergency department, saying we were en route, while holding onto our beautiful but barely conscious pup, begging her to stay with us.
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We made the 20-minute drive in 14 minutes.
By the time we arrived at NC State, Cat was teetering on the edge of death. They raced her into surgery, performing an emergency splenectomy (spleen removal). We sat in the waiting area, bracing for the worst. The delay in treatment at TVRH had left her body in critical condition, & we knew that even if the surgery succeeded, she’d never fully recover.
Finally, the surgeon emerged with news: The surgery was successful. She was being transferred to the ICU. **Exhale**
The surgeon then landed a right hook: A tumor on Cat’s spleen had caused the rupture & could very well be cancer. The tissue samples were to be sent to pathology, with a diagnosis expected in 10 days. (TEN DAYS????)
In spite of that blow, at least our girl got another chance for now — & we’re holding onto hope as she begins this next chapter & whatever uncertainties come next.
