Teddy had surgery yesterday at Ohio State, and we were already able to bring him home this afternoon! They found and removed six masses in his abdomen, the largest of which was 20 cm in diameter. They also removed the omentum, which is connective tissue that holds stuff in the abdomen in place and was where all these masses were originating. Maybe that will slow the recurrence. I can't say enough good things about his doctors at Ohio State. His surgeon was great, and his oncologist is wonderful--she checked in on him throughout his surgery day and emailed me updates. And the senior student charged with his care during his stay was delightful and kept us informed the whole time. Even the surgeon who removed his spleen and mass in February dropped by to see him and us. It's awful when your dog has to undergo something like that, but at least we feel that he was surrounded and supported by people who really care about him. Thank you Ohio State! He goes back in about two weeks to get his staples removed and have an oncology appointment. So, until then, it's just recuperating and spoiling and loving him.

Many thanks to all of you who stopped by my booth at Wagfest. It was good day and a nice festival (until, upon leaving, it was discovered that my husband's vehicle was damaged in the vendor parking lot by what we guess was someone not very skilled at pulling a trailer.) I was very touched by the concern and words of support offered to Teddy. Thank you so much. Teddy is off to Ohio State tomorrow to get ready for surgery on Wednesday. His CT scan that I mentioned in my last post showed some growths in his abdomen that are probably pressing on his liver and stomach, which would explain his lack of appetite. It would not explain the recovery of his appetite, but Teddy has historically been deeply committed to eating. Your prayers are appreciated and needed--keep them coming! Thanks so much.

Tomorrow there is a CT scan at Ohio State...but, today, we celebrate!!!

Have you ever been to Wag Fest? Neither have I, but I'm going this year, as a vendor that is. It's on August 22 (Saturday) at the Prairie Oaks Metro Park in Hilliard. It sounds like fun for people and their pups, as Prairie Oaks is a pretty dog-friendly park, with walking trails and a swimming area for dogs, and the festival is full of dog-purtunites for dogs and their people, with dozens of vendors (like me) and activities. For all the info, check out their website:  www.wagfest.com. 

So you're wondering how Teddy is doing? Well, he's happy, and that's the most important thing. He also appears to be healthy, which is also great. There have been a couple of blips on his journey toward wellness...One is that he has not been eating as joyfully as he used to. We could always count on Teddy to be our chow hound, relishing anything remotely edible and usually asking for more. But lately, he has been slow to finish his morning meal, and won't even consider it without a healthy dose of cheese on top. Same for his dinner. The post-dinner rawhide strip doesn't get much of his attention either. Now, he happily takes any piece of chicken offered to him and pretty much knocked out an Egg McMuffin (without the bacon) this morning (and yes, Maggie got her share of it, too), but his appetite is not the same. So, he was taken off his maintenance chemotherapy pills and put back on his pre-kidney disease food. He is also on an anti-nausea drug. He's going to OSU for an exam on Monday, and we're going to try to figure out what's keeping our little guy from enjoying his food.

Maggie has finally lost the last of the residual skunk stink on her head. It was only noticeable when you'd pick her up and hold her, and then only if we gave her a kiss on the top of her head. So, now she's stink-free, and more kissable than ever.