One thing that main health issues that Labradors deal with is tumors. Harley started getting tumors on his legs and stomach area a couple years ago and they didn't seem to affect him too much, but lately, they have begun to take a toll on him.
A few weeks ago, we noticed that one of the tumors on his leg was a bit bigger than normal. Later that evening, I saw what I thought was mud or something on my kitchen tile, so I wiped it up. Then I noticed that there was another spot on my carpet and that Harley was bleeding a bit from his leg where the tumor was. It somehow popped and shot the juices out.
This happened on a Sunday when all the vets in the area were closed, so we took the the internet to see if we could find out what to do next. It sounds like when tumors pop like this, it is a pretty serious thing and that the dog won't really last much longer.
Ever since it popped, he hasn't really shown any discomfort or anything, but I have noticed that every now and then he has a hard time going up the stairs. It is like he doesn't trust his legs to carry him up the stairs, so I end up picking him up and carrying him up. Other than that though, he hasn't really shown any signs of being in any distress. His appetite is the same and he still plays a lot with Titus and watches over the cats.
He is still a super happy dog, but he has been slowing down a bit over the past week. There isn't much that can be done at this point. A vet can do chemo, but that really won't extend his life much and I do not want his last time with us to be with him recovering from chemo.
At this point, all we can do is just continue to love him and keep him happy. He doesn't appear to be in pain and things seem like they are going good for him. It is basically a ticking time bomb and all we can do is keep him comfortable. All I know is that I am going to miss him when he is gone, but for now, I am giving him extra cuddles and snacks. He does love snacks.
