think good thoughts for the jake dog :)

jake dog and i visited the vet today about his many bumps and lumps (some new, some old) and the vet and I decided that at this point the best thing we can do for jake is to go ahead and remove them...here is the reasoning: according to the vet, boxers and golden retrievers are the two dog breeds most likely to develop cancer - and although we don't know jake's entire breed makeup- there is no doubt he is part boxer! when boxers develop cancer it is most often skin cancer...none of jake's lumps appear to be internal tumors, all are located on or within the skin which could be consistent with skin cancer....we could biopsy and then make a decision about removal, but the vet said often times biopsy results are inconclusive, and we decided to just to go ahead and remove them and then have them tested by the lab...hopefully they will turn out to be nothing and we will gain peace of mind...worse case scenario if it turns out to be cancer the lab will be able to diagnose the stage of the cancer and the vet and i can then develop a plan of action...hopefully that will not be the case, but with a dog as sweet as jake i would rather be safe than sorry!

jake's surgery date is scheduled for january 16th...he will return home that day once he has come out of the anesthesia...my mom will be in town at that time to help jake recover at home while mitch and i are at work....he will have the sutures removed two weeks later...he is not allowed to lick or itch the sutures, which I anticipate is going to be a real struggle for the jake man, so he will most likely need to wear one of those crazy head guards to keep him away from the sutures! surely this will be an adventure for us all! i just wanted to let you all know this since you all care so very much for the jake dog! wish him good doggie karma!

much love,

becki, mitch and the jake dog