Scout came to us 4 years ago. He had two large masses on his abdomen/chest area, and his owners did not wish to get him medical help. After all, they said, he was 10 years old—why spend money on an old dog? The irony was that Scout seemed quite happy and active, doing well otherwise for a 10 year old dog. When Scout came to us, he seemed in decent shape except for those masses. So we had the mass-es removed and basic medical tests done. Cancer was suspected so we had him evaluated by an oncologist. Amazing news!! He had an underactive thyroid gland (like many of us humans) and just needed a pill to bring his thyroid level up to the right level. So many health issues are treatable. Just because an animal (or person) is a senior does not justify giving up on them. And that certainly was the case with Scout.
After he was doing very well medically, we offered Scout for adoption. Everyone loved him, but many were concerned about his thyroid condition despite the fact that it was totally under control. And, of course, many people were concerned about his age. He was adopted by an elderly gentleman but had to be returned due to the man’s health issues.
Scout has developed severe arthritis, for which we are medicating him. He is a sweet old guy, and well loved for the rest of his days by his Animals in Distress “Family”.