Best.Dog.Ever

Tommy is my dog that I've had since roughly 1999. Her whole life is centered around wanting you to pet her. And the occasional table scrap. And hugs from Chace. Ok, she lives for a lot! I had Tommy before I realized how loyal a dog could be. I feel guilty about it, but she spent a long time as an outside dog in a pin. Until several years ago that is. My dogs have turned into my kids. Yes, I am one of those people. I have a voice that I use that is reserved only for speaking my dogs thoughts. You know, what they would say if they could talk. Um, yeah. Anyway, they get table scraps when they shouldn't and they lay on the bed sometimes when Bill isn't here. I'm guilty of frantically looking for the sticky lint roller to get the dog hair off the bed right before Bill gets home. I spend way too much time in the dog treat aisle at Wal Mart worrying that they had chicken treats last time, would they want beef or bacon flavored this time? Insanity. They are not allowed on the new furniture. Ever. Well, sometimes Tommy is.

This summer, I noticed that Tommy had some lumps on her belly. I cried and cried knowing that they were cancer. She still acted fine, but didn't really want me to touch them. I guess I wouldn't really want people prodding at the lumps on my boobs either. So, a trip to Dr. Spence confirmed that they were breast tumors. Caused by her not being fixed and never having a litter of pups. I'm very thankful to the staff there for never making me feel like I should be shameful, though I knew I should. They suggested surgery to have her fixed and it would most likely cause them to stop growing. Cancerous, they wouldn't know. Not many people ever sent it off for biopsy. Fast forward a couple of weeks and she started acting very slow. She was pained to walk, groaned when I touchd her belly, and had started bleeding awful. I sat with her in my lap that night crying, knowing I had done her wrong. She'd just lick my had and look at me, letting me know I was forgiven, I think anyway. Bill rushed her to the vet the next day and she had an infection in her uterus. She had to take meds for a couple of days and come back for surgery.

Tommy made it through surgery and has recovered very well at home. She's still got her lumps, though they aren't growing. Dr. Spence said if they didn't seem to grow after surgery, we could just leave them alone as long as she seemed fine. She still doesn't like me feeling them every once in a while, but will accept any kind of loving she can get. Secretly, sometimes she's allowed on the furniture, like in these pictures with Chace. He looooves Tommy. He loves to give her hugs and pet her. He told me the other day that Tommy is his favorite. "She is my best dog ever" he said. You have no idea, little buddy.

*Disclaimer from the author: I love all of my dogs, and they are all the best.
Now, enjoy these pictures of Chace and his best.dog.ever.!!!