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| Name: |
Taz
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Age: |
Six years old
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| Gender: |
Male |
Breed: |
Lab, Mastiff mix |
| Home: |
Erlanger, Kentucky, USA |
A
friend had some puppies, so we adopted one and he is one of a kind.
Our dog Taz is special to us for many reasons. First of all, he is full
of personality. He is outspoken and lets you know what he wants, and
will make sure he gets his way. He acts like an old man sometimes, and
sometimes he acts like he is a puppy again. He is always making us
smile and adding laughter to our days.
Taz is also special because of his recent battle with Cancer. In April of
2008 he started seizing up and having many types of medical problems. We
took him to the emergency vet at least six times and he continued to get
worse. His blood count was off so they finally sent us to see a
specialist. After some tests and an ultrasound, there was a large mass
found in his abdominal area. We asked if there was anything we could do,
and they referred us to a surgeon to remove the mass. After an exploratory
surgery, Dr. Moldune removed the 5" tumor and the tissue surrounding it.
He had what was called Lyomysarcoma, it was keeping him malnourished and
causing the seizures and could have possibly spread. He bravely endured
five chemotherapy treatments and he is once again a happy and healthy dog.
His birthday is December 28th and it was a special birthday because he
almost didn't make it. When he was sick he weighed 70 pounds, he is now
back to his normal weight of close to 90 pounds. The pictures are all
after surgery. He is back to his active, outgoing self. He loves
snuggling under the blankets, howling, playing with our other dog Face,
and going for walks at the park. He is protective and passionate and he
is our best friend. We are blessed to still have him around.
He has proved to be a very strong dog and is currently very healthy now
that chemo has been over for a few months. He is actually acting like a
puppy again, always ready to play with Face. He does know
quite a few tricks, he can speak, whisper, give both paws, crawl, sit,
and lay down. His favorite toy is a Kong, one of industrial strength
(the only toy he has never demolished, he is a chewer). Taz is totally
dependent on us, he even sleeps in bed under the covers. Wherever one
of us is, he is not far behind. He is a very affectionate dog, but he
is quite protective too. The "pondside" picture was when we went to a
park with the dogs and it was pretty hot out. He was just laying in the
water cooling off after walking up a large hill. He is a special dog
that is loved by many, we had to do what we did because he is our best
friend. He is always bringing a smile to our faces or making us laugh.
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