Max is a 13-year-old Setter x Border Collie who was a little on the heavy side when he came to us a couple of years ago. He’s been in foster care with his lovely carer, Fiona, for most of that time.
Max has a little friend called Toffee, who’s warmed to him nicely — they get on so well! 🐾
Life hasn’t been entirely plain sailing for Max and Fiona. In August last year, Max managed to get into the recycling bin and promptly scoffed the lot! 😅 He ended up spending a few days at the vets with a very poorly tummy — poor love. Thankfully, he received the best care and made a full recovery. We’re pleased to report that Fiona has since fitted a lock on the bin! 🔒
Fast forward to February this year — Max was visiting the vet for his annual vaccination. He has to be sedated as he can be a bit of a scrapper (he’s not too keen on having his teeth checked or nails trimmed — we feel your pain, cheeky chops!).
Unfortunately, during his check-up, the vet noticed a lump on his tongue. A biopsy revealed the sad news that it was an aggressive tumour. Taking into account his age and heart murmur, it was decided that palliative care would be the kindest approach.
Fiona recently shared this lovely update about how he’s doing:
“Max is OK. He still has the tumour under his tongue; he was considered too old for surgery. He has some difficulty eating and drinking, but only in that he’s had to slow down! He still enjoys his 3–4 little outings a day and sleeps a lot. He doesn’t appear to be in much pain — more discomfort when using his tongue. I still get a wag in the mornings and at feed times. Toffee is very gentle with him. He’s still alert when we have visitors. He’s lost a bit of muscle tone from less exercise, but all in all, he’s still enjoying life. Long may it continue!”
We can’t thank Fiona enough for taking such wonderful care of Max — he’s so lucky to have her. 💛
Here’s to many more happy days for this sweet old gentleman.
