Cartoon's battle with cancer..

Cartoon has been my family dog since 2006. He came to my hubby and I in 2014. He wasn't in a good state and we gave him a new home.. He's been our darling ever since. From sleeping in a corner in the hall to occupying each and every corner in the house! We lost him to cancer in November.. I'm sharing this in memory of him.. it's a long post so click on... 

In late August, hubby and I sent Cartoon for an op to remove a mass in his mouth that was causing him pain.. and he refused to let us touch it.. In fact, his op was rescheduled cos this rascal stole some duck left on the coffee table in the early hours of the day of his intended op! He had to fast so we had it postpone to a week later..

 After the op, the silly boy couldn't wait to go home with me! He even climbed onto my shoulder from his upper level cage.. He was groggy but still as silly as can be.. He couldn't eat well.. He had a fever on the night of his return too.. 

He did enjoy watermelons though!

I made him a Cartoon recovery ward! As he didn't do too well, ma helped us care for him when we were at work.

This rascal just had to have ma's attention, refusing to let her read her papers!

His appetite wasn't good.. and well, he got meatballs. Freshly cooked ones.. and he learned to respond to a new word.. meatballs!

Looks good isn't it?

He was the king..

See the magic of meatballs! We could hide his meds in them..

He was such a darling.. who love his fluffy blankets! Especially those that were freshly washed..

He didn't like us going out XD

He loves to steal pillows..

Rest his chin on things his height..

He's just a sweetheart.

He got coned often though.. cos he kept licking!

We've been waiting for the results of his cell testing.. it never came so we thought little of it.. and on the day that we found out that we were expecting, we also found out that Cartoon has cancer. It was really a painful day. So much joy yet so much pain. The doctor says he has a year to go.. and given that he's 13 years old, going onto 14.. we thought that the best we could do was to make him comfy.. as the measures offered by the doctor weren't ideal in our opinion. 

He was a rascal!

Who didn't mind that I dress him up in ridiculous attires..

Like his rain coat on a wet and rainy morning that he had to take his morning walk.

He loves snuggles..

Fighting with me for apples!

We enjoyed each other's company and he always looked out for me..

He was a little thief! Stole our brand new sofa and claimed it for himself!

And he wasn't even remorseful!

He loves belly rubs..

And just being such a manja baby..

He was my silly fluff..

A very silly fluff.

Such a dear..

He always took our weariness away...

And gave us not so subtle hints like wanting to eat more sticks of snacks by sleeping on them.. 

The older he got, the cuter he looked! 

He even forced his paws on us XD all for treats!

He'd even let out deadly stinky fart bombs when the house was enclosed cos we turned on the air-conditioner!

That was till... 18 October..

I returned home late that evening due to work commitments.. and it shocked me that Cartoon's face has ballooned. It was on the side where his mass was removed.. He got admitted.. He was running a high fever that the docs were trying to bring down.. his face had swelled up so badly that his eyes are really 1/3 open.. 

Doc said that it maybe a tooth thing (on a better note) or that his cancer had progressed way too soon.. He was such a fighter despite the pain.. The mass in his mouth had grown rapidly.. what was 10% of the original size after the initial surgery had grown back to what it originally was.. 

It hurts to even look back at these photographs..

His appetite improved after a night..

Joey (my bil) helped us pick him up as we couldn't leave our work.. He was so happy to be discharged! However, doctors told us that our time left with him was short..

He was happy to be home but he was in so much pain.. I remember the night he was home.. He was so worn out from the episodes that he didn't even follow me into the bedroom like he'd usually do.. He fell asleep in the hall and stayed there for the night with the hubby who was ill and sleeping outside so as not to spread the germs to me..

Cartoon was just so worn out.. 

He was ill but still enjoyed the company of our neighbours.. especially Baby Elijah who adored Cartoon so much that his first word was kah--toon! 

He still loved his pillows..

But his appetite was bad.. he didn't even want mangoes, apples nor watermelons. Meatballs were still good though!

He ran a fever that very weekend.. 

Still playful though!

I learned how to sponge him..

His gorgor who hardly cooks even cooked meatballs for him..

His condition improved from time to time.. but it also worsened on bad days..

That didn't stop him from being a supervisor!

He's an asshole dog at times.. Hubby isn't too bright while Cartoon is a rascal.

Hubby stuffed the first meatball with a pill and Cartoon refused it. Hubby gave him another meatball without meds but Cartoon still refused it. Told hubby to break up the meatball to feed Cartoon. He did. "Oh this is a real meatball! NOMS!" Subsequent medicated meatballs were savoured without an issue. #assholedog

Cartoon: 1. Hubby: 0.

He was still our silly baby..

He had taken such a liking to his meatballs that his regular food didn't tickle his fancy anymore! We fed him more meatballs since it was at a stage that we'd rather he eat than go hungry.

It did seem that he was improving as many have mentioned but truthfully, he was in a lot of pain. He even had wheezing episodes that frightened the hell out of us.. and operating on him again wasn't ideal cos of his age.. and he had already gone for one in August where 90% of the mass was removed.. the next step would be to remove his upper left jaw. Where would his quality of life be then? And he wasn't young anymore.. there were just SO MANY RISKS.

It thrilled me when he ate things he used to like cos it no longer made him happy.. these moments were short-lived though..

We moved back to my in-laws so that my mil could help us care for him.. and that he wasn't left at home.. My mil also took care of us..

He was just so manja!

He didn't like being called a naughty boy! But a good boy delighted him! XD

He enjoyed our stay at my in-laws..

It came to the point where I'd try to buy all his favourite food in an attempt to get him to eat.. He refused the blueberries.. ate some crunchy mangoes (his fav) and ate some green tea ice cream!! 

The green tea ice-cream made him happy! (:

He got caught in the act!

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Behind every adorable photo of Cartoon is the pain and suffering you don't see.

The mass in his mouth.

The mass on his cheek that's so huge even after the swelling subsided.

The said mass obstructing his vision in his left eye.

The droopy throat.

The poor appetite.

The refusal to even take his favourite fruits.

The inability to eat well.

The inability to poop well.

The loss of hearing likely from his mass.

The constant lethargy.

The issues arising from his liver condition.

The wheezing and attempts to puke what seems to be choking him today.

The multiple puking sessions.

Of course you see the adorable him. He's holding up for us. We know it.

Trust me, we're the last that want to let him go. BUT when you see your dearest dog suffer so much. You may choose to do the same too.

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Despite the support we got from many, there were also many backlashes. We didn't wanna let him go.. but it was just so painful watching him be in so much pain.

He was very silly!

He still loved to cuddle..

Giving us his best smile.. cos he loves car rides..

Loves being carried..

Loves his personal transportation man XD

We were blessed to have friends offer to take photographs for us.. but this silly baby ran a temp that day and was sleepy more than anything else that day..

I miss him..

And his huge fluffy bum!

And his silly sleeping poses..

He enjoyed his snack..

He loved my pandan chiffon cakes..

He slept so ungraciously..

We were pretty certain that if we were to pass out someday, he wouldn't save us but be glad that we're 'at-his-level'! 

I started cooking for him cos regular doggy food and meatballs no longer work..

He's our baby..

He usually approves of his meal.. the crispy chicken skin worked wonders for feeding him his dreaded medication that would otherwise be spat out in disgust..

My dear..

He'd usually bark when I said hi on LIVE videos.. 'coming!' works too!

He loved his meats..

We still enjoyed teasing him!

He slept like a baby..

And got bullied at home XD

Stole pillows..

Enjoyed walks..

Refused to take his nap but decided to run errands for me instead.. he took my clothes to the toilet for my shower!

My pupils made cards for Cartoon. He has been a special part of my class you see.. We often talk about him.. and he's like a special guest in our classrooms.. 

I usually take 30 mins to cook his food but he'd finish them in 30 seconds! XD

I guess he was really at ease with us..

We even called him 小白 and he responds with joy!

Sweet girlfriends of mine made this cushion for us..

He loved to snuggle.. heh..

I love his bum..

He just had to poke his nose into my affairs.. even when I tried on my new pumps..

I couldn't stand his fluffy hair. 

He was our king..

Our darling derp.

On the day he was scheduled to go, he was all smiles. We've never seen him as happy.. we know he didn't want us to worry.. possibly, he was happy that his suffering was gonna end.. 

On 26 November, we bid our dearest goodbye.. it was painful.. but we chose the least painful way to have him go.. he smiled till the very end.. 

He must be in Heaven, enjoying all the things he love.. eating all his favourite food, playing with other dogs and most importantly, he's free of pain.

We miss him.. every single day.. but we know, it was for the best. 

Toon baby, we love you. 

Till we meet again..