Zoink the Wonder-Pit

11/05/2019

We received a beautiful gift from one of the nurses at in San Diego. She shared these photos of Zoink during his hospitalization to fix his janky elbows. Thank you, Bethany. You and the AMC team worked miracles for our broken little boy and are the reason he was able to live as long as he did. We will forever be grateful for all you did for our precious baby.

08/20/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
Guys, cancer sucks.
Zoink was given a dose of IV chemotherapy medication today to jump-start his treatment and it’s hitting him so hard. I feel terrible for him. I feel so guilty for putting him through this, but if this 24 hours works, it will give us more time to give him an overdose of love on the other side. It’s our one shot, our Hail Mary.
I don’t know how people do this. I don’t know how to lose a dog. I don’t know when to make the call. I have no idea what I’m doing and I’m drowning in fear and sorrow. Lord help me and God forgive me. I don’t know how much more of his misery I can take. I need a miracle right now.

08/19/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the results of Zoink’s histopathy. He has canine lymphoma, which has spread to two lymph nodes in his chest. With treatment, we’re looking at six months.
After speaking with the veterinarians at Capital Veterinary Specialists, they feel it is worth trying to get some of the fluid out of his chest to relieve the pressure on his lungs and start chemo immediately. We should be able to bring him home again tomorrow, and will reassess his condition in a week.
Six months is a long time for a dog. It’s roughly 3-4 years. It feels like precious little time to us, who routinely live for nearly a century, but if we can give Zoink some happy, peaceful time to spend with his pack and his family, we’re going to give it a shot.
Thank you so much for all the kind words, wishes of wellness, and prayers. It means the world to us. Zoink is a fighter, he always has been, and we’re with him as long as he maintains his happy, loving, goofy spirit 💚

08/18/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
Mom and Dad were able to visit at the vet today. It started out rough because Zoink was very upset about the way he was arranged in the room and it was apparently so non-feng shui that he spun himself up into a lather. Dad had the idea to turn Zoink around, then the staff gave him a little extra pain medication and a safe sedative to get him to rest.
We’re taking it one day at a time. Pathology should be back tomorrow, as will his specialist team who can give us the information and make recommendations. One more day. That’s our mantra: just one more day and then we’ll see.
This is hard. There were a lot of tears today. It’s so hard trying to do the right thing. Fortunately, Dr Howell was attending and she was WONDERFUL. We cannot thank her enough. She made us feel like we were the only patients in the facility, and her wise and patient advice and explanations were exactly what we needed to hear to get it together. Thank you, Doc. From the bottom of our hearts 💞

08/18/2019

True. We dogs are all the center of someone’s universe 💞

08/18/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
This is roughly how long we had him home yesterday. 13 hours from pickup to drop off. Something just wasn’t right. Mom brought him to the vet around 3am with concerns about his breathing. After getting an ultrasound of his chest, the doctors found several more enlarged lymph nodes, which were pushing his trachea to the side and putting pressure on his lungs.
We are likely looking at lymphoma. We cannot treat it until he heals from his abdominal surgery. We are looking at 12-14 months with treatment. Mom signed a DNR at the vet. This is it, family. We have precious little time left.
Thank you all for your love and support. We wish we could have brought you all better news. We tried. We tried so hard. His empty bed is such a sad reminder of how grossly unfair this all is. We just want our happy baby boy back. @ Jacksonville, Florida

08/17/2019

08/17/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
Looks who’s home!!! 💞💞💞
Zoinky was discharged from the vet early this afternoon for a trial 24 hour release to see how well he does in his environment. Upon bringing him into the house, he immediately went for his water bowl which is a great sign!
He’s very tired, very weak, and very puffy from subcutaneous fluids, but he seems genuinely relieved to be home and we are happy to just let him rest.
Thank you all so much for your kind words and support. We are so grateful for this boy’s giant family, and we know Zoink is, too. Thanks especially to the team at Capital Veterinary Specialists for doing an AMAZING job getting our Zoinky back on his feet! 💞

08/16/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
We had a little chihuahua party last night, but Zoink was totally uninterested. Mom and Dad are going to check up on his pain management and see if there’s anything that can be done and if that’s what’s causing the problem.
He need those good vibes, guys. Keep them coming 💞

08/15/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋
This is my “Mom, how dare you forget the camera inside when I did AMAZING and walked about quite a bit on the grass” face.
I’m still not eating, although the cheesy cheddar eggies Mumma brought me for lunch smelled SO good I kind of accidentally snorted some.
Mumma got permission from my doctor to have a picnic tonight with the chihuahuas, so stay tuned for pics from my chihuahua party! 💞💞

08/14/2019

📋 Zoink Update 📋
Zoinky still isn’t eating, so Mom and Dad dropped by at dinnertime with some of my favorite ‘ummies. I sniffed a few of them (especially the cheese) but still am not super into eating. My regular veterinarian has assured us that after a surgery like mine, it’s not that weird for me to not want to eat, and I’m kind of finicky anyways.
Thank you all for your support, it will help me get better sooner! 💞

08/13/2019

📋 Update on Zoink 📋

The first treatment to unbind his intestine was unsuccessful. He underwent surgery to try to pull apart the tissue this morning. It was also unsuccessful and the surgeon is concerned that there was possibly a tumor holding it together. He removed that part of his intestine and biopsied an enlarged lymph node nearby to check for cancer.

The surgery went well, Mom and Dad aren’t allowed to visit until tomorrow, but we’re pulling for our pokey little puppy. Thank you all for your love and support. We feel so fortunate that our baby Zoinky has such a huge, loving family, and that we’re able to get him the very best treatment for this very scary situation.

💞🐾