A quick update.  Miller has a mass that seems to be growing in his thyroid area.  We are pretty sure it is cancer.  Bloodwork came back that all of his organs were functioning and x-rays showed no lesions or indication that it has spread to other areas.  Lymph nodes on palpation all seem normal.  So we are super puzzled.  Such a fast growing mass like this should surely be cancer yet all signs point to something else.  He has been running a fever as high as 104.  We have gotten it down to 102.5 today using antibiotics.  His appetite has gotten worse so we are using steriods to combat the lack of appetite and the inflammation.  It is a shot in the dark.  We are probably still going to arrive at the same answer in the end.  He seems to not be in pain but dang this dog is stoic.  He is very tolerant of me shoving pills down his throat.  Still drinking and peeing, just not much poop but that is to be expected with the lack of eating.  I will not prolong any suffering but it seems he isn't suffering or else he is hiding it very well.  He was super perky this morning and spent quite a while on the deck sunning.  I hate not knowing what to do.  We are taking a very conservative approach, keep him comfortable and see what we can do to fight the infection. I don't want any more invasive procedures.  We did a needle biopsy a few days ago and that showed us nothing so why keep trying.  I am sure it wasn't fun for him at all even though he let them do anything they wanted.  He really has been a trooper through all of this.  His back end seems to be getting weaker but I hope that is just a product of not eating.  I am hoping tonight we can find something he likes.  So far we haven't found anything consistent.  One night he ate some animal crackers.  One night he ate some vienna sausages and last night he licked some baby food.  Going to do what is right but I don't think it is time yet.  Harley has been laying with him alot.  Harley was miller's puppy so they are pretty tight, plus they are the old men of the house.  TO be continued.

Old man miller

I sit here, dreading writing this but knowing i need to.  Something is wrong with Miller.  He turned 14 this year and about two days ago, stopped eating.  We have been trying various foods and some he will eat but most he won't.  Dog food is out.  Baby food is a sometimes and we have gotten him to eat a piece of cheese pizza, some spaghetti, some vienna sausauges and the juice and some cheese slices.  That is it.  So I am trying to choke down all of these thoughts.  He had a clean check up this spring when he went in so this has snuck up on us.  We left for vacation two saturdays ago and left him as his favorite place in the whole world, alice's farm for a little over a week.  This is where we have done agility for years and he seemed happy when we dropped him off and left and when we came back to pick him up.  He would not have liked all the travel and hubub of going to TN for over a week.  I am very glad we boarded him, even if it was an outside run. He got tons of walks, a pool, lots of fresh water and food.  I know he was very well taken care of.  This just happened.  He has been slowing down for a while but it has been gradual.  Here recently he hasn't been able to jump in the van and the last few days, he won't even attempt the stairs to the bedroom upstairs.  It's weird, I was just talking to someone about how well he had aged and how I was super surprised at how well he was doing for a 14 year old.  Now this.  I have been randomly crying all day.  Wished I could have gotten him in to the vet sooner but got him in as soon as I could.  He doesn't seem to be in any pain.  His hind end seems to be betraying him but he is still going out to the yard and doing his business without assistance.  I have already decided no extreme measures, just comfort and care till the end.  I am hoping this isn't the end but I fear that it might be.  To be continued.