Ruff life: Surrendered dog to go under the knife

Casey is a friendly, happy dog in desperate need of surgery to remove a large tumour.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

May 23, 2013 - 12:47 PM

CASEY'S BASKETBALL-SIZED TUMOUR TO BE REMOVED

UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. May 23, 2013

Casey has been living in a foster home for about a week now and Marg Barker says she is going to miss him when he gets adopted. Casey was dropped off at the SPCA last week when his owner could no longer care for him and the Barkers - who just started fostering for the SPCA - immediately took him in.

A large basketball-sized tumour is displacing his shoulder and Barker says it looks as if it has gotten bigger over the past couple days. When the lump was tested over a year and a half ago it was determined to be fatty tissue.

While the lump is slowing him down he is a very happy boy and is always looking for love and attention, she says. He likes to play and knows many tricks and commands - especially if it means he'll get a treat.

Though he loves to play he does tire easily right now and has problems with stairs. He also tends to cry out at night, whimpering and moaning in pain. Barker is happy he will get the surgery he needs and hopes the public will help cover the costs - estimated to be over $2,000. His surgery is scheduled for Friday, May 24 and while some funds have already come in to cover the costs donations from the public were at about $900 late this morning.

Casey will go back to foster care at the Barker's Westsyde home to recover and once he is ready he will be put up for adoption. Branch manager Charleen Holloways says it will likely be a minimum of three weeks before he is ready for adoption.

11:21 a.m. May 22, 2013

The Kamloops SPCA is pleading with the public to finally get help for a surrendered dog living with a fatty tumour big enough to displace his shoulder.

They don't know how long Casey, an eight-year-old Labrador-retriever, has suffered through the basketball-sized tumour, but they know he needs help now.

He was surrendered last week because his owner could not afford his vet bills and branch manager Charleen Holloway was shocked to see the large, untreated mass when Casey came to the shelter.

“This could have been easily remedied years ago. Casey's surgery would have been less costly and required less recovery time had this been treated when discovered two or three years ago,” Holloway says.

The veterinarian who assessed Casey says the tumour needs to be removed because the fatty-tissue has displaced his front left leg. The branch is now asking for donations to help cover the medical costs to have the tumour removed, estimated at $2,000.

Casey remains active and acts like a puppy, Holloway reports, and is expected to make a full recovery following surgery on Friday and will be up for adoption once fully recovered.

To make a donation to help Casey or any other animal in need, go to spca.bc.ca/support, call the Kamloops branch at 250-376-7722 or drop off or mail your donation to the branch at 1211 8 St., Kamloops, B.C., V2B 2Y3.

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 819-3723.