Ralph

I was petting my big dog Ralph and I found a lump on his chin. It was pretty big, and he’s old, almost 13. We took him to the vet and got it aspirated, which was scary. He seems ok now, and the vet is running tests, and said it’s probably alright and nothing to worry about, but I hate any kind of vet anything. I love my dogs so much, and I feel helpless when anything goes wrong, when they seem ill or scared or anything less than completely content and happy. Ralph is now sleeping off all the vet trauma and is gonna get lots of dog loving and massages and a nice long play with his favorite wooly felt toy snake later.

If you have animals, please pet them and love them and work from home whenever you can, and try to walk them every day and feed them the best food you can afford and get them the best medical treatment you are able to get for them and even if you don’t have money you can still love them and love them and love them because money matters less than love and when you walk by don’t just walk by them – be sure to kiss them on the forehead and look them in the eyes and thank them for being yours because one day they will be taken from you and you will not be ready for it and if you did not do all of this, you will be swallowed whole with regret.

22 thoughts on “Ralph

  1. I can completely relate. My cat just went through a huge lump drama. It’s scary and upsetting and sucks a lot. My pets are like my children (especially since my uterus will never house an embryotic anything) and its just plain old scary when something like that happens. Since the scare, all my animals get uber amounts of love and attention because you just never know. 🙁

    I’m sending both you and Ralph some big, solid, good vibes. And tossing a few the vet’s way so that you find out what’s going on with your big boy quicker rather than later. Waiting is awful.

  2. I’ve unfortunately lost 4 furries in the last 4 years (old age gets us all eventually) and it’s just so hard to take, each and every time.

    I’m so glad Ralph is doing better today, and me and my furbabies are sending you all tons of goodness and cyber *hugs*. Vet trips suck under the BEST of circumstances. But I agree: do everything you can to enjoy and help and cherish your little furry blessings because nothing is guaranteed in this world except its impermanence.

    Makes me want to run home and hug my kitties again until they wrestle their way out of my grasp. Not the bunny though. Allergies are killing me. Husband can do that one. 😀

    Best to you and Ralph!

  3. So much love to you and to Ralph! Here’s hoping it’s a benign lipoma (a harmless lump of fatty tissue pretty common in pups his age).
    Sent from under a cat.

  4. Yeah – thanks for posting this message. I too had a similar experience with my Siamese cat Sam. Turns out, Sam had a tumor in his furry little stomach. The good news, we had it removed and he lived a full-happy life for a number of years thereafter. Biscuits and Kisses to Ralph!

  5. I was hoping to get a post about the dogs soon, but sad to hear that Ralph had trouble.
    Get Well Soon Ralph…Treats and Lurv to you big guy.

    I have been to the vet alot…too. Something is always happening, but it’s always little stuff.
    I have two young doggies and they make everyday worth it.

  6. My cat got eaten by a coyote when we put him out one night because new flooring wasn’t dry. He’d stayed out before lots before, but by his own choice. Much pain. Glad Ralph is okay.

  7. i love ralph! he reminds me so much of my first dog, rex, whom we had from when i was 7 to when i was 19. the best are those wonderfully expressive eyebrow dots! i hope ralph felt better the next day–i’ll be thinking of him.

  8. Oh Margaret I know what you mean.

    My horse has skin cancer. I’ve been fighting cancer myself off and on for years. We’re quite a pair, eh? In the end love is what it’s all about.

  9. yeah i need to start feeding my cat better food – i bought iams thinking it would be better for him recently and now he pees everywhere and has frightening stool.

    yeah. no. iams = WTF IS IN THIS?!

  10. I work with animals and have lost more than a few of my furry friends in the last month. It’s been hard. It;s hard watching my personal pet family grow old, too. Two of my cats are geriatric! ONe has been with me for half of my life! I can’t imagine life without them. I’m sending good thoughts Ralph’s way and giving all my “kids” extra love after reading this post.

  11. So glad poochie friend is ok!! My dog just got fixed and some tumors removed…the house was so silent and lonely without her! I’m sure you understand how thrilled we were to have the queen of the house back after a few terrible days.

    Much love Ralph and Margaret!! <3 <3

  12. I spent my rat terrier’s entire life telling her to quit barking hysterically every time my husband came home, as if she had no idea who he was. It was a game; she knew perfectly well who was unlocking that door, and she just barked because it was fun to bark. It drove me crazy. Tonight, nearly a month and a half after we lost her, I would sell my soul to hear one of her barking frenzies again.

    Love that baby all you can. In the end, you need it even more than he does. You and Ralph are in my thoughts and prayers tonight.

  13. Thank you for reminding people to show appreciation to their pets. They are such joys and gifts to our lives. My cat passed away from cancer about a week ago and it was so devastating on my family, and I’ve still been crying every day. It happened so fast and I wish I could snuggle and kiss her one last time. I hope to God that she knew how much I loved her. I believe she’s in heaven in an open space, watching birds and chasing lizards. She’ll be one of the first to greet me when it’s my time to crossover.

  14. I send good vibes to Ralph (not that sort of Good Vibes). We have 3 older cats, one of whom is a brittle diabetic with glaucoma (our semi-feral rescue, of COURSE; just TRY giving a cat like that insulin shots twice a day!), and recently acquired a much younger cat (we were trying to trap the tomcat that’s been marking around our house, and got an adorable little sweetie who was already spayed, apparently abandoned or lost).

    My parents breed/show dogs, and have recently had a scary run on their animals — one turned 15 and just stopped having good quality of life; one has turned 14 and has kidney failure; and a third is about 10 and was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. It’s hard for my folks, ill themselves in their late 70s, to afford the care of their elderly dogs, but they always manage. And we do too, for our cats, and I think that’s why all our vets have liked us so much…

  15. I’m so happy to read Ralph is doing okay. Dogs really add a lot to our lives.

    The only clue we had to our first dog’s cancer was when he went a day without eating. What can I say… Corgis love food. 🙂

  16. I lost one of my dogs to cancer, four years ago. watching him suffer hurt FAR worse than having him put to sleep.

    indeed, I do love on my animals, and INDEED, I consider my pets to be a part of my family.

    I hope, hope, HOPE your dog Ralph is okay. nobody–animal or pet–deserves to suffer from anything like cancer. NOBODY.

    (PS: I rented your comedy movie, Notorious C.H.O. and you are HILARIOUS! XD)

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