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Author's Chapter Notes:

Hello, all! This is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me. All of the medical jargon/scenarios used in this story are based on my own experience as a vet tech and research. Any criticism, advice, help, etc. is welcomed. Thank you! :) -Jay




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


I sat at my desk finishing up some charts when I was interrupted by Heather.

"Hey, Dr. Murphy, your next appointment is here."

I looked up and smiled at the young vet tech. She was one of the best technicians here and I was glad when she was assigned to me. She was passing me the chart and going over the medical history for my next patient. I looked at the paper and saw that I was seeing a new patient. A fourteen year old Boxer named Ruger. According to his owner, Ruger had begun to vomit more than usual and his appetite had decreased significantly. I was looking at the previous medical history and I saw that earlier in the year, Ruger weighed sixty-five pounds, but the weight Heather recorded was a meager fifty pounds. A fifteen pound weight loss immediately had me concerned. I told Heather to get ready to collect blood and stool samples as I walked to the examination room to greet Ruger and his owner.

I knocked on the door twice before entering and was greeted by a grey-faced dog and the sad, blue eyes of his owner. I introduced myself, "Hello, I'm Dr. Murphy and this must be Ruger. " I bent down to greet Ruger. Although I could sense he wasn't feeling his best, he still wagged his stumpy tail and proceeded to lick my hand.

I stood up and offered my other hand to his owner. He shook it and introduced himself as Clark Rendon. I wasn’t expecting him to be so attractive and it stunned me for a minute. When he smiled after introducing myself, I felt my knees buckle.

Clearing my throat and trying not to be too conspicuous about my obvious attraction, I asked in my best professional voice, "So, how long ago did the vomiting begin?"

He appeared deep in thought and then answered, "I believe about 5 days ago. I also noticed that he appears thinner than he usually is."

I nodded, "Ruger has lost about fifteen pounds this year. How has his appetite been?"

Mr. Rendon winced, "I knew he wasn't feeling his best, but he still seemed so happy. He used to love to eat, Dr. Murphy. Whenever I did notice that he seemed a little sick, I would feed him boiled chicken and rice. Now he has little interest in anything other than going on a walk."

Immediately, I began to think of the worst possible outcome. Cancer.

I mentally shook my head to clear the negative thoughts, "Mr. Rendon, have you noticed any blood in his vomit or stool?"

I watched as all the color drained from his face, "Yes. I did notice a couple of days ago that his vomit appeared bloody. His stools have been black. Is that any indication of blood?"

I wanted to be 100% sure before giving him a definitive answer. I sighed, "Well, black stool can be an indication of blood due to hemorrhaging in the gastrointestinal system. However, we won't know for sure until we run some additional tests. I'm going to take Ruger into the treatment area and I would like to collect some blood and stool samples. Is that okay with you?"

He nodded vigorously, "Do whatever you think is necessary, Dr. Murphy."

I offered him a small smile, grabbed Ruger's leash, and led him out of the room towards the back of the clinic.

I met Heather and we began to get Ruger's vitals. His temperature and heart rate were normal.

No arrhythmia or any weird sounds coming from his heart. That's good.

I went to assess his respiratory rate and that's when I noticed that this dog was having difficulty breathing. I went into emergency mode. I snapped to get my assistant’s attention, "Heather, I want you to put this dog on oxygen right now. His breaths are dangerously shallow."

I could recognize that the dog was in obvious pain so I administered a pain injection to help decrease the pain and discomfort he was feeling. I saw that his gums were very pale, another indication of possible internal bleeding.

We sprang into action and went about making Ruger as comfortable and stable as possible. I ran to my desk and made a phone call to the local emergency and specialty clinic.

"Hi, this is Dr. Dena Murphy at Dallas County Animal Medical Center. I am sending over a patient for immediate care."

The receptionist put me on a brief hold and transferred me to another doctor.

A gruff voice answered, "Dr. Murphy? This is Dr. Cook. What seems to be the problem?"

"Hi, Dr. Cook. I am sending over a fourteen year old Boxer named Ruger. Basically ADR, he is now laterally recumbent. He's lost fifteen pounds in a matter of months also. According to his owner, his appetite has decreased significantly, he is vomiting blood, and there is possible blood in his stool as well."

I could hear Dr. Cook breathe heavily, "Shit. Are you thinking cancer?"

My heart ached, "It was my initial thought. This dog isn't doing too well. He was doing fine in the exam room, but now I have him hooked up to oxygen and an IV. I think its spread to his lungs. I'm not sure how long he has."

"Okay, I'll get the oncologist on the case here and we'll try our best to help the big guy out. Send him over." I thanked Dr. Cook and hung up. I took a deep breath. I knocked on the exam room door and walked in. It was always difficult discussing the prognosis and quality of life with pet owners.

Mr. Rendon looked at me with the most expectant look in his blue eyes. I knew that delivering the bad news would break his heart, but I had to tell him.

I sighed, "Mr. Rendon, Ruger has taken a turn for the worst. He is now receiving IV fluids in addition to oxygen therapy. I am referring him to an oncologist and emergency clinic where he can receive the extensive care he needs."

The man ran his fingers through his dark hair as he fell into the chair and sniffed, "This is my fault, isn't it? I should've done more to prevent this. I'm such a bad pet owner."

I rushed to kneel in front of him, "Sir, this isn't your fault. No one could've predicted this. Ruger has lived a long and fulfilling life. He's a fourteen year old Boxer! You've done the absolute best for him and he was lucky to have you as his companion. Whatever you decide to do, just know that you've been the best pet owner for Ruger. He will always love you."

Mr. Rendon looked at me with those stormy blue eyes and gave a small smile, "Thank you, Dr. Murphy. I really appreciate it."

I stood and proceeded to give him all of the information about the specialty and emergency clinic. After leaving the room, I went to prepare Ruger for transportation. Thankfully, he was stable enough to be removed from the oxygen. I disconnected him from the fluids machine and ensured his catheter was firmly in place, just in case they wanted to administer more fluids.

Heather and Clark entered the treatment area. I saw that his eyes began to water again as he bent to greet his longtime companion. I could see Ruger's little stumpy tail wag and my heart clenched at the bittersweet image.

Clark easily lifted the weakened dog and carried him out to his SUV. I gave him the directions to the emergency clinic; he thanked me and went on his way.

I had just graduated from vet school the previous November and was lucky enough to land a job at the prestigious Dallas County Animal Medical Center. Even in my very short time working at the clinic, the days got longer and the cases got more and more difficult. I knew that the prognosis for Ruger wouldn't be the best, but I was hoping, praying for a miracle.

 






Chapter End Notes:

Okay, so I know that I tagged EVERY tag availabe, but I promise there's a reason. I have about 12 chapters(42 pages) written and I'm really excited to share it with y'all.

 

Please, please leave any constructive criticism or feedback. I'd love to hear from you!







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.