Update On Duke

I didn't want to write this post, but here we go...

The vet has no idea if the mass on his back is cancerous or not. But, while at the vet, we found out that poor Duke has heartworms. Yes, heartworms. So, what do we do now?

• Well, since Duke nor Bear seems to have had their preventive care for heartworms, we're taking Bear in tomorrow for his checkup and to see if he has them too. This scares me. I can't imagine both of them being sick.
• Rocky, thank goodness, has been kept up to date on his shots and pills. He is due, however, his heartworm meds. I'm getting them from the vet tomorrow or ordering them online, depending on the vet.
• Duke needs to have surgery to remove the mass. The surgery is $600. Our vet bill yesterday...$130. Then, he'll have a recovery time of about 8 weeks or so, where he has to stay in a pen away from the other dogs - so that he doesn't do any damage to himself while recovering. Now, if the surgery is done before his heartworm stuff, he might not make it through the surgery - because of the heartworms in his heart.
• If we have the heartworm stuff first, he still may not make it and would have to stay in the pen for about 4 weeks, so that he doesn't do any damage and have heart failure....
• All in all, $2000 worth of bills, and the dog may not make it.
• So, tomorrow Bear goes in for his appointment - another $130. Pray that he's okay.
• Afterwards, Duke will go in sometime next week and have a test and xrays done to see how bad the heartworms are. Another $275.
• Now, how are we? I'm not wearing makeup this morning, due to swollen eyes. I think hubs is handling this more "manly." Which is okay, he's a man. I get it. But we're not sure what to do. It's costly, but also we don't want him to sit in a pen alone for 3 months while being sick and wondering why his brothers are out playing and he's not. Also, if Bear is sick too - more than likely we will only treat one dog and put Duke to sleep. Painful to admit.
• Also note that, he may have cancer. We don't know what that mass is.

So to say it's been a rough night/day, would be an understatement. Pray that God gives us direction on this and that Bear & Rocky are okay. I feel like such a horrible parent. I've always made sure that Rocky was taken care of on his health stuff, but I let the other 2 fall by the way side because they were older, I guess. I feel horrible knowing that maybe I could've prevented the heartworms. Honestly, I didn't know that this stuff was still out there and I'm mad that the vet didn't inform me more. But, I guess I should've been more of a responsible pet owner.