Ashton 19-007-DA  |
It’s with heavy heart we let you all know that Ashton has passed away 😢 on August 29, he lost his battle with cancer. He died in the arms of his foster family, with his sister Shelby by his side.
Ashton returned to NASAP, with his bonded sister Shelby, in April 2019. They are happy, loving and energetic older pair at 9 years old. And they could not be more opposite in many ways. Shelby has the energy of a 2 year old and loves to run and meet EVERYONE. Ashton is much more relaxed, calmly walks beside you on the leash and willing to meet anyone but not a priority. They both love cuddles and treats and attention often pushing each other over to get more pets and belly scratches. However when Ashton was surrendered it was noted he was generally in good health but had a previous bleeding ulcer just before Christmas that caused him to vomit blood and loose a significant amount of weight. As well, he had "seizure" episodes that occurred maybe once a month or less where he would lay on his side and be very still for about 10 seconds. He had not required treatment for these episodes because they were so infrequent but he had received treatment for the ulcer. Both pups went to our partner vet for a full health assessment and unfortunately Ashton was much sicker than anyone expected. Despite being so happy and energetic his tongue was sheet white, he had stage 4 dental disease, he had a significant heart murmur, his weight was significantly lower than Shelby his ribs and spine were visible and his bloodwork revealed severe anemia (blood loss) most likely due to internal bleeding. With these results we believe his "seizures" were actually hypotensive episodes were his blood pressure was so low he became dizzy and had to lay down or fainted, once the blood levels rose he was able to stand up again and continue his day like normal. Also why they were so infrequent and had no significant issues immediately following the “seizure”. The potential internal bleeding had us panicked and we booked him an abdominal ultrasound as soon as possible to get a clear picture of what was the cause. The ultrasound is where we got the most devastating news! It found, he had significant cancer masses to his liver, to majority of the lymph-nods around his intestine had masses and a large tumour in his stomach. As well, the mass in his stomach has already eaten part of the stomach wall, which presented as a stomach ulcer and why he vomited blood earlier this year. This tumour will eventually rip his stomach lining completely and be catastrophic. Our vets have suspected he will only live for 2 more months but he has defied the odds several times over!! He is loving, warm and full of life, you would never suspect his poor body was riddled with so much cancer. For this reason, Ashton has been made permanent care and will live with his foster home until he passes. He will be kept comfortable and loved for the rest of his days with his sister Shelby.
Age : 9 years old |