Bubba is our 3-year-old French Bulldog and, honestly, he’s the center of our world. He’s the kind of dog that doesn’t just hang around you, he’s on you, curled up, sleeping, following you from room to room. He’s goofy, stubborn, affectionate, and completely bonded to us. If you’ve ever had a dog that feels more like a best friend than a pet, that’s Bubba.
A couple months ago, we started noticing small lumps on his elbow and paw during a trip. At first, they didn’t seem like much, just something we kept an eye on. But when they didn’t go away, we brought him in to the vet. After testing, we got the diagnosis we were hoping not to hear: mast cell tumors. Hearing “tumors” about a 3-year-old dog hits hard. Bubba is still so young, full of energy, and very much in the middle of his life with us. The good news is that we caught them early, and there are treatment options, but acting quickly is critical, especially because one of the tumors is on his paw, which can be more complicated to treat.
Bubba also has a little brother, Beef, who looks up to him and follows his lead in everything. They’re inseparable. They play together, sleep near each other, and have that kind of bond where one always seems to be checking where the other is. Bubba is the steady one, and Beef depends on him more than we ever realized until now. We’re now working to get him in with specialists to determine the best path forward, whether that’s surgery or targeted treatment. The goal is simple: get Bubba healthy and give him the long life he deserves, not just for us, but for Beef too. At the same time, we’re navigating this during a period of unemployment, which makes the financial side of urgent specialty care much harder. We have some savings set aside, but the costs of oncology consults, imaging, and treatment add up quickly, and timing matters for outcomes.
We’re doing everything we can to move fast and make the best possible decisions for his care. Any support helps us get him the treatment he needs without delay. Bubba is more than a dog to us. He’s our companion, our constant, and our best friend. We just want to get him through this and back to being his normal, happy self, with his little brother right by his side.
A couple months ago, we started noticing small lumps on his elbow and paw during a trip. At first, they didn’t seem like much, just something we kept an eye on. But when they didn’t go away, we brought him in to the vet. After testing, we got the diagnosis we were hoping not to hear: mast cell tumors. Hearing “tumors” about a 3-year-old dog hits hard. Bubba is still so young, full of energy, and very much in the middle of his life with us. The good news is that we caught them early, and there are treatment options, but acting quickly is critical, especially because one of the tumors is on his paw, which can be more complicated to treat.
Bubba also has a little brother, Beef, who looks up to him and follows his lead in everything. They’re inseparable. They play together, sleep near each other, and have that kind of bond where one always seems to be checking where the other is. Bubba is the steady one, and Beef depends on him more than we ever realized until now. We’re now working to get him in with specialists to determine the best path forward, whether that’s surgery or targeted treatment. The goal is simple: get Bubba healthy and give him the long life he deserves, not just for us, but for Beef too. At the same time, we’re navigating this during a period of unemployment, which makes the financial side of urgent specialty care much harder. We have some savings set aside, but the costs of oncology consults, imaging, and treatment add up quickly, and timing matters for outcomes.
We’re doing everything we can to move fast and make the best possible decisions for his care. Any support helps us get him the treatment he needs without delay. Bubba is more than a dog to us. He’s our companion, our constant, and our best friend. We just want to get him through this and back to being his normal, happy self, with his little brother right by his side.