Jewel was discovered at a Bay Area Pound, terribly thin and not eating, with a large and infected tumor in her mouth. BCNC bailed her out and I was able to get her seen almost immediately by Oncology Service at the UC Davis VMTH. The tumor was a melanoma, progressed way beyond any useful treatment. With the help of the VMTH , I was able to keep her comfortable and enjoying life for the next ten weeks. Then she began to fail. This photo is taken the day before her death. She was weak but still able to take some enjoyment in a very short walk. The next day she seemed to me to be crashing and Emergency Services and Intensive Care found that it was no longer possible to restore her to comfort. We euthanized her on the grass under a flowering tree. Her post-motem showed that she had multiple metastases and systemic infection, including encephalitis.
 
She was a sweet and gentle dog. It was a priviledge to provide her comfort , affection, and some enjoyment during her last months.
 
For a look at her tumor, which is ugly, click Jewel's tumor.