Up for Adoption

The beautiful and loving Rachel is officially up for adoption now (click here to see her bio).  We've been fostering her for two months, and in that time we have gotten to know her well enough to start the hunt for her "forever home."  She is calm, loving, gentle, house-trained and well-behaved.  She doesn't chase cats or squirrels.  She walks well on a leash, gets along well with other dogs, and likes nothing better than to snuggle with her humans.  She's the perfect dog!

Well ... perfect in all ways but one.  During a routine vet exam, we learned that the lump on her back leg (which we assumed was a benign fatty tumor) is actually a Mast Cell Tumor.  These tumors are a form of skin cancer in dogs, and they can range from fairly mild to very aggressive.

After consulting a veterinary oncologist, we have opted against removing the tumor.  So far it is not bothering Rachel at all; it appears to be a milder type of MCT; removing MCTs sometimes causes more problems than the original tumor did; and many dogs live full lives with MCTs and are unaffected.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue's plan is to put her up for adoption, make sure her adoptive family is well-informed about MCTs, and tell them to keep an eye on it in case it flares up in the future and requires surgical intervention.

Rachel has become a big part of our lives in the short time she's lived here.  I have to admit, MJ and I are tempted to keep her!  But right now she belongs to Rescue, and we'll see how the search goes for her adoptive home.  If she's still with us in several more months, we may reconsider adopting her ourselves.  She is truly a special dog.