06/04/2026
* Casper Ghosts Cancer, Finds a New Haunt *
Casper, the friendly pup, was adopted this week! It was a dream ending to a long medical struggle.
When Casper arrived in February, we knew he had recurring ear infections. His left ear bothered him especially, and had some discharge, so in March our vets cleaned it out and had it cultured. They prescribed him a special compound ear medicine, and assumed it would clear up.
It did not. By April, he was crying and screaming whenever someone touched his ear. On April 6, he had a CT scan, which showed his ear canal was blocked by a mass. On April 28, he had Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA) Surgery at Blue Springs Animal Hospital and Pet Resort. They removed a 1-inch-wide tumor from his ear, which turned out to be cancerous. Fortunately, they were able to get nearly all of it. Casper recovered quickly, and was much healthier and happier. Within weeks, we had multiple adoption applications.
Of course, there is always the chance the cancer could return, but dogs typically live for 3-5 years after TECA, which is a typical life expectancy for any senior dog. We were honest with adopters about his health issues. Happily, we found a couple who were excited to add Casper to their home. It was the best possible outcome to his ordeal.
We are so happy that Casper found his second chance, and that his golden years will be comfortable and filled with love. Second chances can be expensive, however. His medical bills came to around $7,000. Though totally worth it, we still would have been hard-pressed to afford it without a generous grant from the The Grey Muzzle Organization. We are deeply grateful to GMO for giving us the means to take care of Casper, returning him to health and preparing him for adoption. Casper’s happy ending is largely due to Grey Muzzle, and we cannot thank them enough.
