Macho Man

For those who are new to Macho’s journey, he has faced a series of challenges since he first arrived at MAS in March 2021. At that time, his skin showed visible scars and hair loss, and biopsies confirmed solar dermatitis. He was initially on oral medications to slow the progression of the condition, but his liver became intolerant to the drugs, forcing us to discontinue them.

Not long after, Macho tore one of his cruciate ligaments. While awaiting consultation with a local orthopedic surgeon, he developed kennel cough, which quickly progressed into pneumonia. During his pneumonia treatment, he tore his other cruciate ligament. Eventually, he was healthy enough for cruciate surgery, but by then, he had developed moderate arthritis in both knees.

Throughout his time with us, Macho has faced many difficult-to-treat skin infections, including a methicillin-resistant staph pseudintermedius (MRSP), often referred to as the “dog version of MRSA.” A few years ago, he required a very strong antibiotic to clear this persistent infection, but unfortunately, he experienced a rare and life-threatening side effect: a GI ulceration. This resulted in anemia, and Macho needed an emergency blood transfusion at the local vet ER.

More recently, he’s been dealing with severe allergies, arthritis in his right elbow, and a painful recurring infection in his left front paw. He’s become increasingly intolerant to anesthesia, and after his most recent procedure, he felt extremely ill for about a week. To make matters worse, one of his incisions developed a post-operative infection.

Given Macho’s complex medical history, we believe it’s in his best interest to focus on managing his quality of life. We know he will continue to develop skin cancers, but we don’t feel it’s appropriate to put him through frequent surgeries to remove tumors. Therefore, we have decided to transition Macho to long-term hospice care at MAS. This decision reflects our goal to minimize invasive treatments while prioritizing his happiness. We understand that this may result in a shorter lifespan for Macho, but we are committed to ensuring his quality of life is our main focus.

The most recent mast cell tumor will not be removed at this time, but it may be addressed in the future if necessary.

We understand that each of you might have made different choices for Macho if he were your own dog—resources like time, finances, and care goals vary for each situation. However, we hope you can appreciate and support the approach we’ve chosen for Macho’s care during his golden years.

Macho will continue to be medically cleared for adoption, as a long-term hospice adoption, or a long-term hospice foster home.