Beacon, the beloved therapy dog who has brightened hearts from Pasadena to the USA Olympics, now finds himself in the same care and comfort he’s brought to so many, as he battles an unknown illness.
The 4-year-old Golden Retriever was admitted to a local pet hospital on Sept. 3 after suffering from stiffness, labored breathing and a fever. That same night, hospital staff drained 700 ml of fluid from his chest cavity, according to a GoFundMe page that was set up to cover his medical expenses.
Beacon was discharged on Sept. 7 after spending four nights in the hospital. He is due for a follow-up checkup on Wednesday. However, his diagnosis remains unclear as doctors await results from various tests, which could take one to three weeks, his owner, Tracey Callahan Molnar, said in a phone interview this week.
In the meantime, Beacon is limited to minimal walks and is treated to plenty of rest as he continues to recuperate at home.
“He’s kind of status quo right now,” Molnar said. “So, we’re just sort of going out for a five- to ten-minute walk, that’s it…… the plan is to have him lay low and continue to try and work on his appetite and those kinds of things.”
A silver lining amidst the uncertainty is that initial fears of cancer are no longer a concern.
“No, they have ruled out any cancer,” Jacqueline Fealy, a friend of Molnar for more than nine years who launched the GoFundMe page, confirmed in an email on Wednesday. “Still no diagnosis but he is improving…
