Dear Team Max,

I’m so sorry for the inevitable scare of receiving a “special update.” Before I go any further, please rest assured that our Max is very much alive, and will hopefully soon be feeling better than he has in a long time.

It hasn’t, however, been a week of wellness for our boy.

As you know all too well, Max has been quite aggressive with his own tail this winter. Just when we were optimistic that his private suite and current medication dose were keeping him calm and content, he had yet another episode. And this one was different.

Due to previous episodes of self-trauma, Max’s tail tip was on the brink of falling off. Our vet team opted to let this happen naturally, rather than risk any anesthetic complications. (Since Max has heart disease, anesthesia is always a bit of a risk.) On Tuesday night, Max’s tail tip fell off…and Max fell out of sanity.

When our wonderful Senior Veterinary Technician, Denise, arrived Wednesday, Max’s room looked like a crime scene. Max had ravaged his tail and was bleeding badly. Clearly, this delicate dance couldn’t continue any longer.

Due to the degree of trauma, Max would unquestionably need surgical repair this time. Since they would be anesthetizing him one way or the other, and since it seemed inevitable at this point, our vet team opted to amputate Max’s tail beyond the point where he could ever hurt it again.

Denise and stellar veterinarian Dr. Collins got confirmation that this was the right decision once Max was under anesthesia. On close inspection, they could see that Max had fresh bite wounds all along his tail. It was clear; no matter how well we fine-tuned his medication and created a calming, cozy environment, Max would continue these attacks.

As I type this update, Max is recovering comfortably. He came through his procedure with flying colors, and he’ll suffer no lasting pain from the surgery. In addition to looking outrageously cute with his 1 1/2″ long tail nubbin, he’ll also be unable to hurt himself anymore. When he first awoke from surgery, he attempted to attack what’s left of his tail, but couldn’t reach it. He’s since stopped growling at it, and seems quite comfortable and happy — our lovable Max! — back in his private suite. Of course, we are monitoring him extremely closely and giving him all the love in the world, on his own terms.

Dear sponsors, it’s only thanks to you that we’re able to give our challenging, cherished boy the special treatment he needs. You’ve rode so many waves with our boy through the years, and we’re very hopeful that this latest step will give Max lasting peace. Although it doesn’t cure the problems in his brain, having less tail to torment him will protect Max from harm.

Thank you for loving this brave boy so generously.