Phred I can understand the guilt you feel but please don't let it get you down. Our pupsters can handle a lot of pain (much more than us humans) so Smokey appeared to you, who, after all, are only human, to be doing well. I had a toy poodle with a luxating patella and the vet showed me how to slide it back into place if I wanted to postpone surgery. I could hardly maintain the presence of mind (dog yelping....human freaking) to do that while he was crying out so we went with surgery almost right away.

Since Smokey has responded so well to the medicine maybe that is all he will need. We will fold our hands and cross our paws here that it is not a tumor. ((((Big Hugs)))) and prayers for you and Smokey both.