Better and some not-so-good.
A friend's dog had problems over the weekend. All signs pointed to him having had a stroke: couldn't stand up well, had problems balancing/walking, was in constant pain. This is a rescue dog who had been very badly treated (nearly starved to death, mange, nasty stuff) that my friends have nursed back to full health and have had for the last 5-6 years. He's a great dog. They were expecting to have to put him down.
Take him to the vet. It's a slipped disc in his back. Steroids for two weeks might fix it completely. If not, there's an operation that will. They can afford the operation if it comes to that. The dog is already doing better on the medication--at least they don't have to hold him up for him to pee anymore.
Housemate takes Basement Cat to the vet this morning for her annual check-up. Cat has a mass on her belly that's almost guaranteed to be cancer. It probably hasn't metastasized, but it's hard to tell. Surgery is tomorrow, so hopefully they can get everything in one swoop. Cat is 12 yo and Housemate has had her since she was a wee kitten. Kinda tense around here now.
So very much fun, eh?