Emmerdale has confirmed the fate of the Dingles' much-loved dog, Monty, and it's heartbreaking. During Wednesday's episode (July 8), Paddy Kirk visited Wishing Well Cottage to give an update on Monty, who originally belonged to patriarch Zak Dingle, and confirmed that Monty has cancer.
Monty's Cancer Diagnosis
Paddy told Cain, Moira, Belle, Sam, and Lydia that the outlook wasn't great for their pooch, leaving them all visibly upset. Paddy explained: "The tests have confirmed Monty does have cancer, and it's metastatic. There is a tumour on his spleen that's spread to the lungs, which is why the smoke inhalation knocked him for six." Sam chipped in: "He's going to die then", as Paddy nodded his head in agreement. He later confirmed: "It's quite an aggressive form", as Lydia asked: "Would he have any quality of life?"
"Well, he's already been known by the smoke damage", Paddy replied, "So he's still got to get over that. But you know, he's eating well, and he's still alert. There will be good moments. Give the right treatments, and we can keep him comfortable."
Cain's Reaction and Decision
Cain, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is refusing treatment, added: "Being comfortable isn't the same as living, though, is it?" Moira tried to reassure her husband that they could still spend time together with their dog and wanted to give Monty a chance to enjoy the rest of his life, but Sam dismissed this.
Later, Cain collected Monty from the vet's surgery, where Paddy encouraged him to give his dog more time to live and relish their time together. This sparked food for thought in Cain, who later decided to continue treatment for his prostate cancer, leaving his family delighted.
Background of the Incident
Earlier this week, Kyle Winchester turned to his favourite unhealthy coping mechanism, lighting fires, after falling out with dad Cain Dingle. But the teenager was unaware that Monty was inside the shed as it went up in flames. Cain acted quickly and managed to rescue Monty from the blaze, and rushed him to see a vet, where Paddy confirmed that he had suffered some serious smoke inhalation.
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX.
