The Waiting Game

I wanted to share with you all a case that we had recently at NAAH that really put everyone through a range of emotions. Christy is a 9 year old Labrador that began seeing us in 2017. She's such a sweet girl, and it's so exciting getting to see her when she comes by. She normally comes with her sister, Summer. They are both the sweetest dogs ever. Christy has these big brown eyes that draw you in to immediately pat her head or give her a scratch on the chin. Christy had gained a little weight in 2018 and her owner wanted help to get her weight down. When Christy came in for a dental cleaning in January, she had lost 15 pounds. Great, right? Well, I was pretty excited until I looked a little closer. What should have taken her 4 months to lose, had only taken her 2 weeks. Her labwork was totally normal. Given Christy's breed and age, I had a sinking suspicion something more nefarious was the culprit. An ultrasound of her abdomen confirmed what I had feared. She had a tumor about the size of a baseball coming from her spleen. 

Here's the deal -- when we find a splenic tumor in a patient, it's almost always best to surgically remove the spleen. This is because splenic tumors are at risk of rupturing, leading to bleeding in the abdomen.  With most cancerous tumors in dogs, we can know what specific type of tumor we are dealing with prior to surgical removal. This helps us and the owner know the pet's prognosis, survival time post surgery, etc. With splenic tumors, we can't do this prior to surgery. We have no idea what specific type of splenic tumor it is until after surgery. A benign type of tumor means a wonderful prognosis with a normal life expectancy, whereas an aggressive, malignant tumor is quite the opposite. So, until we perform surgery and send the tumor to a pathologist, it's an anxiety-ridden waiting game.

Christy's surgery was scheduled for 2 days later. Everyone was rooting for Christy on surgery day. From the client service reps greeting her when her owner brought her in, the technicians getting blood samples prior to surgery and basically anyone within arm reach of her, Christy got a reassuring pat on the head. Surgery went great and she went home the next morning. Now for the hard part -- waiting. For 4-5 days, we wait to hear back from the pathologist. The weekend passed and the next work week began. Finally on Wednesday, I got an email saying that the pathology results were in...the tumor was benign! What great news! I called the owner immediately and he was overjoyed. He was thrilled that Christy, his faithful friend, who had been a constant companion for him for a long time, would be around for a good while. 

Now that's something we can all celebrate.

Dr. T 

- Christy and her big brown eyes -






19 comments:

  1. It was awesome article to read. Complete rich content and fully informative. I read this article; it is really informative one. Your way of writing and making things clear is very impressive. Thanking you for such an informative article. Find a Mate for My Dog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Found your post interesting to read. I can't wait to see your post soon. Good Luck for the upcoming update. This article is really very interesting and effective. pet pain management

    ReplyDelete
  3. I will share it with my other friends as the information is really very useful. Keep sharing your excellent work. Read more info about Pomeranian puppies for adoption

    ReplyDelete
  4. The information you've provided is quite useful. It's incredibly instructional because it provides some of the most useful information. Thank you for sharing that. Find A Mate For My Dog

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for Your Great post. If you are looking Quad Wheelchair for Dogs, then looking for us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So glad! A happy report ๐Ÿ™๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŽˆ

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for sharing such a nice post about Mating For Dogs . I love it so much. Check

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You have given great content here. Pretty Dogs Store I am glad to discover this post as I found lots of valuable data in your article. Thanks for sharing an article like this.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This post is very nice and informative. Thanks for sharing Info about iconic animals. I am waiting for your next post. Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The Rose intercourse toy presents plenty of run occasions, with 65 minutes of play per cost, equating to over 200 orgasms! The toy is well rechargeable with the USB magnetic charger topping up the power. Clit suction is quite of|is kind of} subtle and totally different cheap wholesale from clit stress. And people who love more intense sensations might not just like the suction know-how.

    ReplyDelete
  13. While the gameplay is stellar, Ignition’s number of cellular ๋ฐฐ๋‹น ์‚ฌ์ดํŠธ slots is proscribed comparability with} the desktop model. However, the selection nonetheless features the most well-liked games. If progressive jackpot slots are what you are be} in search of then Ignition Casino is the place ought to be|you need to be|you must be}.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The slot machines currently provided within the market} characteristic signage that's taller, wider, bigger, extra uniquely formed, and of upper resolution than the ones previously provided. For 1xbet instance, in October 2019, Every launched its Empire Flex video platform with a 49-inch flexed show on prime of the company's popular Empire MPX base. It features 4K content, industry-unique versatile built-in mild bars, and a large, enhanced glass button deck.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The site has Trustly, Skrill, Neteller and different payments with ๋ฐ”์นด๋ผ์‚ฌ์ดํŠธ e-wallets. Next, can even make|you may make} a deposit and begin playing in} inside quick time|a quick while}. Making a payment opens you up to as} many casino video games and the welcome bonus.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is amazing. God will definitely bless you with all the things you want. Blessings from that little puppy will fulfill all your dreams. Pet foods are available on PetCareRx and many website, but only few purchase them and feed to stray dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dog feeders come in various types and designs, but the primary purpose is to provide a controlled and measured amount of food at scheduled times. Some common types of dog feeders include gravity feeders, automatic electronic feeders, and programmable feeders. Dog food dispenser

    ReplyDelete