Vet visit – just more questions

Auburn University oncology didn’t see anything wrong with the spleen in the ER xrays and also didn’t see mets in the lungs! They said that there are small calcified dots that are age related and he’s had the same one in all his past xrays. So, Raven and I went to the vet this morning to have Tom review what the ER said and did. By the way, I am 2000 miles away from Auburn Univ, but email info to them because I have a friend that is a pathologist there.

Tom did an ultrasound and unfortunately did see a very large mass. He got another vet in his office to confirm. But they both feel it is not related to the spleen, but the liver. The liver is rarely a primary cancer source, but often a metastatic cancer location.

His blood levels were high for white blood cells, low on platelets. Which would indicate infection and bleedout. But there was never any sign of bleeding in the xrays even at the ER during his “episode” Saturday.

We simply don’t know what happened on Saturday. He definitely is weak, but energetic when he wants to be. He chased the cows this afternoon, ran across the yard for a hard boiled egg, bounced for the vet. But then he is exhausted. He has always had a great appetite, puts weight on easily, and never vomited or acted nauseous (which doesn’t fit for latent cancer symptoms). So, I keep postponing euthanasia because I worry that this is something fixable and not latter stage cancer.

The mass… To really know what we are dealing with, it needs a biopsy and I didn’t want to do that with the low platelet level (difficulty clotting), let alone just don’t want to put him through more prodding right now. If we knew what it is, options are removal and/or chemo. Some cancers really shrink fast with chemo and have a good prognosis. We drew blood for a new CBC, and also Tom will be talking to the oncologist in the morning.

My head is spinning. I feel badly as I took work off today (Fedex and BUSY) thinking he’d be put down, or at least for the extensive vet appt’s. I took off 3 days when his leg was amputated 6 weeks ago. And I know that the day I lose him I will miss work. They are mostly animal lovers and understand for the amputation or euthanasia, but I can’t just keep taking days off, so must go to work tomorrow and I have no idea what tomorrow holds for Raven.

I am emotionally exhausted. Raven, on the other hand, bless his heart, is happy to put aside his difficulties and perk right up at the sign of a stuffy or an egg. And then crash and sleep hard like a Played Out Puppy when the opportunity arises to rest. Wish I could. He is an inspiration to me. I truly think that God gave us dogs to teach us how we should be…

Here is a GREAT song and little video that says it all for me, especially the last line, “I can’t match their love for me.”

Author: dsimas

Rottie Raven, 8-1/2 years old, amputee on 10-27-09 and Miles, rottie mix rescue, hopefully no cancer. View all posts by dsimas