Soft Tissue Sarcoma
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 02:23 last edited by
He has been acting like there is a girl in season in the neighborhood. My guess is that it is the next door neighbor's dog.
Yesterday he gave us a scare though vomiting up some blood and bile. So off we rushed to the vet and while we were there I asked them to check out a new lump I had found. They asked the basic questions about his behavior and such and really he has good energy, good appetite, normal bowel movements, absolutely nothing that would tip off that he is feeling off except that morning he wasn't holding his tail quite right.
The good news about his stomach is that the ultrasound showed it is just a case of some general gastritis and should clear up with some pepcid and a few days of bland diet.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 03:06 last edited by
Glad to hear that all signs point positive… hugs and good wishes headed your way...
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 03:33 last edited by
The surgeon just had a change in schedule so Nicky will probably have surgery tomorrow after his consult.
I am hoping that everything will continue to be positive. I am worried for my boy.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 10:19 last edited by
Some healing thoughts from the Netherlands. Glad to hear the first results were positive.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 10:57 last edited by
Wow…I'm sorry to hear about Nicky, :( but am happy to hear that the xrays were a good result. I feel like I know him from all of the stories and pics you've posted. I'm sending positive thoughts your way and will be thinking of you both today. I hope the consult and surgery (if necessary) go really well. Hugs to you both!
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 14:04 last edited by
The vet called yesterday to say the specialists schedule has opened up today so most likely Nicky will have his consult followed by surgery today. Our vet is optimistic that Nicky is a good candidate for surgery since where the tumor is located has lots of loose pliant skin and easy to get to. The consult appointment is 9am today so another 2 hour wait.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 18:24 last edited by
Nicky's consult went well. They were very impressed with Nicky they thought he was a very good looking dog when he walked in, they thought he was an amazing looking dog when they realized he was 11 years old.
The surgeon is hoping that the reason why the mass is so free moving under the skin is because it hasn't attached to any of the underlying tissue. If that is the case, there is a really good chance they can get all of the tumor. He will have a very large incision because they take very wide margins with this type of tumor in order to get the whole thing and reduce the risk of recurrence. If they are successful there is only about a 5% chance that it would recur.
I am going bonkers waiting.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 19:19 last edited by
Oh Lisa, I really hope the surgeon is right and he can get the whole tumor. That would be a GREAT outcome! Hang in there, I'm sure you'll hear something soon. :) And hopefully really good news.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 21:01 last edited by
Sounds like he's in great hands; they've given you a really good prognosis. I know it's hard, but just focus on him being okay and having many more years with you. We're all pulling for you!
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 23:53 last edited by
He is home. The vet wanted to keep him as long as possible before sending him home, they said after 4pm at the earliest. They called at 3:15pm to say Nicky was very adamant that it was time to go home NOW! He was digging to China by the time I got there to pick him up.
He had a light snack when he got home. Surgery hasn't effected his appetite:) The surgeon thinks he was able to get it all but we won't know for sure until the pathology comes back in 4-5 days. His incision is gigantic but he should be doing well in 10-14 days.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 23:54 last edited by
Thank you to everyone for you kind thoughts and prayers. I am very happy to have him home.
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wrote on 3 Apr 2009, 23:57 last edited by
Nicky's Incision
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 00:21 last edited by
I am hopeful you will recieve only good news from the vets.
hugs.
We will send good vibes to your home. -
wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 00:36 last edited by
And just so everyone knows, the mass was no bigger than the size of a quarter. Because of the way the this tumor type spreads they take very large margins around it.
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 01:15 last edited by
Good grief… that is huge..... liken to Kristii's stem to stern on her belly for the liver tumor...
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 01:19 last edited by
YIKES!!! Nicky - that looks awful, work the pitiful basenji act for as long as it will work. You can get your mom doing everything for you.
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 13:36 last edited by
Poor Nicky!! That incision is huge! Lots of hugs and pets and treats and bones and lovin are in order.
Best wishes from us for a very speedy recovery.
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 13:48 last edited by
Nicky did pretty well last night. He has a hard time getting comfortable because he wants to lay on the side with the incision then decides he doesn't like how that feels so then he decides to move and try a different position.
He has a good appetite and other than being annoyed at all the things he isn't allowed to do for the next two weeks, he is pretty much his regular self.
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 14:00 last edited by
I *bet that is uncomfortable!!! So, since it was a sarcoma, I am guessing it was in the muscle tissue, is that inaccurate? After having a C-section, I know that I never want to have muscle cut again!! And it was small, compared to the relational size of Nicky's incision.
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wrote on 4 Apr 2009, 14:01 last edited by
Poor Nicky…that incision IS huge. I'm happy that he made it thru well and that he is eating well, and able to get some rest. It must be such a big relief to have the surgery itself behind you…although I'm sure the wait for the pathology result is torture.
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