Equus Leather
Well-Known Member
You wouldn't think I was a VN in a previous life, I'm being so wet about this.
Bit of history. Amber (Italian Spinone) was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid about 3 years ago. Over the first 2 years from diagnosis there was lots of to-ing and fro-ing having bloods taken to get the levels of drugs right. This seems to have finally been achieved, around about last October.
She has hairloss, and this started when the thyroid issue was found. It's not typical of a thyroid problem though, in that she has lost hair on her face (each cheek and top of head), under her jowels, down the backs of her front legs and tummy.
The skin often goes through stages of looking very red and angry, it has a waxy sebaceous type thing sometimes on it, though this is more apparent on her legs and tummy. Thyroid hairloss, we are told, is more often along the back, and this is where her coat is best.
So, secondary skin infections and such like have been diagnosed along the way and treated with ABs.
About 2 weeks ago, the skin under her neck and jowels was very sore, scabby and weepy. We put it down to the new puppy hanging off her all the time, and took her to the vets (a new one as we have swapped). He prescribed ABs and priton (which have worked and it's all cleared up), but when he was giving her a once over he noticed her lymph nodes under her front scapulas where really enlarged. My OH says they've been like that for a long time, years probably, and she is a very lumpy dog in all other respects too.
Anyway, vet stuck a needle in and took some cells and sent them off. Came back inconclusive, which vet warned us they might do. Said there where some sinister looking cells, but also lots of vey normal cells. He also said her back leg lymphs seemed enlarged too. He didn't know whether it was due to fighting the infection that had developed in her skin under her neck.
So, the upshot is they want her in for a GA to whip out a lymph node to send it off for testing. I'm scared because she's 10 now, 11 in September...she's not a young dog anymore. vet thinks there might be a form of skin cancer. She's started developing little white pimples/spots that come and go over a period of days...he says that it could be due to some underlying issue with the skin and that might have been the problem all along and thyroid is secondary to it.
I know the right thing to do is have the op and find out once and for all if something sinister is going on, but I'm so scared for her. My OH is heartbroken. She's his dog really, and before I moved in they lived together on their own for 6 years so he's very attached to her.
Just need some reassurance I think. he is hoping it's a dermatitis thing, but she's been skin scraped (although not recently) and is regularly washed in malaseb etc etc, so i don't think it's anything like that.
She's just so well in herself. No other symptoms of any type of cancer. She eats well, is energetic, loves her walks, toilet stuff all fine. Don't know whether to have the op as she is ok on the outside..
Gah
Bit of history. Amber (Italian Spinone) was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid about 3 years ago. Over the first 2 years from diagnosis there was lots of to-ing and fro-ing having bloods taken to get the levels of drugs right. This seems to have finally been achieved, around about last October.
She has hairloss, and this started when the thyroid issue was found. It's not typical of a thyroid problem though, in that she has lost hair on her face (each cheek and top of head), under her jowels, down the backs of her front legs and tummy.
The skin often goes through stages of looking very red and angry, it has a waxy sebaceous type thing sometimes on it, though this is more apparent on her legs and tummy. Thyroid hairloss, we are told, is more often along the back, and this is where her coat is best.
So, secondary skin infections and such like have been diagnosed along the way and treated with ABs.
About 2 weeks ago, the skin under her neck and jowels was very sore, scabby and weepy. We put it down to the new puppy hanging off her all the time, and took her to the vets (a new one as we have swapped). He prescribed ABs and priton (which have worked and it's all cleared up), but when he was giving her a once over he noticed her lymph nodes under her front scapulas where really enlarged. My OH says they've been like that for a long time, years probably, and she is a very lumpy dog in all other respects too.
Anyway, vet stuck a needle in and took some cells and sent them off. Came back inconclusive, which vet warned us they might do. Said there where some sinister looking cells, but also lots of vey normal cells. He also said her back leg lymphs seemed enlarged too. He didn't know whether it was due to fighting the infection that had developed in her skin under her neck.
So, the upshot is they want her in for a GA to whip out a lymph node to send it off for testing. I'm scared because she's 10 now, 11 in September...she's not a young dog anymore. vet thinks there might be a form of skin cancer. She's started developing little white pimples/spots that come and go over a period of days...he says that it could be due to some underlying issue with the skin and that might have been the problem all along and thyroid is secondary to it.
I know the right thing to do is have the op and find out once and for all if something sinister is going on, but I'm so scared for her. My OH is heartbroken. She's his dog really, and before I moved in they lived together on their own for 6 years so he's very attached to her.
Just need some reassurance I think. he is hoping it's a dermatitis thing, but she's been skin scraped (although not recently) and is regularly washed in malaseb etc etc, so i don't think it's anything like that.
She's just so well in herself. No other symptoms of any type of cancer. She eats well, is energetic, loves her walks, toilet stuff all fine. Don't know whether to have the op as she is ok on the outside..
Gah
