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Thistle

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Well remembered Clodagh. Hera had Lupoid Onychodystrophy. Yumove helped as it has a good balance of Omega 3 and 6.

Tumour sounds like a mast cell tumour, When contemplating surgery on older dogs I always try to balance the life extension vs recovery time, so 1 month recovery post op to give the dog 1 year plus would be worth it. At 6 months I'd be hesitant. It's so hard with an older dog as you never know what's round the corner. I just nearly lost a 7 year old to a ruputured spleen, me being on the ball and a good vet that went the extra mile out of hours saved him. Yes, I guess he was worth it!
 
skinnydipper

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I'm sorry to hear about your sister's dog, Errin. If it is mast cell tumour I can share my experience of this with 2 dogs.

I hope your dog's nail problems can be easily treated.


JRT was 14 at time of diagnosis and lurcher was 9.

skinnydipper said:
Dec 2006, JRT diagnosed with intermediate Grade II, increased risk of metastasis. Removed surgically then radiotherapy. He was PTS in Jan 2009 for illness unrelated to the cancer.

Nearest radiotherapy Unit was 200 miles away.

1 overnight/inpatient stay, 3 sessions as outpatient and 1 wasted journey (received call on outskirts of Cambridge to say machine broken.)

I would obviously opt for surgery again but not the radiotherapy. He was very stressed by the whole ordeal, the travel, being away from home and abandoned among strangers- though I have no doubt they looked after him very well. He was never the same little dog and in addition was upset by car travel following this.


2013, lurcher diagnosed with mast cell, high grade Patnaik grade III. The nodule was narrowly excised (the vet had not expected it to be a mast cell tumour).

I was told it was a very aggressive, highly malignant tumour and I declined chemotherapy - it would not have cured her.

The cancer eventually returned but was deep in her shoulder muscle so surgery was not an option. Not PTS at that time as she was not in pain and still enjoying life. She was PTS in 2017 due to the cancer.

I hope I never have another dog with MCT but if I did I would opt for surgery only.
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Different cancer but, we had our Rottweiler treated conservatively, she lived 6 months post diagnosis. A colleague had her cockerpoo given chemo for the same (bladder) cancer, as the Rott, she also lived 6 months post diagnosis and grew terrified of getting In the car, presumably in case she was taken to the vets.
 
Errin Paddywack

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Had another update from my sister tonight, apparently it isn't cancer but a benign growth. She is certain she had told me that but I think I was meant to translate 'nasty but not as bad as it could be' to mean not cancer and my brain just didn't compute. She has had a talk to friends of hers who are retired vets and their suggestion was to tie it off. She will discuss this with her vet and hope they are prepared to do that. Better news for her that is for sure and hopefully she will get some sleep tonight. Not so sure about me.
 
Errin Paddywack

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Woke this morning to find my Jesse hopping lame, barely put a foot to the floor. Very relieved when I examined her foot to find that she had skinned the pad at the back of her foot. Put some foot balm on it and shall just leave her at home this morning. So glad it was something simple. Hoping that by Mon I will have two dogs sound enough to help me get my lambs penned as I have someone coming to view them and I need them gone.
 
Errin Paddywack

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Jesse is sound today, wish I could get over what must be a like a burst blister so quickly. Maddie has seen the vet and he has confirmed what others had told me. Auto immune disease, he did use a long name as well but can't remember it. Says we have caught it early which is good. She has come home with a skin supplement, basically Omega 3, some antibiotics and something else as well. He says it will take 2 or 3 months to resolve. Just need to be a bit careful with her for a while.
 
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Errin Paddywack said:
Jesse is sound today, wish I could get over what must be a like a burst blister so quickly. Maddie has seen the vet and he has confirmed what others had told me. Auto immune disease, he did use a long name as well but can't remember it. Says we have caught it early which is good. She has come home with a skin supplement, basically Omega 3, some antibiotics and something else as well. He says it will take 2 or 3 months to resolve. Just need to be a bit careful with her for a while.
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The long name is possibly Lupoid Onychodystrophy? That's the auto immune disease that my lab had with her toenails. I fed yumove supplement and made sure that we had mats on any gravel/stony areas in the garden.
 
Errin Paddywack

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Update on my sister's dog. She took her to see the senior vet (who is brilliant) because she was having prolonged bouts of reverse sneezing. He wasn't concerned, said she had a slightly sore throat and put her on Metacam which put a stop to it. However he did also look at the lump and reckoned he could take it off no problem just by removing the lump and not trying to take a big area round it. He had done the same for his father's dog and that had several more years. So she is being operated on this morning, fingers crossed all goes well. It will probably grow back but as it isn't malignant and she is already 13 hopefully won't be a problem.
My girl has now lost all her nails but doesn't seem remotely bothered by the loss, still tearing around as usual. She lines up for her tablets every morning no problem. Hopefully her nails will grow back.
 
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Errin Paddywack said:
Update on my sister's dog. She took her to see the senior vet (who is brilliant) because she was having prolonged bouts of reverse sneezing. He wasn't concerned, said she had a slightly sore throat and put her on Metacam which put a stop to it. However he did also look at the lump and reckoned he could take it off no problem just by removing the lump and not trying to take a big area round it. He had done the same for his father's dog and that had several more years. So she is being operated on this morning, fingers crossed all goes well. It will probably grow back but as it isn't malignant and she is already 13 hopefully won't be a problem.
My girl has now lost all her nails but doesn't seem remotely bothered by the loss, still tearing around as usual. She lines up for her tablets every morning no problem. Hopefully her nails will grow back.
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I hope the surgery goes well, and that the lump either doesn't grow back or takes a while to grow back. I had a spaniel about 15yrs ago who had a benign tumour on her neck which the vet allowed to grow quite big before operating as it wasn't bothering the dog. The surgery was successful but the operating vet said if it had been left any longer it would have attached to the jugular vein and been too risky to remove (and would have kept growing), so in future I would be wary of allowing a benign tumour free-rein to grow. I was told that the tumour would re-grow but they would remove it at a smaller size next time. The dog lived for another 8 years, the tumour never grew back, and she didn't get any others, and she had no ill effects from the surgery. she eventually died from something completely unrelated.

I hope that your bitch starts to improve quickly now she is on treatment, she is a very good girl taking her tablets! It sounds like your quick action to have her seen by a vet has saved it from becoming a worse problem, she is lucky to have such an attentive owner :)
 
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I'm really please to hear that the surgery went well, I hope all three of you have a good night's sleep tonight, and that Birch continues to recover well.
 
Errin Paddywack

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This is not going so well. The wound broke down Sunday night and that meant a visit to the emergency vet on Bank Holiday Monday. Since then she has been back daily to vet to get it redressed. Such an awkward place as it runs from her groin to her stifle and any movement at all pulls the bandage down off it. Sister rang me last night desperate for help. Her husband just couldn't cope and had to go for a lie down. I arrived straight from agility training only to end up going back home to collect more bandages. Managed to just about cover it and then wrap bandage round her middle as well. 10.30 before I got home and didn't get much sleep. My sister hasn't been to bed since the op, sleeps or tries, to on the floor beside the sofa that Birch sleeps on. She has been told it will take 4-6 weeks to resolve. Birch is on two different antibiotics plus painkillers and metacam. I shall be stocking up on conform bandages today. Bit of a nightmare.
 
Birker2020

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Errin Paddywack said:
This is not going so well. The wound broke down Sunday night and that meant a visit to the emergency vet on Bank Holiday Monday. Since then she has been back daily to vet to get it redressed. Such an awkward place as it runs from her groin to her stifle and any movement at all pulls the bandage down off it. Sister rang me last night desperate for help. Her husband just couldn't cope and had to go for a lie down. I arrived straight from agility training only to end up going back home to collect more bandages. Managed to just about cover it and then wrap bandage round her middle as well. 10.30 before I got home and didn't get much sleep. My sister hasn't been to bed since the op, sleeps or tries, to on the floor beside the sofa that Birch sleeps on. She has been told it will take 4-6 weeks to resolve. Birch is on two different antibiotics plus painkillers and metacam. I shall be stocking up on conform bandages today. Bit of a nightmare.
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Oh Errin I am sorry to hear this. It sounds a dreadful situation. I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed that Birch makes a full recovery. Maybe your sister is going to have to make a decision soon for the sake of the dog, sad as it may be.

13 is a fantastic age to have got to. I'm sorry I can't sound more positive. Healing vibes all the way xx

Amymay's idea is good.

I have a friend who has a year old dog she is trying to crate for six weeks following a fracture, its a nightmare for her as it won't keep still for five minutes due to its age, its bounding around and lively as hell. But at least an older dog would hopefully cope better in a crate.
 
skinnydipper

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Errin Paddywack said:
This is not going so well. The wound broke down Sunday night and that meant a visit to the emergency vet on Bank Holiday Monday. Since then she has been back daily to vet to get it redressed. Such an awkward place as it runs from her groin to her stifle and any movement at all pulls the bandage down off it. Sister rang me last night desperate for help. Her husband just couldn't cope and had to go for a lie down. I arrived straight from agility training only to end up going back home to collect more bandages. Managed to just about cover it and then wrap bandage round her middle as well. 10.30 before I got home and didn't get much sleep. My sister hasn't been to bed since the op, sleeps or tries, to on the floor beside the sofa that Birch sleeps on. She has been told it will take 4-6 weeks to resolve. Birch is on two different antibiotics plus painkillers and metacam. I shall be stocking up on conform bandages today. Bit of a nightmare.
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Do you have anything you could use as a sleeve to pull over the bandage, sew on some tape and tie over her back?
 
Errin Paddywack

Errin Paddywack

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The only bandage that has worked so far has been one that was virtually like a plaster cast, right up the leg and over her back. Trouble is the slightest movement pulls it down a bit. Crating wouldn't help even if they had room for one as just getting up pulls at the bandage. Good news this morning is that my bandage is still in place and she was able to go out for a wee break ok. Birch must be feeling better as she insisted (unsuccessfully) that she should go with my sister to the field this morning. Sister and her husband are taking it in turns to sit with her and keep her still. She may be 13 but she is a very fit and active dog and still playing around at agility over low fences. Between us we will get her through this. She has a buster collar on most of the time so not interfering with the wound at all.
 
Birker2020

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Errin Paddywack said:
The only bandage that has worked so far has been one that was virtually like a plaster cast, right up the leg and over her back. Trouble is the slightest movement pulls it down a bit. Crating wouldn't help even if they had room for one as just getting up pulls at the bandage. Good news this morning is that my bandage is still in place and she was able to go out for a wee break ok. Birch must be feeling better as she insisted (unsuccessfully) that she should go with my sister to the field this morning. Sister and her husband are taking it in turns to sit with her and keep her still. She may be 13 but she is a very fit and active dog and still playing around at agility over low fences. Between us we will get her through this. She has a buster collar on most of the time so not interfering with the wound at all.
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Oh that sounds more positive. I do hope you get her sorted. If she is a fit and active 13 year old she has every chance. I agree age shouldn't be a reason for giving up, I probably wasn't too clear on my previous reply. I do hope you get her sorted Errin.
 
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