Wilf's got a lump

[PennyB]

Took Wilf to vet about 3 weeks ago because I found a hard lump on his ear (outside) which had grown to about 1cm. Vet took a fine needle biopsy and results came back saying it was benign. Two weeks on and its doubled its size and chnaged its character so vet did a punch biopsy today and now he's also found that one of his lymph glands is enlarged (its now huge) so he did a fine needle biopsy of that just to be on the safe side and sent us home after a painkilling injection and a load of antibiotics. And so we wait until next week for the results. Poor baby he's only 5 months old (and poor me as while I've got all this to worry about I've also trapped a nerve in my upper back).                    

[Anonymous]

:(Aww Penny what a week of it for you! Sending you and Wilf big hugs off Indie and me!  I know its hard but try not to worry hun  I hope everything is ok with Wilfs results, and hope they come back quickly for you.  Take it easy over the weekend, trapped nerves can be terribly painful, I had one in my leg last year it was awful, it was worse then labour pains, and thats saying something!!

Take care

Emma and Indie                    

[PennyB]

The really painful thing was how much the chiropracter was charging me!                    

[Pammy]

Poor Wilf. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious.                    

[Silver Surfer (indiesnan)]

Awww  ((((  hugs )))) to you Penny, i hope its not too long before you get the results. But i,m sure because he,s such a young dog, hopefully ,it might not be too serious.    Big kisses for a brave little boy!!!                      

[PennyB]

His lymph gland is still huge, but you'd never think there was anything wrong with him though.

He was so brave though as they sent me home while they did the 2nd biopsy, which he wasn't sedated for as he'd already had one lot of sedation in the morning. Our vet nurse said he was fine while they shaved his neck and took the 2nd lot of samples, but it was only when he was put back on his own in the kennels that he howled the place down (and can he howl).                    

[Colin]

Poor little Wilf, hopefully he'll be fine and back to teasing "bossy" Ruby in no time. Hopefully your back problems ease too and you can get back to bossing the both of them.

The really painful thing was how much the chiropracter was charging me!

You are right there, I was seeing a chiropracter for nearly two years for back trouble. He used to attach me to a rather bizzarely named machine called an Interferator, but it seemed to solve the problem. I'm sure  it would have worked out cheaper for me to buy my own machine though.                    

[Gilly]

Penny, i hope Wilf is OK and me and Butty send our best wishes  
Hopw your back gets better soon to..nothing worse than a bad back  :-

Gilly                    

[LindaW]

So sorry to hear about your troubles Penny.  Poor little Wilf (what a brave boy) I hope it is nothing serious - must seem like ages waiting to get the verdicat.
Hope you will be painfree soon too                      

[PennyB]

Still waiting for results and almost finished antibiotics and lymph gland is still up.

Anyone out there know how easy it is to shave a wriggly puppy's ear (outside pinna). The hair keeps getting attached to the ear lump and congealing with it. It looks and smells quite disgusting. Have tried clipping it with scissors but i can only do that if he's asleep and he tends to wake up quickly to investigate. Lump is in a really awkward place so am worried that if it indicates removal that it would be difficult to do so (apart from worst case scenario which my vet very kindly suggested was ear removal!)

I have to sing myself a mantra as well, 'I must not read Merck's veterninary manual online just before I go to bed' (as I nearly drove myself mad).

Osteopath was so much better than chiro (who thought that solution was just to manupulate joints/bones instead of relaxing/massaging muscles 1st!) and have almost got the feeling back in my left hand now and am not getting pins and needles as often.                    

[Jane S]

I have to sing myself a mantra as well, 'I must not read Merck's veterninary manual online just before I go to bed' (as I nearly drove myself mad).

I think we all do that - these sites should come with a health warning of their own A couple of years ago one of our Cockers had to have a nasty looking lump removed from her ear - also an awkward place to get to as it was just outside the entrance to the ear canal & I can well remember hair getting continually stuck to it, even though I clipped the hair quite short (or as short as my blades would get it ) Perhaps you could get someone at your vets to shave the hair short around the lump - they will have surgical blades which will do the job & you'll be able to hold Wilf still while they do it (in theory )                    

[PennyB]

Thanks Jane. I popped along to vet surgery at lunchtime (luckily for me anyway that its very user friendly and at the bottom of the next road). Helen the VN shaved his ear as best she could and bathed it with hibiscrub and when my regular vet's back tomorrow she'll ask about his lymph glands and whether we need more antibiotics. Luckily I'm insured as well so if they decide to remove the lump Steve will refer me to a specialist practice.

Funny thing was that Helen asked me as soon as I'd walked through the door whether I'd been doing my own research online. Doesn't help that my job involves copy/production editing all things medical and veterinary (occasionally) anyway (even though I trained as an ecologist!).                    

[gerry]

Hope Wilf has a speedy recovery - we will be thinking of you                    

[PennyB]

Just been to Wilf's puppy class and had 2 messages from the vet to ring him at home (even though it was his afternoon off—of course, the surgery has other vets); last  when says he wants me to bring Wilf in 1st thing to take a larger biopsy of the lymph gland (not fine needle like before). My bad day just got worse.

Interesting how some people who I meet dog walking can't stand my vet but I worked out a long time ago that his real problem is that he isn't a very good people person (and very much like my last vet in Oxford), which is probably why I've learnt very quickly how to deal with him.                    

[Anonymous]

Aww Penny, thinking of you and Wilf this morning, try not to think the worst hun.

Let us know how things go

((((((hugs)))))))

Emma and Indie