CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: PennyB on October 24, 2003, 09:25:33 PM
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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).
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:(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
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The really painful thing was how much the chiropracter was charging me!
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Poor Wilf. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious.
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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!!! :-* :-* :-*
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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).
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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.
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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
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So sorry to hear about your troubles Penny. Poor little Wilf (what a brave boy) :D I hope it is nothing serious - must seem like ages waiting to get the verdicat.
Hope you will be painfree soon too ;)
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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.
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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 ;D 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 ;))
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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!).
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Hope Wilf has a speedy recovery - we will be thinking of you
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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.
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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
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Wishing you all the best today Penny, and that the news isnt as bad as I think you're now expecting :( Please keep us informed.
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I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Wilf and I hope it is not more bad news. Thinking of you both.
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Sadly today has just got worse. Wilf has got lymphoma which is quite rare. Vet is making me an appointment to see cancer specialists at Cambridge University Vet School.
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So sorry to hear the bad news Penny. It goes without saying that we're all here to help you through this, if you need us. Hope the appointment comes swiftly and that treatment is begun asap.
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Penny
Sorry to hear that the news wasn't what we all hoped for. Let us know how you get on and give Wilf a big hug from us :)
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:(Penny soo sorry to hear of your bad news today. As Mike said we are all here to help you and if you need to let off some steam. I can't really think of anything else that I can say that will help you, but just to offer my support 100%.
Take care Penny sending you and Wilf lots of hugs at this worrying time.
Emma and Indie
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So sorry to hear this Penny - don't think I've ever heard of a puppy with lymphoma before, what a cruel twist of fate. Hopefully Wilf can get some treatment asap - the Cambridge Vet School has an excellent reputation I know.
Thinking of you & Wilf
Jane
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Just seen this - I'm really sorry to hear about little Wilf :(
Hope that the specialists might have some better news for you.
Thinking about you and Wilf
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I,m so sorry to hear the
bad news penny!!! :( (((( HUGS ))))
to you both.
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Don't know what else to say that hasn't been said - so sorry for your news. We are here if you need us.
{{{HUGS}}}
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Sorry Penny...just caught up with all this ???
What terribly worrying news for you and poor Wilf :'( I really hope the experts can ease things for little Wilf and pray that they can make him better.
Keeping everything crossed for you.
Mary
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So sorry to hear about Wilf Penny :'( One of our patients is currently recieving chemo for lymphoma but its so tragic when its one as young as Wilf. At least by going to a specialist you know he will be getting the best treatment available. Like the others have said, we are all here to offer support for you. Sending Wilf a big :-* - I just know he's gonna be a fighter :)
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How upsetting to hear your news Penny - give Wilf a big hug and I hope you get fixed up with an appt soon. Thinking of you ;)
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Penny and family, just wanted to add my support and thoughts for you and poor Wilf :'(
Gilly x
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Wilf's appointment is on Monday (3/11 at 11 a.m.) at Cambridge. Am still trying to work out the logistics of getting him there from Cardiff, but I know we'll get there in the end (at least Ruby is going to stay with a friend while I'm away).
Its sad that all these histiocytomas are mostly benign but extremely rarely they're malignant.
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Sorry to hear about Wilf.
Cambridge has an excellent reputation, lets hope they have some positive news for You.
Tracey :)
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Hi Penny
I'm glad the appointment has been sorted for you!
I know worries about the money are the last thing on your mind at the moment ::) But from a pratical point of view, will your insurance company be able to arrange or cover your travel costs for you? I don't know if you drive yourself, but if you don't maybe they would cover the costs of a taxi? It's just a thought anyway, I know its the last thing you are worried about.
I am just soo sorry that you and little Wilf have to go through this upset ??? There may be brighter news at Cambridge you never know :)
I got everything crossed for you.
Emma and Indie
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Someone on another board (dogpages) has kindly offered to put me up on Sunday night as they live near Cambridge (he's an ex gundog trainer and his partner goes all over the country rescuing death row dogs from pounds and both well known to other people I know in Wales so its not a scary internet thing).
At the moment I'm taking Wilf part way on the train. He's quite well at the moment and loves public transport and I'll carry him a lot of the way so he can sleep (he's very good at sleeping anywhere and everywhere), and thankfully he's a small cocker.
No doubt I'll have to leave him there anyway and will arrange a lift back when the time comes as I don't think he'll be too well then.
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Hope you're back is better Penny if you're planning on carrying Wilf some of the way :-
Glad you've organised how to get there now, a little less to worry about and you can now focus all your time on little Wilf :-*
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So sorry to hear your troubles.
All the best for Monday. I hope you get some positive news soon.
Thinking of you.
Tricia
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Hi Penny!! i hope you both have a comfortable journey.
And i just wanted to add my support also. Good luck Wilf!!!
Weve got paws and fingers crossed here too. :-*
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So sorry to hear all this Penny. Hopefully the early diagnosis will aid Wilf's treatment.
Good luck for Monday. :)
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Glad you have things organised Penny and will be thinking of you on Monday - good luck ;)
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Penny and Wilf good luck in Cambridge on Monday. Hope everything turns out okay.
Love
Michelle and Billy
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We'll be thinking of you on Monday - good luck
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Many thanks for all your comforting thoughts. Its so exhausting all this worrying though.
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Just back this evening after having left Wilf in Cambridge (I can't see him so I may aswell try to get on with some work).
The picture re Wilf is very odd. They gave him a thorough work up today (history, physical exam, blood tests, ultrasound and X-ray). As far as they can see we're only looking at the lump on his ear and the lymph node (which is the biggest worry), as he hasn't got any other abnormalities anywhere else. While the picture looks towards malignant histiocytoma they are worried about the cells that they obtain tomorrow may not be good enough to give a clear picture, and so we could be left with a vague diagnosis without conclusion (sadly any conclusions may just be based on elimination rather than anything as clear-cut as positive or negative—a bit of deja vu for me after having had 2 FIP cats whereby the diagnosis is usually by process of elimination and only definite when autopsied).
The positives are that its an extremely rare form of cancer in the 1st place (none of the others cases I've read online have discussed it so far as they include different cell lines) and so may be unlikely and its rare for him to have it at his age.
If the tests are conclusive tomorrow and it is definitely malignant then the next thing is that there is no treatment and so would do none. Or it could just be benign histiocytoma behaving extremely oddly (which is what I hope of course).
They are thinking of removing the lump from his ear though as its ulcerating and is bothering him and so are speaking to the surgeons tomorrow to see if they can remove it successfully.
I only know too well how inexact a science vet medicine (like human medicine) can be as my job involves reading hundreds of case reports in clinical medicine, but it never helps when its your own to worry about.
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I bet you feel shattered Penny...physically and emotionally ??? I do hope that they can give you some encouraging news for little Wilf tomorrow, everything crossed for you.
Mary
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Its alot to take in isn't it ???
Just want you to be aware I'm thinking of you ;)
Gilly x
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Hope You get some good news today.
Look after Yourself :)
Tracey :)
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Just want to let you know that COL members from across the globe are thinking of you and Wilf. Hope all is OK. Best wishes
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Thinking of you today Penny and hope Wilf will be OK. ;)
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Hi Penny , just to let you know ,i,m thinking of you today.
and hopefully there might be some better news. ;)
(((( hugs ))))
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Hi Penny
Just wanted to say that your are in our thoughts today, hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Best wishes
Emma and Indie
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Hope you get some good news Penny :- Give the brave little soldier a big :-* from me and the boys.
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I wish I could give him a hug but its a bit difficult as he's so far away, but he's charming his vet nurse up there.
They've been doing biopsies of lump and lymph today and repeating them. Surgeons have seen him and want to remove lump on Thursday, but they need to wait for results of biopsies for (why I don't know yet).
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Have just had to make that awful decision of wait and see or remove the lump from his ear. If they remove the lump there they are also going to remove part of his ear and have also decided to remove the lymph node.
The results are inconclusive but erring on the side of cancer. I could wait and see to see if it resolves (but that could take months and months). His ear is really bothering him as it bleeds if he scratches it and if he only has a short time left then I wouldn't want the ear to be an additional problem.
I've opted for surgery as damned if I do damned if I don't. The vet had a couple of long chats with me this evening to help me arrive at an informed decision. The risks of surgery are obviously surgery itself.
Main problem is that there are no papers on this particular type of cancer as its so rare (only anecdotal stuff) and he fits the profile of being young as only young dogs get the original benign lump in the 1st place.
He'll be operated on tomorrow and then they need to monitor him for the next 24 hours so I should be bringing him home over the weekend.
If the cancer is just confined to the lymph node then in theory I guess they are removing the source but even though he got the all clear as to the rest of his body there still could be a chance there is some there. Or he could fully recover.
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Aww Penny I am speechless really :( But just wanted to say I would have done the same thing. You are being asked to make decisions in a very grey area, you can only go by what the vets are saying, so I with that in mind, I am sure its right for your Wilf.
It wont be long before you are reunited with your beloved very brave little guy Wilf :)
Take care Penny
Emma and Indie xxxx
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Penny I am so sorry to hear about Wilf. I have just been catching up with some of the threads and I was very sad to read this one. I really hope things turn out to be ok for you both. None of these decisions are easy to make, but I also would have done the same thing as you. Whether it turns out to be the right or wrong decision at least you are trying to do something positive for him. If there is such a thing as the power of positive thoughts then I'm sending you both bucket loads. Lots of luck.
Lou and Alfie.