Re: Instant Review: Vet Check-up

"elegy" <elegy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:23p194509tjmic65jcg5amsh112l46hgsh@xxxxxxxxxx

and good luck with the lump removal.

Thanks!

I got a call back from the vet last night. One slide was just blood cells. The other had a few cells that she wasn't comfortable IDing. She's leaving that one for a colleague to look at. If the colleague thinks they're bad news, they'll send them out for a proper ID. So, we're playing wait-and-see.

We also talked some more about options. She's hesitant to remove the tumor, because of its placement, the lack of fat on Harriet's ***, and her age. She doesn't want to put a 9yo Boxer under without a very good reason. I absolutely agree.

On the other hand, Harriet's been licking the lump. It's on her radar, and I don't want to come home and find that she's pulled a Pan and tried to remove it herself. Something the vet mentioned, that hadn't occurred to me, is that Harriet being extra allergic right now could be contributing to the problem. She's itchy everywhere, so things that wouldn't normally bother her--like the lump--might be driving her crazy. That makes perfect sense. The vet said that she's comfortable waiting for 4-6 weeks, to monitor the lump while getting Harriet's allergies back under control. The immediate problem may resolve itself.

She also mentioned prednisone. I had no idea that it has magical tumor-shrinking properties (other steroids cause tissue to grow, so it's weird and counter-intuitive). She said that it's not a long-term solution, because it only works for a finite period of time. (I think she also said that when it stops working, the tumor will start growing again, only faster. I'll have to clarify that bit.) She also doesn't want to use it if there's any chance that chemo will be necessary (if the cells she pulled are cancerous). Basically, pred would be a last recourse, but it's something to keep in mind.

Tangentially--though I didn't get hard, fast answers, I'm tickled pink with this vet. I've been trying to find a good vet since I moved down here, and I've *finally* found one I trust. And, she's part of the practice that's literally in my back yard, which is all kinds of awesome.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

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