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So sorry Bea, just when all look was looking good for Arizona,
this is awful. My dogs are very vain about their tails, Charlie went into
hiding when I cut too much fur off to get rid of burrs. He would suffer a
great deal if he lost his tail. How does Arizona react about hers? Is she in pain now? She will be if the surgery takes place
even if the physical pain is only for a few days, although it can certainly be
treated with medication while she heals. You mentioned that she let you
use a scalpel to drain the lump, I assume you did not numb it first, so she is either
very stoic or already bothered a great deal by this lump. Is this the
only tumor? My Sofee, a blond lab mix, did not show any signs of illness
until she developed a cough, but had extensive lung cancer which had spread to
her liver and spine. Sometimes there is no clue of a problem until almost
the end. I wish you could ask Arizona and have her tell you what
she understands and wants – that is the toughest part of the decision –
you can only look at the brown eyes and guess what she is trying to tell
you. Don’t rush and the right decision for both of you will come.
See if Arizona can tell you what to do. And give her her favorite treats
while you decide! Amy From:
owner-pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org [mailto:owner-pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org] On Behalf Of Bea
Stephens I
took Arizona back to the vet on Friday. It looks like she has a cancerous tumor
– right at the base of her tail. It doesn’t look good. The vet says
that he can try to remove it, but she will lose her tail. Has anyone dealt with
something like this before? Sure could use some input from my pyr friends on
this one. Arizona
is 8 years old, and is a rescue that someone just threw away. She has severe
allergies and a possible immune system problem. We’ve struggled with
multiple ear infections, skin infections, etc. Right now, she’s beautiful
– no skin problems and her ears are clear. All except this growth on her
tail. I don’t want her to suffer. The vet says even if he removes the
tumor and her tail, there is no guarantee that it won’t grow back. I
think he feels my pain. He didn’t charge me for Friday’s visit. I’m
so sad. And I just don’t know what to do. L Bea |