All About Our Pets(Pics, Advice, Etc)

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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Goldens are the best. I’m glad your vet caught it. Your baby looks like my childhood golden and I just want to snuggle her. Hoping for the best for her <3
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My hairless cat gets worse breakouts than me and I’m not sure what to do with that information.
 
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Unintentionally caught her in a blink and I love it :love:
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vetmedhead said:
I hope you find out more about what's going on and how to move forward with her care soon. Good catch on the vet's part!
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that redhead said:
@alissa14 I’m so sorry to hear that :( This is why I do a full exam on every patient every time.
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She’s always been overweight, full of lipomas, and potbellied, so it was hard to palpate on a physical exam. It just happened to be the way she was laying that made the doc look at her sideways. I’m just glad it was caught. It really sucks but at least knowing about it gives us options. It’s better than waking up one morning and having her gums pale and her collapsing or something. Unfortunately a coworker just lost a dog a week ago to a ruptured splenic mass that she didn’t know about so in some sense, I’m grateful it was caught.

edit: she has an ultrasound scheduled for the 12th so hopefully that will get us some answers about the origin. currently it’s unknown if it’s mesenteric or splenic but Im praying that surgery may be an option. Thankfully she’s also asymptomatic and not painful
 
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Just a little vent about a really hard time my hubby and I just went through.

We had a sweet Australian cattle dog mix who was having GI upset and turning away food. I took her to my vet and did a full blood panel. Everything came back normal except 13% of WBC were mast cells. No cutaneous mast cells present. Naturally, I was concerned but had hope it could be inflammatory.

Fast forward to an abdominal ultrasound, it revealed diffuse splenomegaly, a lesion on the liver and an abdominal effusion. Sent out a splenic aspirate and did a fluid analysis. Came back consistent with visceral mast cell neoplasia. Apparently pretty uncommon without a cutaneous manifestation? (I’m DVM 2 so still learning)

Our baby was given 1-2 weeks to live without any chemo and max 3-6 months to live with chemo. We opted for the chemo, although, immediately after administration, we felt this may have been a selfish attempt to extend her life. She was 9.5 years old and otherwise healthy, but with a horrible prognosis, it felt weird to even attempt chemo.

Fast forward to a couple days ago, our baby had marked panleukopenia with 84% or remaining WBCs being mast cells. We administered IV enrofloxacin (on top of the oral amoxicillin we were already giving). The next day she ran a fever and the doctors said she was going into septic shock. They recommended an emergency antibiotic drip or euthanasia. I was out of town and had to take a 3 hour train ride back to euthanize her.

My hubby and I are still trying to come to terms with how quick it all happened. It occurred over the course of 2 weeks. I thought it was something less insidious, like pancreatitis. I miss her, so much.

Here’s a picture of her. She was truly the best and had more depth than any dog I’ve ever met
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Some good news hopefully. Annabeth’s radiology report came back as the tumor being likely fat filled and splenic in origin. Sounds like we’re moving towards the direction of being operable vs inoperable. I remain cautious but hopeful!!
 
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so Annabeth turned 10 today! She also got her ultrasound and it was good news! Basically the ultrasound found that the large mass in the abdomen isn’t connected to the spleen at all from what he could see. There was a small nodule in the spleen that may need to be removed but the primary concern was the large abdominal mass. Apparently from what the vet could see, the mass isn’t connected to any major organs. It looked like it was mostly fluid filled with some soft tissue and likely benign. The right kidney couldn’t be visualized and there is a small possibility that it could be connected there, but it’s unlikely. The mass is also encapsulated which is to our advantage. He’s thinking it may just be mesentery and not connected to anything or connected barely to something that’s not a major organ. He said surgery will likely be curative and that she will probably feel better after the surgery than she does now because the mass is taking up so much room and pushing organs out of the way. It also sounds like the surgery is less complicated than it would be if it were a splenic mass so my doctor I work with could do it or we could bring in the surgeon who does soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries at my clinic. All in all good news and I’m very happy!
 
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What is everyone's favourite dog beds? Preferably something that washes easily/has a removable cover and doesn't run hot? Trying to break the dogs of sleeping on furniture/beds before we move and figure a nice dog bed might help.. :p
 
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ZZ801832 said:
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What is everyone's favourite dog beds? Preferably something that washes easily/has a removable cover and doesn't run hot? Trying to break the dogs of sleeping on furniture/beds before we move and figure a nice dog bed might help.. :p
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My big dog loved this bed there’s a waterproof cover over the memory foam and then a washable cover overtop of that. He had that bed for a looooooong time and it has now been passed onto another dog family since he died last fall.

Edit: Here’s the link to the one he had in grey suede
The pic looks like a really dark grey but his was pretty light to medium grey. It’s possible they’ve changed the color of the suede in the last like 5 or so years
 
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I have an Urban Sprawl dog bed from Ruffwear that might meet your needs. The upper surface of the removable cover is suede so it’s soft but not furry. The bottom is actually a rubber material so it’s nonslip and also fairly weatherproof if you use it outside. I can’t say I think it’s worth the full retail price, but there are veterinary discounts (40% off I think) that make it a better deal. My current dog and previous dog both used it but preferred a more fuzzy bolster bed for actual sleeping but for something with a washable cover that doesn’t seem to get too hot it’s pretty good.

Orvis makes really nice dog beds with removable covers too. They’re an investment but they do hold up really well if your dogs aren’t too destructive. My current puppy is a bed chewer so we can only do cheap beds or “tough” models now, but if I was in the market that’s probably what we’d get.
 
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SkiOtter said:
Yeeeeeep :laugh:
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He’s a great surgeon. He does a lot of orthos at my clinic for our clients. It’s nice because that means I’ll get to be there and watch. I imagine the mass will be quite large and I’m curious lol
 
It doesn't look like Costco carries the exact dog bed I have for my dog anymore, but this is close.

Pros: She loves it, very comfy on her old joints. Also very popular with the family dogs when they come to visit. We've had it for a few years at this point and it's held up well.

Cons: No removable cover (I think). But I usually just run the vacuum over it and that works well enough.
 
Update on Annabeth:
We were able to get surgery scheduled for Thursday... she got bloodwork done today and chest rads. The doctor looked at the chest rads and said she didn’t see anything screaming at her but they’re still being sent to the radiologist for review. But so far, we’re moving forward!
 
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New update on my pup:
Radiology report came back a little murky which is frustrating. Still awaiting on lab work results. Basically her heart is slightly enlarged and she may have some underlying heart disease which makes anesthetics more complicated. Also her lymph nodes might be enlarged. Could be nothing or could be cancer... my mom has been hesitant throughout this whole process and this definitely complicates things. I still want to discuss with my family of course but this sucks
 
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New update for anyone still following this journey. Annabeth’s bloodwork came back abnormal. Her pro-BNP was high and her lipase and amylase were high. So she likely has acquired cardiomyopathy. Also she may have pancreatitis which could be a result of the mass pushing on her pancreas or she could have pancreatitis. I’m terrified at the thought at her crashing on the table or crashing afterwards. Ultimately, she is my brother’s dog and he wants to move forward. I’ll be there at the clinic filling in for the tech who will be assisting and my brother wants to wait in the parking lot while she’s under. I’m just praying all goes well. This is probably the hardest decision I’ve had to make about a pet because this time, I’m an adult who is preparing to enter the veterinary field. Please say a little prayer for my dog tonight.
 
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alissa14 said:
New update for anyone still following this journey. Annabeth’s bloodwork came back abnormal. Her pro-BNP was high and her lipase and amylase were high. So she likely has acquired cardiomyopathy. Also she may have pancreatitis which could be a result of the mass pushing on her pancreas or she could have pancreatitis. I’m terrified at the thought at her crashing on the table or crashing afterwards. Ultimately, she is my brother’s dog and he wants to move forward. I’ll be there at the clinic filling in for the tech who will be assisting and my brother wants to wait in the parking lot while she’s under. I’m just praying all goes well. This is probably the hardest decision I’ve had to make about a pet because this time, I’m an adult who is preparing to enter the veterinary field. Please say a little prayer for my dog tonight.
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I’ll be keeping your pup in my thoughts and sending hugs to you<3
 
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Update on Annabeth:
Surgery went well and she’s chilling with me in a run. The mass weighed in at 7 lbs! It was attached to the intestine so that had to be resected. There was a tiny nodule in the spleen that was left. The pancreas looked normal. There were some small masses on the liver that were suspicious so those were removed. The large mass, the section of intestine, and the portion of liver are all being sent in for biopsy. Her prognosis will be determined from there. But so far she’s doing good!

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edit: she will be spending the night in the ER just so that she can be monitored more closely. She is pretty painful but she is walking so that’s good!
 
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Update: Annabeth did great at the ER and seemed so much more alert and more comfortable when I picked her up this morning! She is still painful but she managed to drink some water and even ate about 1/3 of a can. I’m so relieved and happy that she seems to be on track to recover nicely.
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Final update on Annabeth: it is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that she passed away last night at the ER. After taking her home I just didn’t think she seemed right. I took her temp and it was 105.7. I rushed her back to the ER to find out she had a lot of abdominal bleeding and there was nothing the doctor could do except let her pass peacefully. My heart is completely broken and I’ve shed many, many tears. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. She was the sweetest girl and will be truly missed...
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alissa14 said:
Final update on Annabeth: it is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that she passed away last night at the ER. After taking her home I just didn’t think she seemed right. I took her temp and it was 105.7. I rushed her back to the ER to find out she had a lot of abdominal bleeding and there was nothing the doctor could do except let her pass peacefully. My heart is completely broken and I’ve shed many, many tears. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. She was the sweetest girl and will be truly missed...
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Oh alissa, I’m so very sorry
 
Dear Alissa,

Oh no ... I'm sorry you lost your sweetest girl Annabeth - very sorry. :(

I'm glad Annabeth was able to spend her life with you because she LOVED you, and you LOVED her.

She will never be forgotten and everyone on SDN was pulling for her!!!

Sending many, many, many gentle hugs and kind thoughts to you!
 
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Thank you to everyone for your sweet words. It’s been a rough few days with many ups and downs... I keep expecting to see her tail wagging and waiting for me to give her pets... today was the first day I didn’t spend sleeping so that was good. I actually started my Paint-By-Numbers of my cat, Amber, that I received for my birthday. It felt good to focus on something else.
 
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I’ve only been here a month and I have my first surrender :laugh: couldn’t bear to euthanize this sweet baby angel though. Sooooo she might be coming home with me Monday :laugh:
 

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She was hbc a few months ago and had a mandibular symphysis fracture. The tube was placed while healing from surgery. And since then she has decided being fed instead of eating herself is the greatest thing ever and refuses to eat still. Totally fine otherwise, old owners just couldn’t keep up with it anymore and didn’t feel like they’d ever get her to eat without it.
 
I made some pandemic acquisitions... lol.

Tux and Domino the goats:
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Joey the cat:
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They're all settling in super well! Goats are now more or less leash broke and Joey is a very sweet boy who follows me around everywhere lol. If I sit at the breakfast bar he sits on the stool beside me :laugh: So polite!
 
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WildZoo said:
For half a second the goats looked conjoined :laugh:
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I mean they basically are, they will not go anywhere without the other one :laugh: Tux (the bigger one in the back) is super super skittish still but Domino is warming up to people! She demands to get let out of the pen to go for walks haha
 
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