About 7 weeks ago my son noticed a lump on our dog "Flabbychuck's" back leg. It wasn't very large but I was concerned because it didn't feel like a bug bite or just a bruise, but more like a solid lump under the skin right on her tendon. I took her to the vet the next day and got the bad news. It was a stage II mast cell tumor which is more common in certain breeds ( She is a greater swiss mountain dog). He recommended that I take her to a doggie oncologist in the Atlanta area. This dog is a special dog to our family and I didn't hesitate to take her to the best place no matter what the expense.
She had surgery just over a week ago and they removed as much as they could without taking the leg. They actually had to scrape the tendon to remove all the cells they could and even then the doctor's could not get the margins they wanted to. A call from the vet this morning confirmed that radiation treatment would be the best option to make sure that the tumor would not return. Overall it could have been much worse and I'm glad that we at least had options regarding Flabbychucks treatment.
Needless to say this entire episode come in a particularly difficult time for us. I have been out of work for 3 months and money has become a real issue in the last few weeks. I have been contemplating selling a few of my tools that I could do without to fund some of the radiation treatments. If it comes to that and it most likely will I will be posting a few of the better items here first. It's an easy decision for me really and I'm sure I will be able to buy some tools again when our situation gets better. I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't do everything I could to save old "Flabbychucks".
I have had many dogs over the years but Flabby has been the most loyal loving animal I have ever know. She could use all the prayers she could get in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for listening to me ramble about my dog who is the "pulse of my heart."