The only thing left to believe in

[lizblackdog]

New vet gave Spike blood workup, head CT scan, chest CT scan, fine needle aspiration (checking his lymph glands for bad shit) and more biopsies. They've taken a sizeable chunk out of the top of his mouth, including one of his front teeth. It's one of the small ones in the very front and the Mouth Thing had already loosened it considerably.

They showed me the pictures from the CT scan (and I foolishly forgot to ask to have image files emailed to me, but I will call and ask in the morning because I know you want to see cross-sections and 3D coloured pics of my dog's skull, right?). On the cross-section pics I could finally see Mouth Thing clearly - it's an oval, about the size of an acorn, and it lives in the space underneath the pink velvet patch on Spike's nose.

We still don't know exactly what it is. The vet mentioned bone cyst and squamous cell carcinoma as possibilities, and malignant melanoma as something he thought it didn't look like, but we're all still basically clueless except for the certainty that this is bad crap that needs gone.

It freaked me out seeing the CT scans. It hadn't occurred to me that a picture of my dog's naked skull would still be recognisable as him.

There was another Border Collie in the waiting room, a wacky-eared whitefaced beauty named Fleece that cheered me up by being every bit as batshit overexcited as Spike was. Also, new car harnesses are win. Spike is still a shit to travel with except when he's recovering from general anaesthesia but the harnesses made it a lot less stressy all round.

so tired.

...oh yeah, vet gave me Rimadyl and fucking Tramadol to give him. He's showing no sign of being in pain, but I gave him a Rimadyl tonight anyway. I'm a bit dubious about Tramadol - fucking opiates, what? - but we'll see how he goes.

Comments

[santaman.livejournal.com]

*sends boat loads more of good thoughts and well wishes.*

I hope that they can remove the damn mouth thing and that it never comes back.

*hugs*

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

When are you getting back the biopsy results? I know with Vicar's lump it was the same day, so I'm hoping that at least they have one quickly for you.

I think of you guys every day, and I'm hoping it'll all come out in the best possible way!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

He said they should have some results very quickly, but they took a lot of different samples and it may take a few days to get a complete enough picture to know what to do next.

thank you <3

[dalaire.livejournal.com]

Still thinking and praying for Spike and you.

The tramadol is a biggie, all right. I keep it around just in case, but I think I've only given it once, after one of the dogs had a very hurting sprain and we couldn't get to the vet soon. Good they gave you the rimadyl, too.

[tamena]

Hoping something positive starts happening for Himself and you. *hugs*
and yes - definitely want to see the scans!

and I eat tramadol like jelly beans here. ugh

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

dammit spike. MOUTH THING BEGONE!!!

[wirenth.livejournal.com]

luce has taken tramadol for her knee. alas, it did not knock her out at all. but it did make her less ouch. it works great in combination with rimadyl.

i would think seeing a ct scan of your dog's head would be rather unnerving.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

When we woke up this morning, Spike was looking a bit subdued and emo and noticeably avoiding letting anything touch his muzzle, so I gave him both pills. I admit I was hoping the tramadol would help keep him calm - not sure about that, but it's made him painfree enough to try and play leash tug and try and pounce a stick. Silly fucker.

It really was very unnerving. It was a 3D skull on the monitor, but it was recognisably his skull. I wouldn't have expected it to be so plainly HIM. And the cross section pictures began with his nose, and that too - that's not just any old nose.

[lemmingpie.livejournal.com]

Spike ♥

[baranduyn.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry they found a thing. I was hoping it would heal without surgery. I always hope that.

But they're still optimistic and he's still a goof and all will be well.

[mbif.livejournal.com]

Huh, I never realized Tramadol was considered an opiate. I'm allergic to opiates but it never really had that effect on me; it just gave me migraines. It never gave me the opiate feeling either (which I hate, personally.)

Hopefully the meds help him feel better. ♥

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

i hope whatever it was its all gone now and spike can heal up and go back to being spike.

[jennie-c-d.livejournal.com]

It's creepy, seeing their insides.

(((hugs))) Hope the new vet's tests turn up something useful.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

thank you <3

I'm still waiting to hear, bloody Easter holidays got in the way. GOING BATSHIT HERE.