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[lizblackdog]

so i just got a call from the vet.

the final results are in, and it's squamous cell carcinoma.

surgery is still possible, but the thing is so far up into his nasal cavity he would have to lose his nose.

vet assures me that it is possible for a dog to recover from this. he's emailing me some pictures of dogs that have had it done, which I will post when I have them. He says that one of the pictures is of a rather less extensive surgery than Spike would need, and one rather more, so that Spike's end result would fall somewhere between the two.

I don't even. His nose.

Comments

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I don't know if I wrote this earlier or just thought about it, but Pooter had squamous cell carcinoma maybe 9 years ago. Luckily her's was in a much more accessible spot (she had a little sore right below her eye) and they were able to remove it easily, and she was fine for years after. In that sense, it's a good kind of tumor to get.

Spike is an amazing and resilient dog. Hugs to you both.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that! Thank you - it IS cheering to hear that, and the vet said much the same thing - for all it's a nasty sort of cancer, it does respond well to surgery as long as it's caught in time. And all the indications are that we have.

thank you <3