The "C" word

I got Buck scheduled for a vet visit and grooming session on Thursday.  I made another appointment at a second vet because I wanted to get Teddy vaccinated today so I can take him to his potential new home on Thursday. Tasha also needed to have a vet look at a spot on her right side that she has been licking excessively. 

Teddy's appointment went fine, and he was easier for me to catch in the kennel than he's ever been.  When we were in the vet's office he actually looked at me for security and almost acted like he trusted me.  Of course, he may have just been trying to make sure I'd be his ride home.  I do think he could turn around and be a more friendly dog, but this is not the right environment for him.

They aspirated the spot that Tasha was licking and found mast cells in it before I even left the office.   That's cancer.  We might as well say it and deal with it, there is no point in pretending it's anything else.  I've written about the diagnosis of cancer previously, and it's something all dog owners deal with if we are lucky enough to have senior dogs.  She seems to feel fine now and there's no evidence of it having spread at this point.  The tumor is on her skin, making its removal feasible without terribly invasive surgery. 

She now has a surgery appointment on Friday to have the tumor removed.  It is in an area where the vet can remove it with good margins all around and she says that when they appear on the skin the prognosis is better, but still, it sucks. They will send it off for biopsy in order to grade the tumor and then we will know more, but still, it sucks.  She's on antibiotics and a healthy dose of Benedryl, which may stop the itching.  We put her in a t-shirt this evening to cover it up rather than put a cone on her head.  She will have one of those after surgery, I'm sure.  Did I mention that this sucks? 

Tasha is a sweet, dear girl and an easy keeper.  She will stay outside in the dog yard on a good day or up in the office with me and Molly.  She's been sleeping in the bedroom occasionally or in the office with Trooper at night.  She can stay here forever if she needs to, but I was hoping to move her to a foster home where she'd get a little more individual attention and perhaps even a retirement home (she is 8 years old).  I had a couple possibilities in mind for her, but all of that will have to wait until after the surgery now at least.  I'm glad I got it checked and found this out before moving her, but still, this really sucks.

Unlike her prior owner, we will see this through to the end, be it 6 months or 6 years.