Mason Dropped In To Check On Sugar Too

[JoeBingo]

Special guests flew in to check on Sugar !!! WOooHOoo !!!
Yep, the weather has been REALLY mild here.
Heck, it's 4:30 P.M. ... and 76* ... shoot

Sugar had a large sarcoma removed from her right front leg in OCT 2012. We knew at the time that our vet didn't get good margins and knew there was a chance it might grow back. Our vet saw Sugar two months ago and there was no indication what so ever that a tumor was returning at the previous surgical site on her leg. Last Saturday, I noticed a growth about the size of a quarter coming up. On Monday our vet confirmed that a tumor/possible sarcoma had indeed regrown on the edge of the previous surgical site on Sugar's leg. Our vet felt Sugar's condition was beyond his expertise and referred us to a specialist.

Dr Robert A. Martin DVM, DACVS saw Sugar on Thursday and Sugar had surgery on Thursday afternoon to not only remove the tumor but scar tissue from the previous surgery. Dr. Martin is 62 years old and for almost two decades, he was the Medical Director, Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2008, Dr. Martin returned to Alabama and opened Southern Regional Veterinary Specialists (SRVS) and Southern Regional Veterinary Emergency Services in 2009. SRVS is a referral only, advanced surgical facility serving the veterinary community that includes parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. I could have gone hundreds if now thousands of miles and MAY not have found finer surgical care for Sugar. Dr. Martin and SRVS is the worst case, last resort, final authority for board certified veterinary surgical care in this region. No one is better. I wanted the best for Sugar and didn't mess around.

Poor Sugar was completely out it Thursday night and I think Mason knew it and behaved himself accordingly. Sugar is doing fine now !!! She is going to be alright. She acts as though there's nothing wrong with her leg at all. She isn't in pain and hasn't picked at the bandage at all. She's a happy tail-waggin' girl. She's even tried to instigate wrestling with Mason !!! I've had to keep a close eye on Sugar to keep her activities reasonable and calm.

The lab report on the tissue remove is expected Tuesday. My hopes and expectations are high, for clean margins this time. Merry Christmas Sugar !!! ... goodbye $1510.37 (so far) LOL.

 

[xchairity_casex]

Awww, poor Sugar!! Glad to hear she isn't in much pain and feels good! Keep us updated on her, and give her lots of hugs and kisses from me too!

 

[JoeBingo]

Thank YOU xchairity_casex !!!

Dr Martin saw my ole boy Rowdy in SEPT 2011 and diagnosed Rowdy with Grade 3 Mast Cell Cancer. Dr Martin outlined a course of action with Rowdy including massive invasive surgery to remove a large internal tumor, his spleen and whatever else they found ... followed by six weeks of treatment involving a new drug on the market at the time, Pfizer Palladia. And even then, Dr Martin couldn't even speculate on a 50/50 chance. Rowdy was too far gone and I made a tough decision for Rowdy and let him go before he suffered further.

What I did learn from that experience is that these sarcomas are often external indications of something going on internally and in both Rowdy & Sugar's case ... the sarcoma "popped up" f-a-s-t. While the previous lab report on Sugar indicated bad margins ... it also stated that the sarcoma hadn't matastized. So I wanted to catch this one as soon as possible.

Dr. Martin found Sugar's lymph nodes are completely normal. Anything otherwise might indicate some internal issues. He also commented on Sugar's excellent overall condition and weight for her age (7).

While the examination and comments are reassuring, my mind is not 100% at ease. When I see Dr. Martin on JAN 02 to have the stitches removed from Sugar's leg, I will ask him if he feels we should do an ultrasound on Sugar to see that everything is indeed okay internally.

OH ... and while I wanted the very best possible care for Sugar ... I forgot to check Tractor Supply Company first !!! ... shoot

 

[JoeBingo]

I asked Dr. Martin what might cause these sarcomas. I offered genetics, nutrition, parasite control medications, vaccinations and environment. While it could be any number of things or combinations thereof, Dr Martin speculated that environment might be the largest influence. And if it is, he feels it's probably something outside rather than inside the home. He mostly dismissed the other considerations while stating that in the case of vaccinations, rare sarcomas will appear at the site of vaccination not on another part of the body.

The fact that both Rowdy & Sugar have had sarcomas, gives me pause. My mind has examined and thought out every possibility from every angle that might be the cause. My yard is small. I don't use ANYTHING on the lawn. No pesticides or fertilizer ... nothing. I don't know what ... if anything ... is going on. Maybe it's just coincidence. My only hope is that if there is something going on that's killing my dogs ... Mason doesn't pick it up. I do the best I can by them and it breaks my heart to even think that I might have anything to do with their health in a negative way. Damn

 

[JoeBingo]

While Sugar has been getting special attention ... Mason has gotten tons (more than 2000 pounds) of attention himself.
I still can't figure out if there's anything unusual going on around here or not though ... shoot

 

[JoeBingo]

The guy that lived here before I bought this house in 2006, had lived here since the 1960s. He passed away in 2003/2004 and he was in his nineties. I don't think there's anything unhealthy around here.

 

[Cofla]

Joe my best wishes and good vibes for Sugar healing well, and being able to romp around with Mason soon.

Big hug for all the family.

Eddy

 

[JoeBingo]

Thanks Eddy !!! She is going to be just fine

 

[ConMan]

Sugars face in picture six... OH MY! Lol

 

[JoeBingo]

HA !!! Maybe she thought if she concentrated hard enough ... Mason would float back down LOL. Apparently it worked !!!

 

[ConMan]

Def made me lol... I don't get on the forum much now a days, but I always browse the photos, never caught that one on FB lol!
Always enjoy them!!

 

[JoeBingo]

Thank you !!! You're right ... I don't think I posted that one on FB

 

[Jazzy]

Get well soon Sugar - I know you're getting lots of lovin' and spoilin" and Little Bro Mason is looking out for you!

 

[JoeBingo]

Thanks Jazzy !!! Mason and I are trying to keep Sugar in good spirits

 

[phillysmom]

I'll be sending healing thoughts for beautiful Sugar girl!!! It sounds as if she is getting the best care possible. I will say, regarding Rowdy, I think you made the best decision for him, I would have done the same I believe. The cancer issue in both dogs is likely coincidental, but I totally understand why you would start questioning it.

 

[JoeBingo]

Thanks phillysmom !!!
They are/were two unrelated different types of cancer. But cancer none-the-less.

 

[indelibledotink]

mei had a tumor removed last week thursday (12/19/13). large fatty cyst the size of two grapes on the right side of her jaw. vet has been watching it for over a year and had drawn a sample as soon as we noticed the swelling. no instance of malignancy. i had wanted to do a full dental cleaning and figured may as well have the tumor removed, but it turned out her teeth were extremely clean. doc and i decided to remove said cyst anyway. most likely ok, but the fatty tissue was sticking to surrounding flesh, which is not the norm. waiting on lab tests. previously mei has had small fatty cysts removed, and a different type of tumor near a nipple, not malignant. she's recovered, we did a 5k walk yesterday and a paved hike today. also stopped at teh dogpark and had to prevent her from wrestling with the pooches.

sugar looks well on her way to recovery! what a trooper, and she has a great brother.

 

[JoeBingo]

Thanks Indelibledotink !!!
Sugar had a good size benign tumor removed from a hind leg in March (or May) 2010. Lab results diagnosed it as nodular fasciitis and likely unrelated to the sarcoma removed from her right front leg.

 

[JoeBingo]

Monday:
Sugar still hasn't chewed the bandage off !!! WOooHOoo !!!
GOOood Girl Sugar !!!

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

How's Sugar doing Joe? Sorry to see it come back on her leg. I hope everything works out this time as well! Keep us up to date!

Good vibes coming your way Joe, Mason and Sugar!