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Thread: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process - sweet Penny has passed

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Clio, CA
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    30

    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    Penny has had a rough time. She had her spleen removed Friday (5 days ago) and just wasn't bouncing back. She was painful and couldn't keep her oral medications down. She spent two nights at the vet hospital, finally got her to eat and she came home Sunday evening. She had a urine accident in the middle of the night but was eating okay, tolerating ice packs, etc. but her pain meds only seemed to work for about three hours. By Monday evening she was shaking and panting so we ended up at the vet ER. It took a lot of tests and several consultations with specialists to figure out that she had fat necrosis going on and her Cushings belly was inflamed.

    So late Tuesday she had additional abdominal surgery to remove the dead and dying belly fat. Tough times. She spent the night in the hospital and we were able to bring her home Wednesday evening. She is eating baby food and very thirsty. She has only had one dose of vetoryl in a week. She's on pain medication, lots of antibiotics and drugs to get and keep her digestive tract moving. The vet said she thinks Penny has turned the corner. Right now she is sleeping heavily next to me.

    The big news: her spleen lesions were benign (!) scar tissue and fibrocysts, probably from some past trauma. Good news, bad news. If we had known that, she would not have had the splenectomy. We are focusing on the good part. That she doesn't have an aggressive form of hemangio sarcoma. The hemangio sarcoma that was removed from under her skin was not a manifestation of splenic cancer.

    So for now we will be spending our Christmas holiday babying her beyond all reason, hoping she stays stable and continues to heal. If we can get her over this set back, her prognosis is pretty good. Right now, we're grateful she's here.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
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    15,292

    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    Omigoodness, I am so sorry to hear about Penny's surgical issues! But thanks so much for updating us. I will certainly be holding you all in my thoughts and hoping that she continues to improve. Please do let us know!

    Marianne

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
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    16,150

    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    Oh my gosh. I hope to hear that Penny is doing better.
    Really glad the spleen lesions where benign though but wow, what a lot to go through in such a short time.

    Keeping you and Penny in our thoughts and hearts.
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Clio, CA
    Posts
    30

    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    Penny is doing very well. It was pretty scary there for a while, but she is a trooper. Her staples/stitches will come out tomorrow. One more day of antibiotics. She was on some pretty heavy doses of pain medication but she is competely off one of them and tapering the other. We hope to have her off that one in a day or two.

    She is only now starting to show some Cushings symptoms. We have just been giving her adrenal harmony gold in her food for the last week. When we see the vet for the staple removal, we will find out how to best restart her vetoryl. She had been on 40 mg per day so I'm not sure if we go straight back to that dose or ramp to it. The vet doesn't want to do a stim test until later. She's been through a lot.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
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    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    I can see not wanting to test right now, but I do think I'd want a test before starting (ACTH) to see where her levels are. The thing is that you want her to be recovered from these other issues prior to doing the test as it is likely her cortisol has increased with all this going on.

    I'm glad to hear that she is continuing to get better. What a strong girl she is.
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Clio, CA
    Posts
    30

    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    Update on Penny. She continues to be happy and have lots of energy. However, the hematoma that was at the site of her tumor has recurred. The suspicion is that the hemangio sarcoma is back and affecting her blood vessels again.

    At this point we have decided not to put her through any more procedures. Her Cushings is controlled on 40 mg of Vetoryl per day. She doesn't seem bothered by the hematoma at all.

    We are just watching her and spoiling her and will just see how it goes.

    Nancy

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
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    16,150

    Default Re: Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process

    Oh gosh, I hope it isn't the sarcoma.
    I know that one of our members, whose dog Flynn had a lypoma removed, kept having that area fill up with fluid within hours of it draining. They finally went in again (they were doing needle aspirations to drain it) and found that a bit hadn't come out completely. They removed that and it hasn't refilled. They didn't use a general anethesia this time either as she didn't want him put to sleep, but just a local and a light anethesia which doesn't bother them the same as a full does. He was in and out and it wasn't too bad, but another option is to drain it of fluid if needed with just a needle, like if it gets big enough to really be bothering her.

    I'm so glad to hear that she continues to have lots of energy and be happy. That is what is really important in the long run isn't it.
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Clio, CA
    Posts
    30

    Default Re: Our 11 year old mutt, Penny

    Thanks for the kind words.

    We are going to watch and see for a little while. Then discuss going in again with the vet. Penny definitely bounced back from just the sedation and local much better than general anesthesia.

    Nancy

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Clio, CA
    Posts
    30

    Default Re: Our 11 year old mutt, Penny

    Penny continues to do well after her Holiday ordeal over Christmas and New Years. Her weight is up slightly. She is starting to show some minor loss of hearing and eyesight, but that seems to go away as soon as she spots a squirrel :-)

    The area where the hemangio sarcoma was removed filled up with blood again but subsided about a month ago and no signs of it now. We are agreeing with our vet about watching and waiting. She's been through so much but seems to be thriving right now.

    Her teeth need a cleaning but we are reluctant to put her under anesthesia again. So I am now brushing her teeth daily and we are seeing improvement there.

    She has developed a couple sebaceous cysts and really flaky skin. I am looking for a better shampoo than oatmeal-based if anyone has a recommendation.
    Thanks all for your help.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    16,150

    Default Re: Our 11 year old mutt, Penny

    Glad penny is doing well.

    Maybe look into one of these shampoos.

    http://bestdogshampoos.com/
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

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