Pup Update

A certain somebody wanted to share a selfie and an update with you all today as part of The Cat on My Head's Sunday Selfies blog hop.

Astrid's snoozing pretty well lately, for she is on pain and anxiety meds to help her cope with the bandage on her foot that she dislikes so much.

Speaking of which, pup Astrid and I also want to share the latest update on her recent surgery to remove a tumor on her paw pad. We posted about this on Faceook, so many of you already know what we're about to say.

 

One of the veterinarians at our clinic called me yesterday with the biopsy results for the tumor removed from pup Astrid's paw pad. The vets and myself were all a bit shocked to find out that it is a soft tissue sarcoma. That is a malignant cancer, but, we're thinking we can be optimistic. It has only been classified as a grade I tumor, which is the least serious, you could say. It is often a localized cancer, and as long as all margins of the tumor are removed, the animal can often then be considered cancer free with a good prognosis.

That being said, the biopsy revealed that not all of the tumor's margins were removed during Astrid's surgery last week. So, she is going in on Tuesday for a full toe amputation. The vet and I had a long discussion on this, weighing out toe versus limb amputation. Both vets at our clinic, whom I really do trust, are leaning toward just the toe, as the tumor is not considered aggressive, and it is believed that removing the toe will remove the tumor in its entirety. Of course, we will always be watchful thereafter, and if we find anything concerning in the future, it will be checked out and further amputation will occur if needed.

Though no metastasis is believed to have occurred, given the generally localized type and grade of tumor, prior to surgery Astrid will nevertheless have a chest x-ray done. This will help reveal if there are any concerning spots in her lungs, or any other issues going on. She will also have pre-operation bloodwork done, though just last week her bloodwork showed nothing concerning.

There are a couple of reasons this was all so shocking to both the veterinarians and myself. One reason is that Astrid first had a tumor appear on her paw pad two years ago. At that time, it was deemed a benign histiocytoma. After some time, as was expected, the tumor went away on its own. It wasn't until recently that tumor growth began again the area. We assumed it was a histiocytoma again, but took her to the vet to be safe. That was when an inconclusive aspirate was done, and though the veterinarians were thinking it might just be a return of the histiocytoma, they did suggest removal. We moved forward with that, and here we are now.

One more reason we're all a bit shocked by this is that Astrid is only 4 years old. Of course cancer can potentially occur at any age, this type of cancer is far more common in older dogs. It's not impossible for a 4-year-old dog to have sarcoma, it's just less likely.

Though a lot of information was thrown at us, and though having Astrid go under anesthesia yet again is making me a nervous wreck, I feel like I can be optimistic with this situation.

If you have any purrs, barks, thoughts, and prayers to spare, we would certainly appreciate them. Thank you all for being such kind and supportive friends, always!

And thank out, Ann, for this beautiful badge for Astrid!

And thank you to Madi and her mom for making a post for Astrid over at the POTP blog!

We don't know what we'd do without all of you.

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Never forget the importance of doing routine checks of your furbaby at home. This can include feeling for any lumps and bumps during a petting session, or watching out for any other concerning symptoms. For many types of diseases, whether it be cancer or disease of the kidney, thyroid, heart, intestines, or anything else, early detection is often crucial. Since you spend the most time with your furbaby, and since you know your furbaby best, early detection can often begin with you simply keeping a watchful eye.