A day in Oncology

Here is where we can discuss canine cancers and treatment options to create a support system for those dealing with the disease.

Postby call2arms » May 7th, 2009, 12:33 pm

Yesterday was my day in the oncology dept. for my externship.

It was sad and happy at the same time... All those animals with cancer, there was this one cat wirh mouth carcinomas, his face was completely deformed, but he was so nice and patient to receive his injections... There was a 16 year old daschund who bit me when we gave him his oral treatment, alive and kicking, for sure!

And then a new client. An 18 pound, 8 month old ''boxer X' (totally a pit bull - red/fawn and white, little folded floppy ears, not a boxer face at all)... She was so tiny, looked like a 4 month old puppy. She had been given to her owners by some trash in the reserve, telling her she was 4 months old. They had her for the last 4 months, and 2 weeks ago she seemed sloppy, no energy, not gaining weight. So they brought her to the vet, they dewormed her, and the next week she was still no doing better. They drew blood, no white blood cells... Straight to onco.

She has leukemia. The poor thing is probably actually over 1 year old - she had all her adult teeth and lots of tartar on them, some are broken, too. She's just so small (literally looks like she's from a starvation case) that the owners just had no idea, and being so small whoever sold her made her pass as a puppy. She's never had a heat, and is just so weak and small... We did a bone marrow sampling on her, and there were NO cells that are normal bone marrow ''parent'' cells in there, just some small, abnormal lymphocytes... The slides were sent in Indiana, to be analyzed too. Her prognostic is very, very grim, but she has great owners who are just going ahead with chemo, and giving it their all. She is lucky in her bad luck, I guess. She is sooo sweet, too, it's just sad. She will be coming back on Monday for a second chemo treatment.

This ward is so full of hope, and so heartbreaking at the same time. Especially that lots of times, people who have animals with a good prognostic often aren't willing to treat, and those with animals that have a grim one invest all...

Then when I got home, I noticed Jessie has a small lump on her belly. It's probably just a lipoma. But still, we're getting it aspirated next week.
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I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » May 7th, 2009, 12:47 pm

Lots of good thoughts for Jessie!
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Postby Pit♥bull » May 7th, 2009, 1:42 pm

Lots of :goodthoughts: Coming from our family
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Postby Marinepits » May 7th, 2009, 2:45 pm

call2arms wrote:This ward is so full of hope, and so heartbreaking at the same time. Especially that lots of times, people who have animals with a good prognostic often aren't willing to treat, and those with animals that have a grim one invest all...


Isn't it amazing? The range of emotions runs SO high in cancer wards -- you see the highest highs and the lowest lows. I've learned so much about humans in the past few weeks, watching them deal with their pets.

(I'm moving this to the Canine Cancer section. :) )
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Postby CinderDee » May 7th, 2009, 3:55 pm

Lots of good thoughts for Jessie! :goodthoughts:
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Postby call2arms » May 8th, 2009, 12:18 pm

Thanks for the good toughts, I'm just hopig we don't need them... :wink:

I mean, the mass is all soft and fatty feeling and not really attached to her chest, so it's fine, right?
“Your birth is a mistake you'll spend your whole life trying to correct.” Chuck Palahniuk


I love pus but I hate people.

I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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Postby Malli » May 8th, 2009, 5:18 pm

totally a Lipoma. She'll be fine.
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Postby Marinepits » May 8th, 2009, 5:29 pm

Yep. :thumbsup:
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Postby plebayo » May 11th, 2009, 8:14 pm

This ward is so full of hope, and so heartbreaking at the same time. Especially that lots of times, people who have animals with a good prognostic often aren't willing to treat, and those with animals that have a grim one invest all...


This really is so true.
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Postby call2arms » May 16th, 2009, 4:44 pm

Well ladies, as planned it is a lipoma - Dr. didn't even look at it under the microscope, the aspirate was all fat and oil, she could see it with her naked eye. We also got her lymph nodes (submandibular) aspirated and everything is good... Phew! Thanks for the mental support!

Little lady does have the start of some cataracts, though. :(
“Your birth is a mistake you'll spend your whole life trying to correct.” Chuck Palahniuk


I love pus but I hate people.

I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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Postby Malli » May 16th, 2009, 5:58 pm

yay for good lumps! I understand Cataracts are normal with age?
I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07
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Postby call2arms » May 16th, 2009, 7:16 pm

Cataracts, no, nuclear sclerosis, yes.
“Your birth is a mistake you'll spend your whole life trying to correct.” Chuck Palahniuk


I love pus but I hate people.

I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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Postby Malli » May 16th, 2009, 11:17 pm

oh, well, we can't have it all, right? :)
I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07
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Postby call2arms » May 16th, 2009, 11:38 pm

Haha I know, but she's not allowed to get older. Just not. Dying at any point is not an option.

Right now she's eyeballing the cat and hating me for not letting her hump him. lol

I should get back to my 20 page paper on histiocytic sarcomas. :puke:
“Your birth is a mistake you'll spend your whole life trying to correct.” Chuck Palahniuk


I love pus but I hate people.

I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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Postby Malli » May 17th, 2009, 12:02 am

ew, but interesting.
I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07
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Postby CinderDee » May 17th, 2009, 3:16 am

Great news about the lipoma!
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Postby hugapitbull » May 17th, 2009, 6:41 am

CinderDee wrote:Great news about the lipoma!


PBT good thoughts came through again. PBT Rocks :dance:
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Postby call2arms » May 17th, 2009, 1:06 pm

I only wish my good news would extend to everyone... Jessie is sending a bit of non-cancerness to all her buddies that need it. :)
“Your birth is a mistake you'll spend your whole life trying to correct.” Chuck Palahniuk


I love pus but I hate people.

I can say words like undifferentiated gonads now!
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