Send Good Thoughts: Mass Removal Surgery

[sirenmoses]

My rescued boy Coco is headed for the knife tomorrow: excise 5 of 11 growths. 2 different types; 2 sternal subq, 2 in his right armpit subq, and one 'skin-tag' type on right shoulder.

Needle aspirate showed fatty cells, and we wanna keep it that way.

Nervous b/c it's surgery, and as rescue, I have no knowledge of vonWilly factor.

He helpd rescue me from the funk I was in after watching dog after dog die of Dilated CardioMyopathy (DCM). Please send good thoughts, prayers, etc for a speedy recovery, as I would for you and yours.

 

[splitshot]

Consider it done CJ..

 

[titanpat57]

Hope all goes well SM..best of the best sent!!

 

[D'Animal]

I hope all goes well and wish him a speedy recovery.

 

[sirenmoses]

Thanks for all the good wishes, it means a lot.

Update from the doc: under sedation, the subscapular masses can be deeply palpated and appear to not be attached. That's great news, and reduces the chance that we'll have to manage a drain. Due to that, the 4 other masses on his right rib cage will be coming out as well, leaving only a new pellet sized growth in his left inner thigh.

Off to re-size the much-used e-collar to fit his 92lb self.

 

[Sno bored]

It's good to hear that things are looking up. He will be up and running around in no time. Is he going to have to wear a cone?

 

[Drunken Ira Hayes]

Best of luck and good on you for rescuing and taking proper care of the pooch.

Brad

 

[romegadave]

Hoping all is well

 

[sirenmoses]

Coco is home, wearing a bright pink roman chest piece, and crying in his sleep. which breaks my heart, but he's still stoned.

Got the cone-head set-up: expen w/baby mattress and k9 sleeping bag atop that. Human drugs (tramadol) on board, as NSAIDs could complicate healing: 8 masses removed total.

And a humdinger of a bill, 2ce what I paid for my lil beater car, and more than I've ever paid for one vet visit.

 

[D'Animal]

Glad Coco pulled through.

 

[splitshot]

Glad to hear he got through the surgery, a good sign is when the appitite kicks in and you hear happy munching and bowl licking under the lamp shade..

Vet give you any idea how long he has to wear the wrap?

 

[sirenmoses]

Got the bandage changed Monday, it's holding together well so far. Red this time, with more of the tan Elasticon to hold the cotton padding in place.

Incisions look good: no infection, swelling or redness. And we got a Paws Up from the Vet for not destroying the wrap. I couldn't make him wear his party hat all the time: it clips me on the calf when we go for potty walks.

Biopsy results were good, bloodwork was good, and his appetite remained stable. What he's not doing yet is drinking from the water buckets, so he gets extra water w/his meals. Hoping once the wrap comes off he'll resume normal water intake.

Next Monday the stitches come out, and we'll start getting back to normal. Thanks for all your good wishes, it really means a lot.

 

[IanB]

Glad to hear he's doing well!

 

[titanpat57]

Good news...hoping the healing goes as well!

Could you save that plastic hood for me....

I'd like to give it to Splitshot for christmas...

 

[surfpig]

Nice.

 

[splitshot]

Good news...hoping the healing goes as well!

Could you save that plastic hood for me....

I'd like to give it to Splitshot for christmas...

No, already got one of those, and Siren probably has someone in the firehouse more deserving of lamp shade status..
How about a muffler for my 40?
CJ, keep us posted,

 

[sirenmoses]

Coco is now back to full-duty, with some residual swelling from internal stitches. Told my friends he'd graduated from Franken-dober to Dober-stein. snaps attached.

His hair is growing back nicely (gotta love the Thryo-Tabs), energy is great, and the weight loss (from surgery, and me cutting back his rations while healing) makes him look like a different dog, in a good way.

Thanks again for all your support: I was dreading this surgery, almost to the point of not having it done. Outcomes for my last two males after spending lotsa time w/a DVM was not good (cardiac problems) and I'm just now understanding how far-reaching grief can be.

ps: due to the over-sized nature of Coco's physique, I need to keep the e-collar handy. happy to send a template if you'd like to craft one out of old x-ray sheets, or any other acetate.

pss: not a bad idea for dog devotees to keep one in the traveling rig. Had a professional handler ask if I had one a few dog shows back, which highlited my lack thereof.

 

[splitshot]

Wow! poor guy, thanks for sharing the pics. Hard to grasp the extent of the surgery with the op.
Glad to hear he is bouncing back nicely.

 

[sirenmoses]

thanks. yep, realized a wee bit late that general /holistic practictioner might not do the best sewing, if only from being outta practice. oh well, live and learn, and share w/our Mud Buddies.

sternal incision is still kinda crunchy, and he dislikes the vit-E juice I put on it, but overall this is the best healing dober surgery I've ever had. Since 1996/7?, and that's saying a lot. Most expensive too, and worth it, with every happy dance he makes across the floor (whose replacement money I tapped for his surgery).

his Fatness after initial needle aspirate: