I'm back!

I think it's about time I returned to blogdom. I have not been up to the task of blogging mostly because of the ordeal we've been through with Xena. Warning, graphic picture!
As an older female dog, she is susceptible to fatty growths, and has several under her legs. One almost resembles an udder! But one Friday we noticed her licking a new one that had appeared on her "shoulder". This one wasn't loose and fatty, it was hard and about the size of a golf ball. Because she was licking it we figured it was bothering her and got her into the vet the next day.
The normal vet wasn't there that Saturday, and the sub aspirated the site. She came back to the room and said it looked suspicious, and told us it was probably a mast cell tumor. This is an aggressive cancer which they try to remove completely. Because of where it was located, they would not be able to remove enough skin around the tumor to get it successfully. But, she noted that Xena is 11... She told us to give her Benadryl for the itching. We walked out of the office feeling as though we were just handed her death sentence. It was a very sad weekend.  
  On Monday at 5:30 I received a call from the vet's office with the results of the lab report. It was not mast cell! They weren't sure what it was, but it was good news. They did, however, want to remove the tumor to send it in to see exactly what it was.
The vet was leaving on vacation, so we scheduled the surgery for her return. I brought her in at 8:30 in the morning and it was a long day of worrying! I finally called their office around 2:30 and talked to the vet. She was not able to get all of the tumor as it was like "spaghetti", with pieces tangled in the muscle. It was deep, and she got as much as she could. She lasered the remaining in an effort to kill any cancer cells. Because it was so deep, she had to insert a drain. She was bandaged and had what looked like a sling in order to keep the bandage in place.

After a week, the bandage was removed. This is a picture of how the wound and drain looked after that first week. At this point, Xena had to start wearing a cone. The cone they provided was so uncomfortable that Xena couldn't even sleep, hence, noone else could either! That was a Thursday. On Saturday, my husband went in search of a different cone. She had gotten this one off somehow the second nite she had it! There were a few different styles, but the girl working at Petsmart suggested he get a blow-up one (at a different store!) because they were the most comfortable. At Petco he found this one. It is like a life preserver and SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE! She can move her head and actually uses it like a pillow. It would not be effective for all wounds, but if anyone needs a cone for their dog, I highly recommend this one!
Today, 4 weeks later, she is almost completely healed! They say it will probably return, but in the same place. It is a nerve sheath cancer, not such an aggressive one. When it does return, now that we know what it is, we don't have to remove it unless it bothers her. So, hopefully, we will have more healthy years with Xena.
Sorry this kept me from blogging, but animal lovers may understand how down in the dumps I have been. She is part of our family, and a very important part!