For the poor few who read my MySpace blog, this isn't news. For the rest of you who are nice enough to read this, here it goes.
Last Wednseday I discovered lumps by one of Uzie's teats, breasts, whatever. They're very small and I've never felt them before, we cuddle a lot so I should've noticed them if they'd been there before. Now, the minute I discovered them I called the vet's and booked an appt, they routinely remove the lumps and check them afterwards - regardless of whether they're benign or malignant they shouldn't be there. I got the appt for tomorrow morning with time set aside for the surgery. Right after that, the second shock: I feel through all of the teats and discover a number of little bumps under her skin, under her left arm so to speak. They don't feel like the two others but it's still fucking scary...
Now to the really nervous part; Uzie was recently insured with a new company cos I wasn't happy with the other one, and she went through a clean vet checkup. The lumps/bumps are all VERY hard to feel/discover/notice, the ones by her teat can only be felt at all if she's stretched out on her back, ie the "scratch me damnit mummy" position. The other ones can NOT be felt when she's on her back like that, only when she's standing up. I feel like an awful dog owner who hasn't spent time feeling under her arm like that, but then who does really? I pet her of course but not there especially, put on her reflective harness but it doesn't touch there. I bathe her every once in a while but then I use a sponge so... but still. Am I bad? The vet who did the check on her in December is very experienced and has a good rep, so I feel HE should have noticed them. Lump growth can be triggered by the female's heat period, and she finished that exactly a month ago. Now, the thing to be really nervous about;
The insurance company only covers things occuring after the insurance was signed, obviously. It's now up to the vet to determine if the lumps/bumps have been there since before the checkup, I can swear all I want I've never felt them before and so can "my" vet, but it's still up to them. From everything I've read up on these things can have grown very fast so I'm hoping the vet will say s/he can't determine or that they can have grown that fast, then it's covered.... if not, I can't afford to have them removed right now
I just needed to share that, for those of you who know how much Uzie means to me you'll know how sick this makes me. I cry all the time...
Please keep your fingers crossed for us tomorrow, if I was prone to praying this would be a time for it. Screw it, I am praying.

Hope it all works out.

If it helps, my dog has similar things, but it turned out to just be fatty deposits and nothing to be worried about.

Mars23 said:

Thanks. These aren't fat deposits though, I've felt many of those but they feel different.

Hope all is well tomorrow.

shanti0608 said:

Thank you. I have to go to bed but I don't think I'll get much sleep.

Teacher said:

I can understand. My ACD male that I had in the states had a lump that appeared quite quickly. They felt nothing like the fatty cysts that my Min. Schnauzer had. Turned out to be an ingrown hair of sorts, hair follicle problem. Nothing major.
So hopefully this is nothing serious.

shanti0608 said:

How quickly?

I hope your doggie will be OK Jen.

hokie said:

Thank you.

Teacher said:

Well I cannot say really. It was on his spine back by his tail. In a spot that would usually get petted frequently.

poor goggie!!

hope all is well jen

I hope it's nothing serious. Let us know how it goes.

my 'puppy' is in his middle age. And ive kind of been watching for stuff like this, but that's only cause the last visit they asked if i ever noticed any lumps or bumps anywhere. Then i got worried.
I hope things are fine like Mars said.
[Edited 1/21/09 6:23am]

Poor baby. What's going on with everyone's pet?? My cat has a lump as well. I believe it's fat deposit, but I'm not a vet. I have to take him in.

Smooches;)

i was checking mine for fur mats..found those, now i feel like i should check again...
she's gotta be super-cat or something..
14 years and not many sick visits..
again..
for goggie..

I know you won't see this til after but I hope all is well Jen.

peb319 said:

Fur mats aren't a problem. That's called "Lazy owner".

Vendetta1 said:

I did... managed 4 hours of tossing and turning but now I'm up, about 2h50mins till we're due. Thank you


Many thanks to all

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. We are both going thru things right now with sick pets, and it is so hard. I know how much Uzie means to you. Pets are like our children. I will add Uzie to my prayer list.

psychodelicide said:

Thank you, I am thinking of you and Reebok too.

horatio said:

Ya know, my dog is so old, the vet always ends sentences with "if he makes it that long". I'm always like "fuck you bitch". He gets down like a puppy every day.

Teacher said:

Aww, thanks!

Well, all is really rather well !! The vet agrees with me that the lumps may very well have started growing during or right after she was in heat so little over a month ago, and therefore there shouldn't be a problem having it covered by insurance. Now, though - the vet wants to wait a few weeks before doing the surgery, in case more lumps pop up so to speak. Any surgery is of course a risk and then you wouldn't want to do one now only to have to do it again in a month. So we're going back in 3 weeks or a month and then the surgery will be happening. I was given the medicine Galastop for her, she always goes into this bullshit fake pregnancy mode (don't know the English term) after each heat . They can't do surgery if she's in that stage and the Galastop will take that away. There's an elevated risk for uterus inflammation when using this medicine but compared to leaving the lumps there for a few months while she gets over it I'll take that risk.
I am so very very relieved!

Thanks for all the well wishes.

Teacher said:

Glad to hear it.

for Uzie!!!

and and

Teacher said:

I'm happy for your good news!!

hopeit truns out well for you and your dog