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Lauren | 5 years ago
My 12 1/2 Year Old Miniature Schnauzer Has A Bump On Her Face I Discovered Two Days Ago. …

My 12 1/2 year old miniature schnauzer has a bump on her face I discovered two days ago. The bump was originally pink and matted over by hair. She got a full hair cut about a month ago so the bump wasn’t there before that. We’ve been putting Neosporin on it and a liquid band aid but after cutting more hair from the wound which had scabs over it with the hair, it is red and still fully exposed with a black edge. Not sure what this could be. Is it life threatening or do I need to take her to the vet?

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    It is so hard to tell from a picture. I think I would call and get an appointment with the vet- it could be something simple, but I would make sure. Best of luck.

  2. Laura

    To the vet, for sure. They’ll want to put hands on it to help in diagnosis and cure.

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Laurie Sites | 6 years ago
Foreign Object On Ultrasound After Surgery? My Cat Had A Bilateral Chain Mastectomy 5 Months Ago After …

Foreign object on ultrasound after surgery? My cat had a bilateral chain mastectomy 5 months ago after a cancer diagnosis. The surgery went well and at her 2 week suture removal appointment the surgeon said everything looked great. However, soon after she developed a rather large seroma in her abdominal area. I took her to my vet and she drained almost almost 100 cc of fluid and tested the fluid to confirm it was a seroma. As expected. the seroma was back by the next week and has been there ever since (going on 4 months), though this time it was rather firm. I was told that the seroma should eventually go away on it’s own. The seroma doesn’t really seem to bother her at all. I took her to my vet 2 days ago for an unrelated matter and she was concerned that it hadn’t changed at all. She drained the fluid again so she could feel the incision underneath. She was concerned that something could be causing irritation or something could have improperly healed (she said it felt odd when palpitating the stomach). She suggested that I make an appointment with the specialty surgeon.

I took her in for her appointment today and he suggested that we could do surgery to remove subcutaneous tissue and place a drain. I really do not want to do a drain and would like to avoid another surgery if at all possible given what she’s already been through!! (and I already paid for a $3000 surgery) He said we could do a limited ultrasound of the abdomen first to make sure the body wall was intact. I agreed to the ultrasound. He called with the results and said the body wall was intact and the fluid was clear but a could see a “repeatable foreign object” near the front of the seroma that could be causing irritation and fluid buildup. It seems to me that this foreign object has to be a direct result of the surgery (flipped staple, something left inside…)?? It’s outside of the body wall. I’m very frustrated. He stuck with his recommendation of a $1,500 exploratory surgery and the drain placement. However, he did say it’s not an emergency as she doesn’t seem in any distress and has been living with it for months.

Advice on how to proceed? What questions should I ask? Should the surgeon take responsibility for this?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like you have a firm understanding of everything that has been done. And a suspicion that is reasonable and understandable. With all of this I would inquire with the surgeon your concerns. If I were your surgeon I would offer to do it for free if indeed I was also concerned that I might be responsible for this. Your other option is to ask the surgeon for a referral from an unbiased unrelated surgeon who can give an honest assessment without bias or liability. Things happen. But ethical responsibility is paramount. You have options. Don’t be afraid to inquire, insist and exercise them. Please let me know what happens. I’m interested. Good luck.

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Amber | 6 years ago
I Am The Owner Of A 2 Year Old English Bulldog. Last Year His Urethra Prolapsed And …

I am the owner of a 2 year old English Bulldog. Last year his urethra prolapsed and he received a purse string suture and was neutered at the pet ER in Bel Air. The issue resolved itself and he had been doing well until this last week when the urethra prolapsed again. We took him through the Towson pet ER so he could see a surgical specialist. They evaluated him and suggested surgery. After surgery they sent him home to recover and stressed the importance of him staying calm. We stayed by his side, even staying home from work, to ensure that he didn’t do anything to distrupt the healing. We kept him in a play pen and carried him up and down the stairs to potty. Two days after the surgery (and lots of bloody laundry later) we noticed that he was extremely uncomfortable even while on the pain and sedative meds. We also noticed the protrusion of his urethra tissue. We took him back to the surgeon and they confirmed that the urethra has prolapsed and they have recommended that the surgery be performed for a second time (tomorrow). We have ruled out the obvious contributing factors that may cause pressure such as stones, uti, etc. Any thoughts for treatment options moving forward? Are we missing anything? I just want our little guy to start feeling well again! Thank you.

Amber

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello.

    These are really frustrating cases. I’m so sorry about your experience and I empathize completely. I guess my first concern is that we don’t often know why this happens. My second concern is that you are going to repeat the same surgery and it should be assumed the failure has a pretty fair chance of happening again. My preference as the surgeon for cases like these (and they happen to all of us) is to both offer a redo (although I will admit I rarely charge or I charge a nominal redo fee) is to also offer a different surgeon to try over. My concern is that failing twice is an awful big expenditure and a tough explanation as to why I didn’t see that coming. My personal preference is to refer these difficult refractory cases to the vet teaching hospitals. They have faster easier and better access to more minds and more diverse experience. You just can’t get that at a private facility. I use UPenn or va tech vet schools. They are often cheaper and give a broader access to options and experience. I hope this helps. Please let me know what happens. I would love to hear a follow up and I would love to hear about your previous surgery and experience. Especially to add this to our storylines page. It is such a unique case. Very best of luck. Krista.

    1. Amber Post author

      Thank you so much for your reply and suggestions. We will move forward with the second attempt to repair the prolapse despite the low success rate and cost associated. If it is unsuccessful we will need to get another opinion. I hadn’t thought to consult with a vet school and I think that is great advice. I will certainly keep you posted along the way.

  2. Laura

    I want to second Dr. M’s recommendation of a vet school. UPenn is phenomenal – we drove up from Timonium. They couldn’t help my puppy but they literally threw everything they could at him to diagnose his issue, and it was more than the local vets could do.

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Charlotte | 6 years ago
My One Year Old Lab Mix Has Worms. She Did Not Even Poop And Their Was …

My one year old lab mix has worms. She did not even poop and their was two worms stuck to her but and I don’t have money for a vet please help

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    There may be OTC options of dewormer, but I can not make a recommendation on those. I would be extremely careful in going that route. Dosage will probably vary greatly. If I were you, I would call my vet and find out how much an office visit and a shot of dewormer would cost upfront. The longer you wait, the worse (and subsequently the more expensive) things will get. Your dog is 1, so probably due for an annual exam anyway. I’m sure your vet will be able to do the yearly exam and deworming altogether. They may be willing to let you pay in multiple installments.

    1. Charlotte Post author

      Yes thank you I ended up just taking her yesterday to the vet and she got her shots and stuff and I’m working with them on paying thank you

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Charlotte | 6 years ago
I Have A One Year Old Lab Basset Hound Mix And Every Time We Go In …

I have a one year old lab basset hound mix and every time we go in the car she throws up I know it is just car sickness but is it something she will grow out of or something I should be worried about

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  1. Sarah

    It could be nerves/anxiety… in which case you would have to work to change the behavior and also work on her anxiety. You may want to discuss it with the vet and see if they have any recommendation as they know your pet better than me. I would try to find a good dog behaviorist (your vet may have a recommendation) to help show you the best way to handle this with your dog. Best of luck.

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Linda | 6 years ago
When I Go For A Run With My 1 Year Old Yellow Lab, She Wants To Stop …

When I go for a run with my 1 year old yellow lab, she wants to stop every 15 seconds to smell and sniff everything! It’s annoying because I just want to run. I take her because she’s ancy to go in the morning and it’s good exercise for her

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    You each have a different motivation while outside. I take my dogs for a run (they are a year old too), every single day. But I only run after they have had a walk to go to the bathroom and investigate their territory. That way we each get our outside time and preferences for being out there out of our system. The other thing that helps is running with someone who’s dog already understands the routine. Let them learn from another dog. And please whatever you do never get upset or frustrated. Your dogs whole life and purpose is you. So be kind and considerate and remember this is your kid so you have to compromise. They will love you more for it and your life together will be happier and easier.

  2. Sarah

    Hi there-
    I also run with one of my dogs. But we all have a pack walk earlier in the morning, (and another after lunch and dinner)so that bathrooming, smelling, general “romping around”, etc…. are all out of the way. It took us about 5 runs for each of our routes, for him to get the routine down, but basically, he could probably run our route(s) without me if he had to???? If you give a nice 20 minutes or so morning walk to your pup before you head out to run, they should pick up rather quickly that “oh! Yay! We are running now.” If he veers off, a gentle tug and a fun “come on let’s run????” should do the trick. Hope this helps. Happy running!????????

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Charlotte | 6 years ago
I Have A One Year Old Lab Basset Hound Mix And I Am A Diabetic And …

I have a one year old lab basset hound mix and I am a diabetic and I would like to train her to bark when ever my dexcom beeps Incase I don’t hear it but I’m just not sure how to train her to do that thank you

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. There are a few ways to train your dog. Easiest way is with treats, if they are food driven. Decide on the signal you would like for your dog to give you and start there. Do you want your dog to come to you and put their paw on your lap, sit in front of you, etc? Then start working on that. While working on that, have the sound of the alarm from your monitor go off so that your dog associated the action with the sound and the reward. Start slow and small. Be sure to reward right away. Once you guys master sound/sit/reward, you can work on things from there. There are a lot of YouTube videos on training, and there are some very good dog trainers in our area- R Dogs and Polite Pooches our of 4 Paws in forest hill come to mind. Best of luck!!

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Zoey | 6 years ago
My 11 Year Old Cat Was Diagnosed With A Nasopharyngeal Polyp Via CT Scan And Rhinoscopy Last …

My 11 year old cat was diagnosed with a nasopharyngeal polyp via CT scan and rhinoscopy last year. A biopsy was taken and found not to be cancerous. A nasal flush was the only intervention taken (which improved her symptoms) as I was told it was too small to remove. 3 weeks ago she was taken back with the same symptoms (noisy and difficulty breathing, quacking noises, and problems swallowing food) and another nasal flush was done under anesthesia and an antibiotic injection given with steroids also. Since then she has gotten progressively worse in her symptoms. The same vet wants to do another rhinoscopy and flush and cannot guarantee any results. I am not a rich person and so far between last year and now I have spent over $4,000 to help her. I was hoping you or someone in the Brooklyn area can recommend a reputable veterinarian for at least a second opinion as I am beginning to feel that I am being taken advantage of monetarily because of my dedication to getting help for my cat. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

2 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Hello-
    I’m sorry you are finding yourself in this situation. I would make a few phone calls to see about finding a second opinion. Your local humane society or scpa may be able to recommend another vet. I would also have a candid discussion with your current vet about your financial situation and your concern for your cat. Perhaps together, you can come up with a good plan that works for the both of you and more importantly, benefits your cat. Hope this helps- best of luck!!!

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Amanda | 6 years ago
My Almost 6 Month Old Puppy Is Having Diarrhea. We Changed His Food About 2 Weeks From Purina …

My almost 6 month old puppy is having diarrhea. We changed his food about 2 weeks from Purina pro plan puppy to the purina pro plan large breed food. He is a lab/mastiff mix. Do you think it’s the food causing the diarrhea? Should I switched him back to the old stuff? Or give him more time? He is acting fine other then the diarrhea. Thanks!

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    At that age I would be most worried about intestinal parasites. Has your vet done a fecal exam for parasites? This is done by sending a fresh fecal sample to lab to be examined under the microscope for parasites eggs. Please ask your vet.

    1. Amanda Post author

      Dr.Magnifco he sees Dr.Graf. I will call and see what I need to do.

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Elza | 6 years ago
Hello! I Have A 14.5 Year Old Japaenese Splitz Who Had Disc Surgery 2 Years Ago. This Year …

Hello! I have a 14.5 year old japaenese splitz who had disc surgery 2 years ago. This year he developed new weakness in his lower extremities and had a 2.5 kg weight loss so he had a full body ct with contrast and ct brain.
Findings included a chronic herniated disc explaining his weakness and an incidental finding of a splenic mass with some splenomegaly and no evidence of metastasis. Ultrasound findings were non significant. The nature of the mass remains unknown. His blood tests were good and he has no anemia. My veterinary doctor recommends a splenectomy. But i am worried of putting him through general anesthesia given that he has a heart murmur (on no medical Tx). I want to maximize his quality of life. I dont know if i should put him through major surgery given that he is asymptomatic but i am also worried abt internal bleeding and the suffering of metastatic disease if i dont operate. What should i do?

4 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    The first thing that I would do is sit down with the vet and have a heart to heart about your thoughts and concerns. Hopefully you have a good relationship with them, and you are able to have an open discussion regarding whether or not surgery is the best option. I would mention your concerns (anesthesia, etc.) about quality of life and surgery risks for sure. I would also recommend having a “family” meeting with the household of applicable, regarding the pros and cons, the vets advice, and the recovery process (if you go through with surgery) or any other day to day changes that will be necessary in the near future for your pet. But again, my first step would be with my vet to weigh the options for my pet. Best of luck.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I had the same situation a few weeks ago. I am asking that patients mom to contribute to this question too.
    My first piece of advice is to ask for an echocardiogram exam. You don’t mention the degree or severity of the heart murmur (usually graded on a scale of 1-6) and it is important to say that a low grade doesn’t always indicate it is safe or irrelevant.
    From here you can better assess anesthetic risk.
    In general I tell clients to take out the spleen before it becomes a problem. A bleeding spleen can kill a dog quickly. So quickly you may not even have time for successful surgical intervention.
    You have done an amazing job with diagnostics and treatment options. Don’t stop here.
    Please let us know what happens.
    Best of luck

  3. Trish Powers

    Wow, what you are going through sounds quite sillier to what I just experienced with my oldest dog, who is almost 12. He is a Lab mix weighing about 54 lbs. A few months back he had is senior checkup, including a full blood panel and all looked good except trace amounts of blood in his urine and he has had a heart murmur his whole life and had never been on heart medication. He ate carpet a few weeks ago and while doing X-rays and ultrasounds to be sure it wasn’t causing a bowel obstruction, we found he had an enlarged heart and two masses on his spleen, with no indication of metastasis. He was acting himself, except for the belly issues from eating the carpet. Once we knew the carpet issue was under control, I got a second opinion about the spleen and had long talks with my vet about the situation. Both veterinarians suggested a splenectomy, and also to consider a cardiology evaluation to be sure his heart was strong enough for surgery. I was so nervous about what to do, he is older, acting fine and his quality of life is great. The thought of putting him through what I felt was major surgery was so frightening, especially since he is older, but I was also getting nervous about internal bleeding and ending up in emergency surgery and that being life threatening. I made the decision to see a cardiologist and they cleared him for surgery, and started him on heart medication; he then had the splenectomy the next day. The recovery was quick and he actually wasn’t much bothered by the surgery, maybe a day or two of lethargy. By the end of the first week I was having to keep him from playing and running, he was back to himself. Now, a few weeks later, I am so thankful I made the decision I did, he is just so happy, playful and back to being his energetic (in the old man style) self and even starting play sessions with his siblings. It was a roller coater ride for the few weeks after getting the diagnosis, getting a second opinion and making the decision to go forward with the surgery, but it was all worth it to have him back and not sit here and worry if he might be bleeding internally. I learned your mind can play those games with you when you know there is a potential unseen problem with your dog. One thing that made the decision a little easier was my vet telling me the surgery wasn’t much more on him then say a spay for a girl, it really wasn’t as major as I thought it would be, and based on the experience I went through, I’d agree it really didn’t take much out of him at all. I wish you all the best in making your decision, and I’d be happy to help answer any other questions you may have.
    Trish

  4. Krista Magnifico

    this is the answer from my client, Trish, who’s dog had a very similar issue (heart murmur and incidental splenic mass found via ultrasound).

    “Wow, what you are going through sounds quite sillier to what I just experienced with my oldest dog, who is almost 12. He is a Lab mix weighing about 54 lbs. A few months back he had is senior checkup, including a full blood panel and all looked good except trace amounts of blood in his urine and he has had a heart murmur his whole life and had never been on heart medication. He ate carpet a few weeks ago and while doing X-rays and ultrasounds to be sure it wasn’t causing a bowel obstruction, we found he had an enlarged heart and two masses on his spleen, with no indication of metastasis. He was acting himself, except for the belly issues from eating the carpet. Once we knew the carpet issue was under control, I got a second opinion about the spleen and had long talks with my vet about the situation. Both veterinarians suggested a splenectomy, and also to consider a cardiology evaluation to be sure his heart was strong enough for surgery. I was so nervous about what to do, he is older, acting fine and his quality of life is great. The thought of putting him through what I felt was major surgery was so frightening, especially since he is older, but I was also getting nervous about internal bleeding and ending up in emergency surgery and that being life threatening. I made the decision to see a cardiologist and they cleared him for surgery, and started him on heart medication; he then had the splenectomy the next day. The recovery was quick and he actually wasn’t much bothered by the surgery, maybe a day or two of lethargy. By the end of the first week I was having to keep him from playing and running, he was back to himself. Now, a few weeks later, I am so thankful I made the decision I did, he is just so happy, playful and back to being his energetic (in the old man style) self and even starting play sessions with his siblings. It was a roller coater ride for the few weeks after getting the diagnosis, getting a second opinion and making the decision to go forward with the surgery, but it was all worth it to have him back and not sit here and worry if he might be bleeding internally. I learned your mind can play those games with you when you know there is a potential unseen problem with your dog. One thing that made the decision a little easier was my vet telling me the surgery wasn’t much more on him then say a spay for a girl, it really wasn’t as major as I thought it would be, and based on the experience I went through, I’d agree it really didn’t take much out of him at all. I wish you all the best in making your decision, and I’d be happy to help answer any other questions you may have.
    Trish”

    hope this helps.. i am going to ask Trish to add Reggie’s story to our storylines section asap!