Hi All , what do you make of this ? We took our dog Sonny ( Jack Russell ) for a routine visit to the vet .It was nothing big , he had a black patch under his arm pit .She said that was nothing to worry about after she'd examined him , but then she said whilst giving him a routine check - she had found " other " things .He had swollen lymph glands , she could feel some lumps on him as well .Then she said with an old dog like this we can't rule out cancer but it's probably nothing to worry about .

Sonny (we think ) is about 5-7 years old .He hasn't been eating well lately which we mentioned to her - he's had a few spells of that .

Well she made a double appointment for us right away , for just a few days later , for her to take blood .When he's had blood taken before , it's always been in front of us .They shaved a bit of fur from his leg and took it.This time though , she took him out back .When she returned she said he'd been a good dog ,and this weekend he deserved lots cuddles and treats .

That night (last night actually ) we took off his collar and found a massive shaved area under his chin.I mean really a LOT of fur had been shaved off .She has made another double appointment for us on Tuesday aft , whether the blood test results are back or not ???!!!! she is having the bloods rushed through as well .
We are starting to think she must think the worst .I didn't get any sleep at all last night as Sonny was vomiting which worried me further ,though he has eaten and drunk normally today .
I am non plussed really .I know he has been off his food off and on but he is still a bit chubby she said .I mean wouldn't I have spotted signs of something worse if he's got cancer ?

My husband is also confused .Are we reading too much into this ? has anyone else had an experience like this ?

thanks a lot
B .x

Hi B
I registered at a new vets during a temporary house move and was surprised when the vet took my girl round the back for a blood sample. Previously the same blood test has always been done in front of me. I was shocked when she returned with a large area of neck shaved looking like she had been got at by Dracula. Previously it was always drawn from the leg and my girl was upset. I will never let that happen again unless they can convince me it is better. Anyhow get yourself to DogAware for information on health conditions etc.
http://www.dogaware.com/
While you don't want your dog to suffer sometimes it pays to hang on in there. Just in case it is cancer you need to inform yourself of the options before you see the vet again or make any rash decisions. My dog was given 2 months to live 2 years ago due to a liver condition. But with the help of sites like dogaware and a yahoo group she is alive and kicking and enjoys life.
If you google canine cancer you will find a lot of information plus support groups/ forums. Good luck!

Your dog had bloods taken from the neck. It can be quite upsetting to watch that's why they were taken out back and shaved. From what you say I would be worried about cancer but my vet has always been upfront about the possibilities. Tbh I would have asked what they thought was going on rather than be fobbed off. I would ring and ask what is going on tbh. My vet always gives me a rundown of what it could be and his feelings on the matter in his experience. That's your dog, you should be told what they are testing for and what they are thinking.

Thanks for the help Mrs Grumpy and Marie .I will go to look at that site now .I agree with you Marie , we don't like all this doubt .I suppose she may be just trying not to worry us as it could turn out be a minor thing.I prefer honesty myself ,and on Tuesday I will have some direct questions to ask .That site will give me some good info to help , ta Mrs G.

Will update thread when we know more .Fingers crossed .
B.x

Good luck.

I dont want to feed your anxiety but to be honest I wouldnt be comfortable using this vet. My vet has always been very open and honest about every single thing he has done and why, what he's looking for etc. It may be because we were paying him rather than insurance and he felt he had to justify every step I dont know but I appreciated it.

OP swollen lymph glands may just mean an infection and non cancerous lumps and bumps are a common occurence in older dogs. Hopefully Sonny may need nothing more than a course of antibiotics. If tests reveal that something else is likely to be going on, the vet will most likely suggest a biopsy. There are different types of biopsies.
Think of as many questions as you can before your next visit and write them down and write down the answers too! In particular get the blood results (some vets will give you a print out).

Thanks Mrs G .I know what you mean Duffsdad - to be honest the area was so large we wondered if she had DONE a biopsy , but I suppose there would be more to see.
A double appt even if the blood results aren't in is worrying .I mean ,what can she say ? Is he eating any better ?how's he been ? that doesn't take 2 appts .

The sooner Tuesday comes, the better !
B.x.

Sonny'll be in my thoughts. Fingers crossed. xxx

^^^^^^^^^^

As Above !

Thanks all x

I have dogs, I've always had dogs, so Sonny will also be in my thoughts too barrowgirl.

The one thing that I would say is that it might have been prudent to ask the Vet why she shaved so much hair off for just blood test.

Also, I'm not saying that this is what you should do, it's your dog, and you know whats best regarding your pet; but if it were one of my dogs, that would have been the last visit to that surgery for him or her, unless I got some instant and plausible answer to the question of why...

Good luck honey...

Thanks .We didn't realise how much fur she'd taken off until we took his collar off and saw under his chin .If we had spotted it right away ,I would definitely have asked what was going on .Well , it's nearly Tuesday and all be revealed as I intend to be much more inquisitive and not leave before she's told us what is in her mind.
B.x

Re the way blood tests are done I was shocked when the previous vet did it from the neck last time. My dog has routine blood tests and this test was no different.
They have always been done from the leg previously and I just assumed it would be the same. They went into another room and were gone such a long time, I was getting anxious. I didn't know they were doing it from the neck this time (and shaving a huge area in the process). I was so stunned when she came out I'm afraid I didn't say anything. Also like the OP I didn't realise till later just how much had been shaved off. This was always going to be a temporary vet anyway. But having finally moved house properly I am registering with a new vet and I will raise it with them.
OP you might also ask why they didn't test from the leg. After the event I could tell my dog was distressed and unless any vet can give me a convincing clinical reason for using this method, we won't be doing it again.

Some vets operate by giving you minimal information. Through this and other experiences - like the time a vet prescribed oral steroids without warning of the possible long term consequences - I've learnt to be proactive, do my own research and ask about everything - what meds and why, side effects, alternatives etc etc.
Don't be afraid to be a pain in the *rse
Good luck OP.

Absolutely! Once one brings a dog home, in my humble opinion, it is no longer a 'pet' but a part of the family. It's like having a child (not that I have children of my own) but I consider my dogs to be children, behavior-wise that is. If I had a child, and the child needed to see a physician I would want to know all the details down to the nth degree.

I took one of my dogs to a Vet just after I had bought her because that's what I do with all dogs I buy, just to get a general checkup, even tho their papers may be in order; and also, in this case, due to what appeared to be a sore close to the inner corner of one of her eye's. I had had the dog for a couple of weeks before I could get the appointment, and she didn't have the condition when I bought her.

It was a 'Practice' and they had a new Vet whom saw my dog. We went into the examining room and she introduced herself. As soon as she started talking the red flag went up for me. I mean seriously went up.

The new Vet talked a mile a minute, and didn't pause for breath. She seemed to be speaking from a learned 'rote.' In fact, she gave the impression of being manic. I had, at that time two Retrievers, and the dog in question was a Toy Poodle. I tried to butt in and tell this Vet what the problem with my dog seemed to be. She reached out and grabbed the dog, and roughly pulled her eyelids apart, all the while still talking as if there was no tomorrow, and as if she had verbal diarrhea.

The eye was already weeping, and had some pus there. I knew that ripping her eyelid down such as she did would exacerbate the issue. There was no need to have handled her so roughly at all, and I cautioned the woman to be more gentle. However, she continued to look at the dogs eye roughly, and at one point my dog yelped. I decided to stop the examination right there, and asked to speak to the Senior Vet.

Whilst waiting for him, I examined my dogs eye, and found it to have torn a little bit in the corner of her eyelid, due to the rough handling.

When the senior Vet arrived I told him that I was appalled at the way my dog had been examined, and I also told him that the new Vet appeared to be manic. I further informed him that I would be seeking another Vet for my dogs, and that it would not be within his practice. He was rather astonished, but was polite and professional (as was I) and he offered to find a replacement Practice for me.

I signed up with another Vet Practice actually, and not the one that he'd recommended. It turned out that my Poodle had an eyelash that grew in the opposite direction to the rest of her eyelashes; i.e. into her eyeball, and had been irritating her. Because the Poodle needs trimming every six weeks, I had to be careful in not going too close to that eye with the trimmers, but the tear still took a long time to heal. In fact it took months of careful procedures; poor little mite. She's fine now tho...

I always take the view when any of my dogs need professional assistance of: My dog, my rules. Period.

Good on you SoulinFlight. Hopefully the days are gone when we used to blindly accept what human and animal docs say/do. But they can still be difficult to challenge.
A vet prescribed diuretics (Furosemide) for a bit of fluid on my dogs chest. When I googled it I read that diuretics can affect kidney function and that no dog should be put on them without initial and periodic kidney checks. So I went back to the vet and asked for a blood test. Next thing I got an urgent call from the surgery - her kidney values were high (quite common in older dogs) and to stop the diuretics!
I realise vets can't know everything but I pay handsomely for the service and expect them to know basics. Sigh...

Don't worry all my fellow dog warriors - even though I am only the same size as Wee Jimmy Kranky ,I will get the truth from her will report back tomorrow !
B.x

Hi All , well the blood tests were in. They showed problems , too little of something in the liver , too many red blood cells and definite signs of infection .

I asked her did she think it was cancer ? and she said yes .She didn't want to alarm us but it is the thing they are looking for .It may or may not have spread .She told us to bring him in first thing on Thursday and they'd put him out ,so they could x ray him .We had to sign a form and be free on Thurs in case of an emergency arising .

So our gut instincts were right - she obviously spotted something in Sonny at the first examination .

If it turns out to show nothing obvious - we still have to figure out why he isn't eating and is not himself .
Well , it's not been confirmed so there is still hope ,so we'll just keep hoping ........
B.x

If they detect a mass or something on Thursday you may be asked if you want him to have surgery while he is under. Or (hopefully not) they might suggest euthanasia.
Was there an option of having an ultrasound as opposed to an X Ray?
But really you need time to consider treatment options and ideally talk to folks on groups dealing with canine cancer.
It's so difficult. I am glad I didn't listen to the prognosis and bought my girl at least 2 years of quality life. On the other hand I have known someone trying to keep their dog going and putting him through a lot of pointless suffering. It's a tough call.
Good luck for Thursday!

Thanks Mrs G, no just x rays .I think you are right they will say operation or euthanasia IF they find something and that's why we have to be available all day .
Will write on Thursday and let you know if/what they found ,
cheers for the support
B.x

It's difficult as you haven't had a confirmation of cancer, what type of cancer, where and how bad. But arm yourself with as much info as possible including surgical options, drug options, palliative options, timespan/prognosis and of course cost and limits of pet insurance if you have any.
If you do continue I know a good yahoo group which can help with liver issues. nausea and innapetence.
Best of luck for you and Sonny tomorrow.

Some vets who are less confident at taking blood will do it this way. I know it looks alarming but it gives them better sight of the vein. Doggy blood donors do it this way. They can also do it like this if they have difficulty getting a sample, it can be quicker and easier and less stressful for the dog.

Dogs can have chemo too these days depending obviously on what sort it is but it is expensive. Its not as big a deal as it is for us as they use a lower dose and most dogs cope very well with it.

I will be asking my new vet which method they use and why. All I know is that all the various vets during her 15 years have taken samples from the leg. Maybe this is why she was actually more stressed. The other thing is because of her respiratory condition I am advised to use a chest harness rather than a collar and lead and to avoid any pressure around the neck. So having them grapple with her and shaving that area is not ideal. It certainly wasn't quicker in her case

No news .He still hasn't has his x rays done and I have to call back at 4/30