waiting

We had a reprieve yesterday when our vet found nothing wrong on ultrasound and x-ray and blood tests on our elderly bleeding dog. However, we decided to take her to a specialist animal sonographer today, as the vet had explained it was highly possible she could have a bladder tumour that he couldn't pick up on his crude ultrasound machine.

So she's there now and we'll find out later today what's going on. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that the bleeding's from an antibiotic-resistant bladder infection (which is the only non-malignant possibility our vet could come up with). I'm trying not to fret unnecessarily - there'll be plenty of time for feeling upset if the news is bad. Still, I can feel my tension rising...

Update: It's not cancer, hurray! ... Well, to be somewhat medical about it, there's no cancer seen in the bladder, there is a section of kidney which is enlarged but that's probably "idiopathic" (all of this is second hand via co-parent). They suggested keeping her there and inserting a needle to draw out some fluid to see what it's composed of [I know that sounds like a biopsy but it doesn't seem to be a biopsy, more a testing of an infected area], so we said yes to that, so she won't be home till later tonight - poor doggy going through two procedures like this at her age. She'll probably need to be on antibiotics and oestrogen (to increase muscle tone in her bladder) for three months at least. Given that it was exactly this time last year we were dealing with a death sentence for Harry, I'm so relieved that we don't have to plunge back into that horrible feeling ... for the time being.

Comments

[Valerie]

Whew! I hope it turns out to be something easily fixed.

[Linda]

Oh! :( I hope all's well and she's back with you again soon. It's a horrible feeling when an animal you love is sick, isn't it? I'm thinking good thoughts for her!!

[Susan]

What a way to start the year. I hope things continue to go well.

And happy new year to you, Olle, and co-parent!