18 months after our elderly cairn terrier, Katie, died with a massive cancerous growth on her leg, one of the schnoodles has developed a lump on her chest.
It is hard and craggy and fixed to the surrounding structures, which the vet described as non reassuring features. They tried sticking a needle into it to see if they could suck out some cells for diagnosis, but didn’t find anything definitive. It may just be a reaction to some local irritation, although it didn’t respond to antibiotics, or it may be a sarcoma. These are incredibly rare according to the vet. What are the chances of getting it twice in the one (adoptive) family? Fingers crossed we have statistics on our side. On the plus side, the vets aren’t pushing for any more invasive investigations. If it is a sarcoma, it wouldn’t be operable. The poor doggie knows that something’s up. She’s been getting far more attention than usual, and unlike Katie, she hates it at the vets. Katie loved it there – she didn’t mind rough handling by strangers, thermometers up the bottom, anything as long as she got the treats. Ruby, in comparison, sits there shivering and looking very unhappy. “Mummy, why are we here again? I don’t like it. Take me away and I’ll promise to be good!”
I’m sorry, Ruby. Let’s just get back to our ordinary lives for however long that’s going to be possible.
