Lacey - UPDATE Pg 2, #19; had her mastectomy today.

[Freedom]

Lacey is home! As the vet said, this was not one of her better days. Things do look good, in spite of the info below. If you get squeamish, do not read further!

I hadn't noticed, but by the time the vet saw her this morning, that nipple was oozing. yucky Bad sign. When I went in to pick her up, I was told, "The vet wants to talk to you." OK now I get really nervous.

There is a lot of bruising around the surgical site. Much more than normal, more than the vet would like. Lacey was there long enough that, if there was internal bleeding, the vet feels she would have seen it by now. One area, she did have a lot of trouble stopping the bleeding and had to put in a LOT of stitches. I have to watch the site for swelling or oozing. Either one, get Lacey to the vet ASAP, the ER vet if mine is closed. Lacey came out of the anesthesia and surgery fine. Later, Lacey did vomit once and got herself really nervous and worked up. They gave her both IV fluids and sub cutaneous fluids (neither a normal part for this type surgery). They changed pain meds to something less hard on the stomach and hope that and giving her some food this evening will help settle her. The vet said she expects getting Lacey home will be the best thing for her at this point.

There were no fingers or threads, the tumor was self contained. The vet was able to take some fatty tissue from all around it, feels confident she got all of it. Now we just need the biopsy results, probably next Wednesday.

[lizbud]

I hope Lacey heals up quickley. It is really amazing what Vets are
able to do for animals these days. I hope she is able to get comfortable
and get the rest she needs.

[chocolatepuppy]

What an ordeal for Lacey.:( I hope she heals quickly and that the biopsy results are good news.

[Moesha]

I hope things go better for her recovery than for the surgery. Keep us posted when you get the biopsy results please. Does she have to have a cone?

[Freedom]

Yes, she is wearing the E collar for at least 10 days, possibly 14 days. And I have plenty of pain meds for her for 5 to 8 days. The sutures are mostly internal, and the rest are dissolvable, so she does not have to return.

Lacey has been sleeping since she arrived home. I've offered food but thus far she is only interested in sleeping -- here on the sofa in the family room with all of us. The effects of the anesthesia can leave her groggy for 1 to 2 days.

She is on leash walks for bathroom business only, for 10 to 14 days, no long walks until she is fully healed. She is not "supposed" to jump, but she hopped up on the sofa when we first got home before I could stop her. ;)

[Karen]

I'm glad she is home, and feeling well enough to jump on the sofa, even if she's not supposed to. We'll say a prayer that she heals quickly and completely.

[Daisy and Delilah]

My thoughts and prayers are going out, Sandie!! I'm so glad she's home. Feel better Lacey!! You have a great Mom taking care of you there.:)

[Freedom]

Thanks Karen and Terry. Yes, I am so happy to have her back home. Whew!

[MonicanHonda]

I'm glad baby is back home. Sounds like a hard but possibly successful surgery. Wishing for good biopsy results *hugs for Lacey*

[Catlady711]

I hope the biopsy comes back with a good report! Hope she's feeling better in no time.

[Freedom]

Thank you for all the well wishes. She finally ate a little something this morning. I had to break up a hot dog and hand feed her. But she ate it!

[Alysser]

I must've missed the thread that poor Lacey needed surgery. I'm sorry she had to go through this, and you must have been so nervous when "the vet needed to see you". Hope the poor girl recovers quickly and easily! Rest up, Lacey!

[pomtzu]

Wow Lacey - you sure have been thru a lot - poor baby! Myndi and Sparky are sending tons of good vibes and well wishes to you, hoping that you're feeling better real soon. Sending doggie smooches too...:love::love::love:

Sandie - we've got fingers, toes and paws crossed here in DE, that Lacey will make a fast and complete recovery. :)

[Freedom]

Thank you Ellie and Alicia. The pain meds are keeping her sleepy, which is alright.

[cassiesmom]

Sweet Lacey, I hope you, mom and granddad, and Sugar, Marlin and Tasha had a good day today. (((HUGS)))

[kb2yjx]

I am sorry that I did not see the orginal thread about Lacey and her surgery. I hope she does better with the E collar than Tina.....Prayers for you both....

[Freedom]

Thanks everyone. Lacey is feeling lots better. Not back to normal yet, but that is alright. She is DEFINITELY recovering, now. Had me worried all day Saturday.

She is eating, drinking, pee ing and pooping. She comes to sit with us in the Family Room for short spurts. Seems she can't yet get comfortable on the sofa, so then she is off back to my bed.

[pomtzu]

Good to hear that she is feeling better. Keep it up Lacey girl. :love:

[Freedom]

Biopsy results are in. Not the best news, but not the worst, either.

Low grade malignancy. Seems entire tumor was excised, there is a border a the way around with no "bad" cells in that border.

Recommend closely watching patient for possible recurrence, and recommend chest x rays. That is because this stuff moves NOT to the other nipples, but to the lungs. I asked what happens if we do the x rays. Either we find nothing (GREAT) or we find something and start chemo IF that is what I want to do. I already know I am not putting Lacey through chemo. So no reason to do the x rays.

I had Lacey in to the vet this evening. She is not recovering as expected. She won't eat or drink, barely takes 2 bites hot dog per day. She has lost 1.5 pounds since Friday. The vet checked her all over: no temp, no tenderness, so discoloring, no signs of internal bleeding, no signs of infection. We did give Lacey a long term antibiotic shot, just in case there IS an infection, which we can't find.

Other options include: redo the blood work -- all was well before the surgery and there really should not be anything other than, perhaps, an infection. Appetizer pills to encourage her to eat. Fluids, although Lacey is not "clinically dehydrated" at this time. (How come? I haven't seen her drink at all since she came home Friday at 4 PM!)

Vet admitted she is stumped. Also said it was obvious to her when Lacey walked in that she is not at the point the vet would have expected her to be at by this time.

Going to wait another day or 2, and then maybe try the appetizer pills.

[chocolatepuppy]

I'm sorry not better news.:( Hopefully Lacey will be fine for years.

[cassiesmom]

Oh, Lacey! On the one hand I am very glad the margins were clean and I hope nothing ever shows up on a chest x-ray. On the other hand, sweety, please drink and eat something, please, pretty please?

Hugs from your fan,
Elyse

[MonicanHonda]

I hope Lacey gets better. That is a long time to not eat or drink. Poor baby. I hope she starts getting better poor thing.

[caseysmom]

Sending some good thoughts for Lacey.

[Freedom]

First, I want to reassure everyone, Lacey is BACK! She is her normal self, eating, drinking and a happy happy girl!

The problem was the pain relief drug she was given: buprenorphine. It is a narcotic, and used for mil to moderate pain control at home. And it seems to have some side effects which vets are observing, but which are NOT listed ANYWHERE! It says it has a sedation effect. Well, it was making Lacey really odd.

This morning, Sugar had a follow up with her eye surgeon, for her cataract surgery from 7 months back. I took Lacey along as she has been house bound for 4 days and won't be on walks for a total of 2 weeks. The eye surgeon is WONDERFUL, and as she has worked with me helping 3 pets. I have frequently taken 4 fluffs in for Sugar's visits, lol. She knows about my rescue obsession. Rolled Eyes

So, seeing as Lacey is wearing a cone collar, she asked and I talked. What is the pain medicine? I told her. STOP it. STOP IT NOW. Er, but it is for pain.
Ask your vet for something else if Lacey is uncomfortable but after 4 to 5 days she can go with no pain meds. "It is THAT medicine which is making her act weird, not eat and so forth. It is a narcotic." She said they have been seeing this a lot, even though it is not being reported as yet.

Due to a crazy morning here at home, Lacey hadn't gotten her dose in the AM. And she WAS acting better at this point, 10 AM. So I have stopped giving her that medicine at all. She is FINE!


I set this as separate thread in case we ever need to back track which medicine. Not that we will remember the name, but remembering Lacey, medicine, weird, will help in a search for it.

I will phone Lacey's regular vet tomorrow to let her know.

[cassiesmom]

Oh, Lacey! Buprenorphine would flatten anybody! It's even more potent than morphine. I'm glad your doing better without it and I know your mum will be able to pick up quickly if you seem to be in pain, cos she knows you so well.

It is a good thing you went with Sugar to the eye doctor! Did Sugar get a good report, by the way? Could you please have mum give you both, Tasha and Marlin some hugs for me?

:love:elyse

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Glad miss Lacey is now feeling better.:) Poor girl....
May I ask how old she was when you had her spayed? Did she have her first heat cycle before you had her spayed?

[Freedom]

Did Sugar get a good report, by the way? Could you please have mum give you both, Tasha and Marlin some hugs for me?

:love:elyse

Sugar is fine. She has been off meds for the eye for months. Next recheck is 6 months, then annually after that. Sugar has perfect vision, both eyes!


Glad miss Lacey is now feeling better.:) Poor girl....
May I ask how old she was when you had her spayed? Did she have her first heat cycle before you had her spayed?
Lacey is a rescue, adopted from the Providence Animal Control. At the time (2 years back), my vet estimated her age at 5 to 7 (I choose 5), and told me when he spayed her that she'd had many, many litters. So I've known she was at risk for mammary gland tumors, been keeping watch.

Tasha, as a puppy mill rescue, spayed at age 4, is also at risk for her life time.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Oh ok. That's the really unfortunate thing about not spaying females BEFORE their first heat.... mammary gland tumors.:(

[cassiesmom]

Dear sweet Lacey, how was your day? Freedom, is Lacey eating better?

P.S., are Marlin and Sugar rescue dogs, too? P.P.S., HUGS!

[Freedom]

Lacey is fine, her normal happy bouncy self. Doing all her normal things. Yesterday (Thursday) I took her with the rest for a nice long walk. She LOVED being outside after being house bound. She is still wearing the e collar, but she is doing great.

Marlin was a house pet, adopted at age 9 weeks. Neutered young, so don't expect any issues with him.

Sugar was used for breeding, spayed at age 9. But a responsible breeder, only every other year. She DID have at least one large litter, her ribs at the back are bent outwards (normal per my vet and nothing to worry about). I watch her but don't worry much.

Tasha, as a puppy mill rescue, is also high risk for these tumors. Will have to watch her all her life as well.