Sugar Meets Sir Jury

When Sugar was in her foster home in Ohio, she was attacked by a bull mastiff. The dog picked her up by the head and shook her. She was in a coma for 72 hours. No one is sure if this is related or not.

Last year at this time, Sugar started wheezing, chortling, having trouble breathing. Took her to the vet. First we tried antibiotics; then a second round of those. Next an x.ray and they removed on canine tooth which looked funny on the x ray. Still, she was wheezing, chortling and having trouble breathing.

Took Sugar to a specialist. After an MRI, they found a "mass" in her nasal passage. Did a biopsy, it was a common benign polyp. It is just where she had one puncture wound from the old attack and that is sometimes enough to start a polyp. By the time they removed it, this was in January of this year.

So now, just 10 months later, she is at it again: wheezing, chortling, having trouble breathing. So I took her in to see the specialist today. He had time so I left her there to have another rhinoscopy, and now that he knows what it is, he is hoping he can remove more of it. It will likely return yet again, but if he removes more, we should have more time between surjuries.

Please keep my dear girl in your prayers. She will be home either later this evening or tomorrow morning, depending on how things go.

Just to let you know -

Just spoke with the Doctor. He was not able to dislodge any of the mass, as he had been able to do 10 months ago. He tried 2 different biopsy instruments. He took a picture of it, he says it is quite large.

Sugar has to stay overnight, she is doing well, the anesthesia bit was alright.

He wants to try an anti-inflammatory medicine for a few weeks. The only option really at this point is invasive surgery, opening the bridge of the nose, cutting the bone, and removing as much as possible that way. He is not prepared to do that for an 11.5 year old dog at this time, wants to see what happens with the anti-inflammatory medicine first.

I can pick her up tomorrow, after 12 noon.

Not what we had hoped for, at all! Last time, 2 days after the procedure, she was breathing fine! Oh dear.

Sandie, I will keep dear Sugar (and you) in my thoughts and prayers.

Give her lots of snuggles from me when you get her home tomorrow. I know today had to be rough on her to be away from you.

I just saw this or I'd have replied sooner...