I had a few lumps and bumps that have been growing. The one that has been causing some problems is the tag on my right eye.
It had doubled in size in the past year and though it doesn’t bother my eye, it had blocked my tear ducts. As a result, there’s a lot of discharge from that eye.
Also a growing cyst just south of my stop (the indentation between muzzle and brain case). Though it wasn’t visible as it is covered by my hair, it had also become quite big.
And there was a very ripe almost translucent cyst right behind my left ear. Mum was so tempted to prick it t all the stuff inside will ooze out, but risked infection. So that was added to the list of removals.
And another lumpy bumpy thing under my armpit. Mum didn’t like that one and added it to the list!
That was a total of four wounds!
I had a post-op check up last Monday …
The stitches on my eye have almost dissolved, but I needed to go back today to have my other stitches removed. Ouch!
I flinched a couple of times but I was brave. Because I knew I would get a treat after all this. Peter never disappoints.
May’s comment: The tag on Darcy’s right eye had doubled in size in one year. I know it wasn’t right when people kept asking about it. It had been checked with the vet before. Because it was smooth on the side of the eye, it wasn’t bothering her. But as it grew, it was starting to block her tear ducts. For that there was a lot more discharge from her right eye.
On assessing the situation, even though it wasn’t necessary to remove it now, but if it kept growing, we will eventually have to remove it as it may interfere with her sight. As it had already doubled in size, the chances are that it will continue to enlarge. But in two years time she will be twelve and the vet would hesitate to put her under general anaesthetic.
Older dogs get lumps and bumps – cysts, skin tags, fatty lumps. Darcy has all of them – so we thought while she’s under, we should use this time to remove the larger ones.
The results for all four removals have come back negative. The three on her body were cysts but the one on her eye was a malignant melanoma which is a relatively common tumour in dogs that develops from pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). It is the pigment in these cells that gives the skin its colouration and hence the black tag on Darcy’s eye. They usually develop in the mouth (on gums, lips, palate), on the foot (the junction of toe, nail, pad), on haired skin and occasionally on the eye.
Other lumps and bumps will continue to appear as she ages. We can only monitor them.
Since she had a operation just before Halloween, she was Scarface. LOL! And as she had to wear a soft cone so as not to rub against the wound behind her ear, I found her a sunflower petal cone!
Darcy and George are patients at Medivet Kensington, which was formerly Kynance Vet.
One Response
Bless you sweetheart 🐾❤️🐾❤️ Maggiedog has quite a few fatty lumps but I think she’s too old now to go under the knife to have them all removed. Hope you feel better soon 🐾❤️