Bear Vet Checkup

We took Bear in for a follow up today and to have the new lump checked out. Good news; the lump seems to be of fatty tissue. Dr. C took 3 aspirations to re-check. His mast cell tumor that was removed also had clean margins so all is good there as well so looks like where we stand with all this are 3 month checkups and to do body checks ourselves routinely. Big relief for us. Bear has gained a few ounces it seems though! Foster Dad started giving him a little extra in his food bowl so looks like we need to back off on that :) All in all Bear had a good visit. He got to see Auntie Margie and got 'TONS' of treats so the diet was definately blown today. We got home in time for our nightly walks with the gang and Bear is now asleep soundly in his crate; action packed afternoon for him! Check out pictures below of his vet visit. I couldn't help myself but take some cute face shots. The others are of the vet shaving and doing aspirations of the lump.

Another Bump in the Road...

BEAR
Originally uploaded by bwitched4you

We found another lump on Bear. It's located near the center of his shoulder blades. We have a vet appointment tomorrow to check it out and get a follow up on his surgery which he has completely healed from. We're keeping our paws crossed it's nothing. He is starting to grow his hair back finally and getting his coloring back. Bear was returned 'shaved' and almost looked white!

Taste of the Wild

thumbnail
Originally uploaded by bwitched4you

My foster dad started reading up a lot more on foods again but this time for me. An important issue for dogs who have cancer is diet. He wanted a really good grain free high protein dog food. The winner: Taste of the Wild. High levels of proteins and fats combined with lower levels of carbohydrates are most beneficial to dog cancer patients. Going Grain Free is the best and that includes the doggie treats too! Now I'm special because I have my own special food! Yum.

Cancer and Your Pet

Cancer and Your Pet
Originally uploaded by bwitched4you

My foster mom went out of town to visit family so she hasn't had time to do my blog but she has been reading one of the books Auntie Margie gave her. It has some good info. She told me mast cell tumors are the most common skin tumors in dogs. They also come in all sizes, as single or multiple tumors, and can show up anywhere on the body. Since any lump can be a mast cell tumor; it's important to always have it checked out by your vet and have them do a biopsy or aspiration of the lump. These lumps can sometimes change size. I remember my foster dad making the comment that he thought my lump had shrunk. Surgery is always recommended and they did an agressive surgery on me with a wide incision. My tumor came back a Grade 2 with pretty clean margins. My surgery spot is about all healed now so we are setting up an appointment with Dr. C in the next couple weeks so my foster parents can learn how to check my lymph nodes and discuss further treatment options if any like meds. My foster mom says all pet owners should pay attention to your pets by routinely checking their dog's skin everywhere, and not just in the areas you usually pet.