Post-Op Pup
In my last entry, I wrote that sweet Tessie needed surgery to remove a concerning lump and several rotten teeth. I’m pleased to report she’s doing just fine, healthy and happy.
Tessie’s surgery ended up on a Friday the Thirteenth. I didn’t love the day, of course, but hoped it would be a positive omen, akin to the good luck of bird droppings.
We brought her to the vet at 8 a.m., knowing she wouldn’t go in until noon. The vet would call when Tessie was under anesthesia and she could assess exactly how many teeth needed to go. I watched my phone all morning while on an anxiety-fueled cleaning spree.
When the phone finally rang, the vet said it would be 14.
“Teeth?!,” I exclaimed, my mouth actually agape.
Yes, the vet said. It looked as though Tessie had chewed on a wire cage in the past, causing a great deal of damage. She offered additional details, but I wasn’t listening. My heart was crushed by the thought of Tessie’s sad eyes penned up by some monster. Then I remembered her strong will and hoped she just didn’t like being crate-trained as a puppy (hey, denial is more than a river in Egypt). I told the vet she could proceed with the full extraction.
Removing more than a dozen teeth extended the surgery longer than expected. This meant more anesthesia for her – and more worry for me. I was on pins and needles, and I kept trying to convince my husband we should call to check on her. I just wanted to know she was out of surgery safely.
An hour later than predicted, the call came and we were delighted to pick up our little girl. She was groggy and wobbly, with a green bandage wrapped around her leg where the IV had been. The incision on her belly was long and pink, with what seemed like crude stiches. The lump was sent for biopsy.
Once we got home, I put Tessie in a t-shirt to protect the wound. (For those wondering: it was women’s size small, with a stylish side knot. It was rather adorable and brought an air of levity to the situation.) She wasn’t drooling as they warned, but she was very vocal, a side effect of the anesthesia. She whined literally for two days straight, ceasing only when sleeping. At least she was comfortable to sleep through the night, I thought. We struggled to get her to drink water, but she ate the gruel we made daily, soaking dry food in water overnight.
Just about a week after the surgery, as Tessie was getting back to normal, I received a call with the biopsy results. The vet was relieved…that they removed the lump. It was a grade I mast cell tumor – cancer. The good news: it’s low-level and the entire mass had been removed, so there is no need to proceed with additional treatment, but we should monitor her for future growths. If it was her dog, the vet said, she would feel confident with course of action.
Surprisingly I wasn’t upset or panicked. I was relieved. The lump was, essentially, an inflamed cyst with the cancerous mass inside, so we were lucky to find it in the first place. I thought then, as I do now, that we’ll have to pet and massage her even more to make sure we catch any bump or lump as soon as possible. I don’t let myself think of the tumors that could grow beyond my fingertips. I won’t let myself live in a state of worry.
Tessie bounced back rather quickly. All of her canine teeth remained intact, so she’s back to eating normal food. Her wound healed beautifully – there is barely a scar now.
In the end, the whole ordeal was a bonding experience. Her dazed state made her affectionate in recovery, and she’s remained accepting of physical affection since. If she wasn’t sure how much we loved her before, she knows now.
For someone who didn’t know she wanted a dog, I’m surprised I’m not resentful for the trouble or expense that comes with being a pet parent. Tessie is more than worth it.
Maria Poulos Pimentel is a New Jersey transplant now settled in New England. Maria works in marketing and publicity by day and snuggles with her sweet collie/shepherd/husky Tessie by night. She was a reluctant dog owner at first, but she’s quickly learning the ropes and discovering all the joys of doggie parenting. Maria will be sharing more of her adventures in dog love with PawsGo. You can find her previous posts on the PawsGo blog.
