Sequoia, aka Pat, makes us smile. He was bouncing around the kitchen today giving his foster mom the play "break down". He likes to be pet by the 3 yr old and likes to sit by her chair hopping she will drop some food. Today he had a giant smile when his foster mom came home and gave her a slurp. Today he also played chase with his foster mom. He is full of joy and is a great dog.
Sally Wehner came to take pictures of Sequoia today. He barked at her and let us know he was " on alert". But he quieted down shortly thereafter. He then trotted outside for his photo shoot and posed nicely. Looking forward to seeing those!
In two days, according to the vet, his swelling and scar tissue will be at it's largest. After Wednesday it should start to go down. If the mass stays the same size or gets larger, we will have a good idea if it's scar tissue or the tumor returning.
Please send your good vibes to Sequoia for a healthy recovery.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Sequoia: the big, red dog
Monday, March 7, Planned Pethood was made aware of a dog in the Fulton County dog pound with a huge mass on the side of his neck. He had been found dragging a chain behind him but his people never came looking for him.
After some discussion, we decided to take him into our program if only to provide a warm spot in his final days if he needed to be euthanized. This was a better option than having him wait at the pound for the day to come for him to be put to sleep. This big red dog was named Sequoia. Despite feeling poorly with a mass on his neck Sequoia gave out an occasional kiss and seemed a gentle boy.
Sequoia was taken to Anthony Wayne Animal Hospital to be examined the very next day. He was negative for heartworm and otherwise seemed in good health and spirits. Thursday, March 10 Dr. Reece removed the tumor that weighed 3 pounds and was the size of a cantaloupe. It was something he'd never really seen before. He had two drainage tubes placed and it required 17 staples to close the area. The pathology reports that this mass could return.
Sequoia continues to recover slowly but his prognosis is guarded. We are waiting to see if the mass returns before we make any decisions if he can be made available for adoption. He is a happy, friendly dog who is mostly quiet. It seems as though he likes children and other dogs. But until he is recovered we aren't introducing him to everyone in the family yet.
You can make a donation to Sequoia via PayPal by clicking here or on our website by clicking here.
Below are the emails between Planned Pethood volunteers regarding Sequoia's progress.
----- Original Message ---------- Original Message -----From: MLSent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 3:37 PMSubject: SequoiaN, I assume Reese will call or has called you but he believes the growth is cancer. The prognosis is not good. If it's removed it comes back and it's fast growing. I'm not sure if you would go ahead with a biopsy and make sure or not. I guess let me know what you decide. I asked how much time he would have if not treated, he said maybe a few months at best but realistically he is suffering now. He limps and pants and was laying in the pound and barely wanted to get up. If you decide to have him put down let me know and I will go back and be with him.
He is very nice dog. We were nervous about getting him out but once I put a leash around him he was fine and walked out, gave me a kiss in car, and was perfect the whole time Reese was examining him. Thanks for getting him in. I'm very sad for him but at least we know.
M
From: NM
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
Reece thinks it's hemangiosarcoma. Which would mean a short life after tumor removal. Usually they grow back faster and larger after removal.
They can send blood from the tumor for testing but it usually comes back inconclusive. Rather than send a section of the tumor for testing in which he would have to endure surgery, we are going to have the tumor removed in whole and send it out for testing.
Reese says we won't know for sure until surgery or after the testing comes back. It could be a foreign body trapped in there and becomes "an easy fix". I have discussed after care of Sequoia regarding wound management, drainage tubes, etc. Or it could be a fibrous tumor within that is roped around and he needs to be euthanized on the table. He is scheduled for surgery on Thursday. Afterward, he will come home with me. They want to make sure he has plenty of fluids, since this will be a surgery where he probably uses a lot of blood. They will be giving him IV fluids to get ready for surgery.
If you wish to visit him tomorrow prior to surgery, you may. Then if he has to be euthanized while on the table you had the chance. I'll be there in the evening saying hello.
----- Original Message -----
From: ML
To: NM
Cc: CK
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 6:16 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
thanks, M
----- Original Message -----
From: NM
To: ML
Cc: CK
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 9:02 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
Reese said it wasn't without hope. it could be a stick or bit chain stuck in there
it would be a shame to assume and at least not give him a chance
--N----- Original Message -----
From: NM
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
Good news and bad news.
The tumor was removed and he did well under the anesthetic. The surgery took an one and a half hours. Parts of the mass stripped away easily while other parts were whorled into muscle tissue. There was an outer part, with a cavity filled with dark material and had a strange pod at the center. There was no foreign material within to make him think this was due to a chain or prior injury.
Two sections will be sent out for testing, a part of the center pod and a part of the edge. Reese has never seen of anything like this. Histopath might be back next week. Reese is hoping because of his young age it will just be some fluke mass and not cancer. They are icing his shoulder right now and he will be coming to my house tonight.
He was not fixed because of the length of the surgery.
--N
----- Original Message -----
From: ML
To: NM
Cc: CK
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 2:49 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
At the pound I put leash over his head said " come on" and he walked out with no problems and was fine from then on, gave me kisses in the car when I got him out at AW and when Reese was handling him he had no problems at all. I repeat my offer to bring him here for recovery if need be. I assume he would have to be kept away from other dogs and isolated for the most part for a while anyhow. Once he was better we could do a fair evaluation and move him if he passes.
thanks again for taking him in,
M
----- Original Message -----
From: NM
To: ML
Cc: CK
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
He's going to recover in the office where I am most of the day. Even without him here, children and dogs aren't allowed in here. Thanks for offering again Molly. I'll for sure let you know if I can't handle it.
----- Original Message -----
From: NM
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 10:30 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
So far so good. In pretty good spirits. Wants to be with people badly. So when I leave the room he's right behind me at the door. When I return, he's right at the door waiting. I can see his nose under the door too. Rode in the car pretty well. Blood POURING out of the drainage tubes. Not acting weird about the other dogs either.
----- Original Message -----
From: NM
Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 3:19 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
He's taking some time to warm up to Mike. But takes food from your hand so gentle. Would love to find a spot in the fence to escape from. He really is looking for a way to leave. Listens maybe a bit too well. When I shouted at my dog to stop fussing at him through the gate. He flinched and backed up. Loves hot dogs, can catch them in his mouth. When he goes in to get staples removed I have to get his nails trimmed. They are curling under they are so long. And he walks funny bc of it. But I don't like to trim nails on my dogs and I sure as heck am not doing it to Sequoia. He wants to follow Mike up stairs and came inside when he called to him. We think we are stumbling onto his former name bc he perked up when Mike called him Pal.
----- Original Message -----
From: ML
To: NM
Cc: CK
Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
and the food thing was what won me over at pound. I didn't want to mess with him because he was obviously in bad shape. All they had was milk bones but I broke those up. He took every piece as gentle as a baby, then laid them all on the floor. I know Sequoia isn't all that easy to yell but I wanted him to have a strong name and he is red. ;)
M
----- Original Message -----From: NMSent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:33 AMSubject: sequoiaThey didn't remove the drains. It's still draining so they want them to stay in until it stops. That could be another 5-10 days. He was not happy about them messing with the area. He has a section that is collecting fluid and leaking out bw the staples. It looks like they squished some of the fluid in that pocket out. So I can only imagine why he wasn't pleased about that. Wouldn't get in my car to leave the house, but jumped right in to leave the vet. Smart dog! I had a guest over on Sunday and he followed her around the kitchen and let her pet him. Like most dogs we all see, he's more afraid of men than women.
----- Original Message -----
From: CK
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: sequoia
well good to hear, it sounds like this is probably going to be a happy ending...i hope....
----- Original Message -----
From: NM
To: MT
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: sequoia
He bounced into the house yesterday and wanted me to pet him, soft body, tail neutral, a little wag. Chows don't wag their tails fast and furious like GSDs do. Coming when called by Mike and me. Coming inside without hot dog trickery. Making progress. I think his physical recovery time will be a good time to take social skills nice and slow.
----- Original Message -----
From: NM
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: Sequoia
Mike picked up the paperwork this morning. According to pathologist: "prognosis- guarded . . . severely infarcted/inflamed nerve sheath tumor, low grade malignancy. Slow to metastasize but highly locally infilrative and very high recurrence rates in cases of incomplete excision" It is impossible to tell if excision complete. According to Reece: "I advised that despite above, I see very little recurrence with these masses."
He had to go in yesterday morning and again this morning to have the area lanced and drained. Sub-q area is filling and not draining. But under the muscle is draining well but still at a steady flow. I'm supposed to put him in the bathtub every night to squeeze fluid out of the lance site. And hot pack it twice a day.
AKA Pat, AKA Patty, AKA Knick-knack patty whack give your dog a bone, knows sit, down and shake. He wagged his tail at HG and bounces around once and while. His neck bothers him but is meeting new people well and not nervous. Rode in the car today without shaking and nervous like he did the previous times.
----- Original Message -----From: NMSent: Saturday, March 26, 2011 9:32 AMSubject: Sequoia updateAs you know, the void started filling up with fluid last Sunday. We took him to Anthony Wayne on Monday. Reece made two incisions,one at the top or the void and one at the bottom, lateral to the staples. I was instructed to express the area to get fluid out of the void through the new slits.So I was doing it once a day like they told me. But it was filling up just as fast as I emptied it. Then I was doing it 3-4 x a day. Then I noticed the fluid was getting thicker and more red. It should have been pink and thin like water. So I started measuring what I was expressing out. Yesterday I called AW to ask what's normal because it seems abnormal to me. I was getting 100 cc of fluid per expression. And 250 first thing in the morning.Talked to Reece yesterday and he wanted to see him. Mike dropped him off this morning. Caudal to the staples, which were removed, the area is firm. When Reece looked at it, it's either scar tissue or the mass growing back. Hard to say at this point. He is also concerned that the fluid is thick and red with damaged red blood cells like he found when removing the tumor. And Sequoia has lost 10 pounds.Reece put in two new drains, removed the old drains. We are going to wait and see. I'll boost his food portions, maybe offer him an open bowl of dry all the time and give him some table food too.So we are still guarded about how this will play out.The good news is that he is a charming, pleasant dog. He doesn't bark unless he needs to. He seems happy to see the children and wags his tail at HG. Sits wonderfully on command, knows shake and down. He is a great dog. When he wants to come back inside he give a low howl that you can barely hear. He & I were playing tag in the kitchen on Friday and he had a huge smile. Then we sat on the floor and talked to each other. When he looks at me I sometime see our chow mix Champ looking at me in giant form. Pat will make a great family dog for someone. He's never had a potty accident in the house. And most remarkable is that he was letting me press on his wound to express the fluid out without a peep or fuss. I can't say enough good things about Pat.
I have hope and I'm redoubling my prayers for him.--N
Monday, March 7, 2011
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