Maggie

[PatC]

Some of you will remember my sweet Maggie.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/PatC_pics/Maggieatplay.jpg

Well, friends I'm very worried about her. I've noticed her betting hard of hearing but at 12 years old I didn't give it a great deal of thought. I can't believe I have gone this long... my poor baby.

This morning I was petting her and felt something strange with her right ear. I raised the ear and -- I can't even describe how I felt -- and for your sake I won't even try to. I found a growth in her ear canal that has apparently completely blocked it and is now slightly protruding. It has a cauliflower look and I'm terrified it will turn out to be cancer!

I immediately called our vet and have her scheduled to go in 8:30AM Thursday. They said if it is something that requires surgery they will get her in immediately so make sure she doesn't eat after supper time.

I feel so bad. I can't believe it got this bad before I noticed. I'm such a bad mommy.

Please send good thoughts for my sweet Maggie. :1222423:

[animallady]

Oh, Pat, I'm so sorry. You know, it might be something not at all serious. Some dogs and cats do get benign tumors when they start getting older. Of course you aren't a bad mommy. You're the best. Maggie is beautiful and such a sweet face.

Prayers for both of you :1222423:

[Roamer]

Best wishes to you and Maggie.

[SavannahStar]

I hope it turns out okay, Pat. Let us know. She is a beautiful dog! :1222423:

[Claudia]

Pat,

You are most certainly NOT a bad mother!! Don't even think that. I'm sure Maggie will be fine, if it was causing her pain, you would have known. Like someone else said, older dogs frequently get cysts and tumors that are totally harmless. It would be so much easier if they could just tell us when something is up, wouldn't it? A bad mother would have seen the thing on Maggie's ear and done nothing about it. You are obviously worried & feeling guilty about it, and that tells me you are a very good & loving doggie mom.

Give Maggie a kiss on that sweet face of hers & tell her I wish her good luck at the vet's Thursday. http://bestsmileys.com/kissing2/6.gif

Oh - and please keep us updated!!!

[PatC]

My thanks to all of you. Yes, Maggie does have a sweet face. She has been the sweetest dog I've ever had... I've never seen her raise her lip in real threat in her entire life! She does a mock snarl to discipline like when the doxie puppies get too rambunctious and I've even seen her "bite" them but she never uses any pressure, just takes their leg or even their snout in her mouth as if to say, "Stop now." Never a whimper out of them.

I'm just so worried... and she's DH's baby girl.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[DDawg]

Let us know how it goes. You aren't a bad mommy, Pat. These things aren't always obvious. And as others have said, it may be benign.

best wishes to you and Maggie.

[janicelee]

Some of you will remember my sweet Maggie.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/PatC_pics/Maggieatplay.jpg

Well, friends I'm very worried about her. I've noticed her betting hard of hearing but at 12 years old I didn't give it a great deal of thought. I can't believe I have gone this long... my poor baby.

This morning I was petting her and felt something strange with her right ear. I raised the ear and -- I can't even describe how I felt -- and for your sake I won't even try to. I found a growth in her ear canal that has apparently completely blocked it and is now slightly protruding. It has a cauliflower look and I'm terrified it will turn out to be cancer!

I immediately called our vet and have her scheduled to go in 8:30AM Thursday. They said if it is something that requires surgery they will get her in immediately so make sure she doesn't eat after supper time.

I feel so bad. I can't believe it got this bad before I noticed. I'm such a bad mommy.

Please send good thoughts for my sweet Maggie. :1222423:

Don't panic, we went through the exact same experience with a dog my family had when I was a teen . He too was older and it was benign. Older dogs do tend to get these benign tumors, and since they aren't causing the dog any discomfort they can be overlooked if they are in areas such as the ears. He was perfectly fine and died in his sleep several years later at the ripe old age of 15, which is several years beyond the normal life expectency of a beagle. You aren't a bad mother. You had no reason to think anything was wrong.

[Noahs ARK]

Maggie is gorgeous!

You are NOT a bad mommy, Pat. :71541:

The same thing happened with one of my cats. I was petting her ears and EWWWW. Can't believe I hadn't noticed it until then. I felt terrible, so I know how you're feeling.

Please keep us updated on Maggie. :1222423:

[Rockdog]

She's a dolly, Pat.

I'll keep her in my thoughts and check back tomorrow to see how she's doing.

[PatC]

Thanks for the encouragement, my friends. I'm trying to hope for the best. (I haven't mentioned to Maggie that this visit to the vet is anything but her annual checkup.) :22wink:

After this popping up, today I had to cancel Harry's Spa Day appointment (a/k/a groomer visit) since I was scheduled to work 9AM to 4PM. I had a feeling we'd be busy now that W2s are all around and wouldn't have time to slip out and take him over there. Sure enough, we had customers waiting outside at 9AM when we opened the doors and were pretty much slammed all day. At about 1PM I was able to go to the bathroom while my customer was filling out a form and around 3PM I just had to excuse myself from a customer long enough to slip in the back room and eat a couple of crackers before I got too sick at my stomach.

I JUST got home.

Ya gotta LOVE tax season! :girl_haha:

[emmeblu]

Your furbaby girl is beautiful! Our boxer had a big lump at the entrance to his ear and it turned out to be nothing other than uncomfortable for him. Took a little surgery, meds and about 6 weeks to clear it up.

Keep us posted.

[animallady]

PatC,

My thoughts will be with you and Maggie tomorrow. Please let us know.


:1222423: Prayers



p.s. My furbabies are saying that I've developed an ear fetish, almost overnight...,(when they talk amongst themselves).

[5boxersmom]

She is a beauty. Praying for you two.:1222423:

[Roamer]

We'll be keeping Maggie in our thoughts and prayers today.

[Claudia]

Good luck to you & Maggie this morning.

:love0085:

[elroh6]

I remember Maggie at her pool...she's so sweet.

My Caesar had what sounds like the exact same thing, but he was younger. His regular vet sent us to the university vet hospital for the surgery. The biopsy came back non-malignant, but I did feel horrible for not noticing a problem earlier. It was very scary.

When he got home, he had stitches in his ear. It was supposed to stay dry. Then one day, I was swimming laps. He was running up and down one side of the pool as I swam. Suddenly, I heard a loud "splish splash". Caesar had jumped in, and was swimming along with me. I panicked, but all ended up just fine.

I so hope Maggie will be fine, too. She captured my heart the first time I saw her picture. Please let us know.

[gramvof14]

Oh Patc I am so sorry but I am sure it will be fine My DD'S dog had the same thing and it was a fatty tumor they said it was common in older dogs and her dog is doing just fine. Maggie is so beautiful I wish you and Maggie good luck this morning, let us know how she makes out. Keep the faith. (((((hugs ))))) gramv

[PatC]

Thanks you all. We're just getting ready to leave now. Thank goodness my DH managed to have today off so he will go with us.

I'll let you know what happened when I get home.

:1222423: to my cyber-friends.

:love0085:

[Sara]

Oh, Pat, I just now saw Maggie's thread! :(

I'll say a special prayer for all of you for a happy, healthy outcome!

What a sweet face she has!

((((Maggie, Pat and Mr. Pat))))) :1222423:

[PatC]

We're back. Here's the story. The tumor is, indeed, very large and it wasn't possible for the vet to see past it to see how deep in the ear canal it goes. To get a definitive answer regarding cancer or not we'll have to go to a specialist (nearest one is over in Louisiana) and they would have to do a biopsy and a CT Scan to see the source. Then, a decision would have to be made regarding whether it even CAN be safely removed.

Assuming she does have surgery, there would be all the trauma, physical and emotional, that she would have to endure not to mention a recovery period in a house with three other dogs -- or some kind of isolation when we both have to be gone.

Now, we consider the fact that she is not in any pain, she seems (other than hearing difficulty which is not unusual in a dog her age) to be completely unaware that there is any problem. She is as active and frisky (as her arthritis lets her be) as she always was. We are having to struggle with the issues and consider the cost, of course. (The cost is, unfortunately a factor for us.)

If we go into debt for a couple thousand dollars (or more) for this, there's a chance she could go to the rainbow bridge either during surgery, which would not be a simple procedure and the anesthesia alone for a dog her age is risky, or simple natural age progression before we could get the debt paid off.

As it stands now, we've pretty much decided to let our Maggie-girl enjoy whatever time she has left without all that anxiety and trauma. We were partly swayed by how upset she got just going for this checkup. She stood there on the exam table leaning against "Daddy" and trembling the whole time.

Now she's home and alllllll relaxed with Mr. Bunny.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/PatC_pics/DSC03708.jpg

[Roamer]

I'm so sorry, Pat. But as long as she's happy, and enjoys a good quality of life, that's all that counts. I have a 15 year old who can't hear anymore, but other than that, she's just like you say Maggie is. Her appetite is great and the vet said she's in wonderful shape for a large dog her age.

All we can do is love them for as long as we can. IMO you're making exactly the right choice.

Belly rubs to Maggie!

[PatC]

I'm so sorry, Pat. But as long as she's happy, and enjoys a good quality of life, that's all that counts. I have a 15 year old who can't hear anymore, but other than that, she's just like you say Maggie is. Her appetite is great and the vet said she's in wonderful shape for a large dog her age.

All we can do is love them for as long as we can. IMO you're making exactly the right choice.

Belly rubs to Maggie!

Thanks, Roamer. I'll tell her the next rub is from her cyber-buddy Roamer.

[DDawg]

I tend to agree with Roamer, though I'm surprised your own vet can't take a sample for a biopsy.

[Sara]

Hi Pat,

Maggie looks so happy with her bunny!

I think your decision is the right one and if Maggie's home, happy and comfortable, that's what really counts!

What a sweetie! :1222423:

[PatC]

I tend to agree with Roamer, though I'm surprised your own vet can't take a sample for a biopsy.

I'm sure they could it's just that without the CT scan just the biopsy info wouldn't make much difference and would just be an additional charge. I hope I'm explaining that right. :girl_sad:

[Roamer]

Trauma can do a lot of damage in a dog that age. If the tumor was malignant, she'd have to go through surgery that may or may not work, and that she may or may not wake up from.

Quality of life is what's important, and if Maggie is happy and not in pain, I just wouldn't go any further than you already have.

[5boxersmom]

Trauma can do a lot of damage in a dog that age. If the tumor was malignant, she'd have to go through surgery that may or may not work, and that she may or may not wake up from.

Quality of life is what's important, and if Maggie is happy and not in pain, I just wouldn't go any further than you already have.

ITA

Maggie seems very happy. How are you doing?

[Claudia]

Trauma can do a lot of damage in a dog that age. If the tumor was malignant, she'd have to go through surgery that may or may not work, and that she may or may not wake up from.

Quality of life is what's important, and if Maggie is happy and not in pain, I just wouldn't go any further than you already have.

I agree 100%. You made the right choice, Pat.
Love to sweet Maggie! :love0085:

[emmeblu]

Awwww, so glad Maggie is back home and content to be there. I agree with your decision. Quality of life is more important in many cases. When our boxer had his ear surgery he was 3 years old and it was a big deal to him! The bandage drove him nuts (and me too). It costs around $700.00.

Maggie is a pretty girl.

[Noahs ARK]

I'm so sorry, Pat. But I think you're making the right decision.

:1222423:

[animallady]

PatC,

I'm so sorry that the vet visit left you and Mr. PatC with such a dilemma. Of course you've made the right decision for Maggie. And Pat, I think it's more likely that the tumor is benign than not. I've had two dogs (both Scotties) who lost their sight and hearing years before they left for the Rainbow Bridge, and both enjoyed a high quality of life until the end. Their noses became their eyes and ears; the nose knows.

All positive thoughts to you and hubby and hugs and kissies for Maggie.

:love0085:

[maryhaze]

Maggie is lovely & i totally agree with your decision. i have an 11 yr old gsd with rectal cancer. we decided not to operate because of the complications of the surgery & his age. it's very slow-growing & he doesn't seem to be in any pain. & he's a big wuss, so he'd let us know. good luck with her & take care of yourself.:1222423:

[gramvof14]

ITA Pat Maggie is not in pain and she is happy you made the right decision.:1222423:

[PatC]

Thank you, all of you. Reading your reactions to our decision helps reinforce us that the decision we made was, indeed, the right one. I appreciate your taking the time to post.

We have the BEST members, don't we? http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/PatC_pics/smilies/iloveyou2.gif

[Roamer]

I agree, Pat. There are some really good people here! :hifive:

[StickyBeak]

Dear Pat C, I think you made the best decision. She is happy and Ok, I agree let her live her happy life, pain free. I hate this part of loving our furry friends.
My kitties all lived 22, 17 and 16 years, before I had to make that decision to let go. No pain for them, crossed that Rainbow Bridge in my arms. So Hard to give up a best friend. My thoughts with you. I have 5 abandoned parrots screaming at me because it is sundown, they need to roost, God Bless you for caring and loving your sweet girl.

[sunstar]

Thank you, all of you. Reading your reactions to our decision helps reinforce us that the decision we made was, indeed, the right one. I appreciate your taking the time to post.

We have the BEST members, don't we? http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/PatC_pics/smilies/iloveyou2.gif
I just read about Maggie, and first of all ~ she's beautiful! I agree that at 12 y/o she might not survive the surgery, and as long as she's not in pain, then you've done the right thing to let her be happy at home with you and family. Bless you for giving her the love she needs more than anything! :1222423:

[Louise]

I am sorry Pat C about Maggie, it is hard seeing our pets getting older, you are doing the right thing in my opinion. :love0085:

[kitty1182]

I am so sorry about Maggie..
I agree with everyone else, you are doing the right thing..
:1222423:

[gibbrishclown]

Wow I hate that I've missed this till now Pat! It sounds like you're more upset that little Maggie about this growth!! Maggie wears it around all the time and there's no pain, of course you're doing the right thing!!

When I reach 84 years old I don't want a buncha whipper snappers cutting into me either :D Just let me grow old and bumpy!

She really is gorgeous!! And the behavior you were talking about on the first page with the puppies is very normal of a stable or even maternal sort of 'upperclassman' in the pack. It's a good thing!

[PatC]

Wow I hate that I've missed this till now Pat! It sounds like you're more upset that little Maggie about this growth!! Maggie wears it around all the time and there's no pain, of course you're doing the right thing!!

When I reach 84 years old I don't want a buncha whipper snappers cutting into me either :D Just let me grow old and bumpy!

She really is gorgeous!! And the behavior you were talking about on the first page with the puppies is very normal of a stable or even maternal sort of 'upperclassman' in the pack. It's a good thing!

Hey! Gibby. I've been wondering where you were. Thanks for the reinforcement. Yes, I know she's just being the Mama-of-the-pack. She treats my grandson the same way. LOL

[gibbrishclown]

LOL I saw you had a bday recently. Happy belated b day!

[Pandabear]

PatC, I'm sorry to hear about your sweet Maggie. I can tell from looking at her pictures that she is a sweetheart and that you are a very good mom to her just by the look on her precious face.

Good luck to Maggie and to you.

[PatC]

OK, everybody, let's tune up and sing Happy Birthday to my Maggie girl. She's 13 today.



http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g258/PatC_pics/Maggieatplay.jpg


::clearing throat:: la la la mi mi mi

Ready now.

Happy Birthday to Maggie.....

[Claudia]

http://static.pyzam.com/img/graphics/f/MJZ1948.gif

[animallady]

Happy Birthday Maggie and Many Happy Returns!!! Well now, no wonder you're such a special, lovely lass; being born on St. Patty's Day as you were!

:zm10:

[Noahs ARK]

Happy Birthday, Miss Maggie!!

:zm10:

[Roamer]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAGGIE!!!