Why getting to know your dog is SOOO important.
Now you probably think that I’m going to natter on about understanding your dogs’ behaviour patterns but this is not aimed at that at all.
When I get my puppy home I make it routine that I feel over them. Get used to how they feel. I also make it routine that they get a massage so I can feel them, muscular wise so I can feel when something feels unordinary. All mine love having a massage now and being checked over as they know the end result is a game or treats.
It’s so important to know how you dog feels. Then, when something is wrong you should be able to spot it. If you have an older dog and haven’t regularly felt them it may be a good idea to have them checked by a recommended McTimoney chiropractor or an osteopath that specialise in canines.
A good majority of dogs won’t stop and lay down they will carry on. They can’t talk, it’s up to you.
It was Bens’ 8th birthday on 28th August and we were away at the Dog Vegas show. I went to get Ben out of the car and he was asleep. I didn’t think much to it as he had done a lot so was probably tired. I took him to the exercise area to follow out our normal exercise/warm up routine and he perked up, he seemed his usual bubbly self so we went up to the ring. After Ben had done the first few obstacles it was clear to me something wasn’t right. I picked him up gave him a cuddle and took him out.
I took him back to the car and had a good feel over him and noticed that his stomach was slightly inflamed, only very slightly. I didn’t know if it was me over reacting or not so I let him rest for the rest of the day. We were booked in for Northern week champ the next day but I wasn’t bothered about missing it.
That night he was off his head, chucking toys on me at 2am and barking to wake me up to play. I opened my eyes to him sat at the end of my bed offering different behaviours thinking that would get me to pay attention and give him the reward he wanted. His stomach seemed to have gone down and felt softer so I played with him and then got a few more hours sleep. I took him out that morning in the garden and he ran to the jumps at the side of the garden, he wanted agility. He seemed fine and his stomach felt normal. So we set off to Northern week champ where he came 3rd in the championship final.
He seemed fine that day. There was the champ and 3 other runs but I only ran the champ and scratched everything else. I got home and his stomached seemed to have inflamed again. I called my chiropractor / McTimoney one. I wanted to make sure there was nothing out of place before I took him to the vets. She confirmed my suspicions too. His stomach seemed again a bit inflamed.
The next day I took him to the vets he was booked in for his rabies jab update I told the vet what had happened at the dog Vegas show and up to the present date. They ended up doing an ultra sound scan on him. The vet found that there was a small tumour on his spleen but it was so small she said she would like me to get a second opinion.
The following day I managed to get into Park View. The vet there had been recommended for a good ultra sound scan. That vet also wanted to do some X-Rays so Ben had to stay in for the day. The second opinion gave the same results there was a small tumour on his spleen. She showed us the x-rays and it was so tiny you could hardly see it. I began to fill up thinking the worst. The other X-Rays showed that there was no spread, which made it a bit better news.
The options
They could take off the tumour send it away for biopsy and if it came back clear then it would be sorted, but if it came back as cancerous the whole spleen would have to be removed which would mean two operations.
Both vets said that taking the whole spleen away would be the best option as then there is no risk of having to have two operations and then he will only have one recovery time and not have to be put under sedation twice.
I’m just waiting for the blood tests to come back. They should have been in yesterday evening but still aren’t back. Hopefully they come back clear. He is booked in for Monday. I hope it all goes well and the news is that it is not a cancerous tumour. I wont know until the biopsy comes back which could be up to another 2 weeks, after the op. Which I’m sure will feel like an age.
The vet said that Christine (my McTimoney chiropractor) and I had done well to spot this as it was so tiny. That it was made easier to spot as Ben is so athletic and I know how he should feel. So I know when something just doesn’t seem 100%
So Ben is left with a shaved belly at the moment but I know they will take more off for the operation. Just a good job I have some lovely snugly bedding for when he gets home.
I would also like to say a massive Thank-you to everyone who has sent me some lovely e-mails, you have really lifted our spirits and its good to know and hear of others whose dogs have had their spleen removed and have got back to normal. I know there are hundreds of people out there as well and myself with their fingers crossed all runs smoothly! Cheers guys.
One good reason to keep your dogs fit.
Ok you may find something you don’t want to find but at least you can find it earlier and hopefully cure it quick. Both vets said this most probably wouldn’t have been picked up on a tubby dog (unless doing an ultra sound) until the tumour was three times bigger as there is a good chance you would be able to feel it clearly through the fat.
If you are unsure what you should/shouldn’t be able to feel on your dog the PRO PLAn body conditioning chart is a great and tells you each different grade followed buy a picture. This chart is on one of my previous posts and can be found on Google ‘PRO PLAN Canine body conditioning chart’
Getting to know your dog IS important and it might just save their life.
Lucy Osborne
