Very Short Update
Monday, February 9, 2015 at 3:31PM 
Not doing galleries or putting up any other photos today. I am exhausted mentally and physically and sometimes you have to be proactive.
All the dogs are having a blast.
We had Risa in to the vets for a growth on the end of her ear flap. They were talking about taking the ear off. When all was said and done they took the growth off. Due to the growth being fast they assumed skin cancer and removed vs. wait. We worried about anesthesia etc but she is still stoned but she sure wants her food. She is also jumping up on to the couch with ease - so even stoned she is agile. She has a bit of laboured breathing but that shall pass when the narcotics wears off we hope. She did have a tube down her throat. We get the biopsy results back by Thursday.
When taking it off he is now leaning towards it being a Sebaceous Gland Tumor. If this is the case it is benign. If not, we removed it. Risa has been healthy without issues. Pre-surgery test results all came back as if she is a young thing that runs marathons without the damage of impact us crazy humans do when we go into overdrive with sports. Every test she has had has been positive.
But I did have my mind wander and I worried through surgery and I do want to spend the time with her as she is still having breathing you can hear. So blogs will be short.
Please realize that as your havanese gets old they can get lumps and bumps that are just that and nothing more but still we always worry. Its normal to worry about those we love.
Reader Comments (23)
Darlah, you go take your time with risa.that sounds like great news from the vet.keeping repeating that to yourself. Maybe a cocktail would help calm the nerves.
Good news to hear that Risa may just have one of those 'old age growths'.
Rest up and give her lots of hugs.
What a beautiful picture of Risa. She is one classy dog. I wish her well.
Risa is beautiful inside and out. My older Westie had a couple of sebaceous cysts. They seem to go with age for dogs. Try to think that unless you hear otherwise. The breathing hopefully will return to normal soon, it hasn't been that long really since she had the anaesthetic.
I hope it proves to be benign. Risa is a beautiful soul and I hope she continues to be healthy for a very long time. Hugs to all of you
It sounds like everything will be fine. We always worry about our loved ones. I am glad she is home and you can cuddle with her. It will be good for both of you. Take it easy. Big hug.
My 3rd dog (as a child) was a poodle and in her elder years acquired arthritis and was full of all kinds of lumps, bumps & cysts. She lived to 19. Is still hard to believe I got her when I was 9 and she lived into my late 20's and met my 2 children. I still have fond memories of her. Enjoy this time w/ her as it's so special. The elders give us something the juniors haven't acquired yet. (hugs).
Hope Risa is feeling better today. Jazmyn also has a sebaceous cyst near the end of her tail, which you may have noticed. It's not pretty, but at least it's nothing we need to worry about. She also has a whole bunch of skin tags. As you say, as they get older, different things can pop up…..
Hope Risa's breathing is much better now, back to normal.
My collie had a sebaceous cyst and the vet just popped it out. It grew back but he popped it again, she was 16 . It never bothered her, I think I was more worried about it. The vet said she could have loads of them as they are benign.
Su: I had them with the goldens when they were older. I even popped some myself but this was not like the ones I am familiar with. It was oozing like a hotspot does. When talking to the vet she thinks it still was a squamous cell carcinoma. Hope she is wrong. Hoping it was simply an infected sebaceous cyst. Wish she hadn't called to check in on her. :-(
Deb: Old age human or canine brings up everything from arthritis to bumps etc. I will relax after the test results come back. Risa gets her titres every year, full panel blood work, thyroid, liver, urinalysis and heart checked. Our vet said you can stop testing her. Anything that crops up now is due to old age. I test so much so I know whats in the lines. She passes everything and although she hasn't had a rabies booster going on 6 years she is covered according to the titres. She has silky shiny hair. I would think even if its skin cancer it would show up in her hair or tests. But due to the tests we didn't have to do another round before surgery. I remind myself that our vet always leans on the side of worst case scenario. Her husband the surgeon does not. But still I go on the ride as she makes me wonder. Not a fun ride and well I can't wait for Thursday or Friday. I think losing Risa right about now would do me in. One day I will have to experience it but not anytime soon, please.
Praying for Risa and you guys. Waiting with a feeling of helplessness is the worst, especially when it comes to our pets who can't tell us how they are feeling. We are hoping for the best case scenario for Risa!
Darlah: Positive thoughts go out to Risa and you and your family. Doesn't matter how old they are, we hate to see them sick and/or suffering. I understand the unknown can be worse than grim news. At least once you know what you're dealing w/ you can move on and deal w/ it the best way possible. Squamous Cell is not the worst cancer (if that's what it turns out to be) and is curable. Add to that when old everything is slow, especially cancers. A similar cancer will grow far more quickly in the young.
Tia had sebaceous cysts of various sizes and many the size of an egg. Most oozed a terrible thick substance that sometimes the Vet would express. I never could figure out why they left bald spots. They came on suddenly and she had them for so long I can't remember. Good thing is that they disappeared and never returned and all but one spot grew hair back.
Was interesting to hear about the titres you do. While it's not time yet, I've already discussed w/ Vet and they will do them but he told me they're more expensive than the vaccinations, which actually is off the point. It's funny the things you learn from the Vet when your dog is not healthy. While the specialist pushed all vacs when Tia was healthy, once we learned she could never have them again, he told me he thought she was likely protected for life. These off the cuff comments get filed away in my memory for future decisions.
Take care and keep us posted! There are so many routing for Risa!
Darlah, my mother had squamous cell carcinoma in her late 70's. That was cured by cutting out and getting the margins. She passed at 87 from something else. Please try not to worry.
On a side issue, at what age do you start the titres rather than the vaccinations?
Angela: For everyone it is different re: titres. We start ours when they get into their midrange years.
Angela (& Patches): Laci had a 3 yr Rabies Vac in 2013 so is due in 16. We will do titres then. She got an egg size lump @ the site which took over 6 wks to dissipate. Everyone has their own opinion, including different Vets. Unless you have a homeopathic Vet, most insist you must do it by law. If I get that insistence and refuse I believe I could be reported to our local authorities. If that's the case, we will do titres and hope she's still protected.
If anyone else out there has done titres, I would be very interested to hear the span between last shot and when titres showed no protection.
Thx.
Ella also got an egg from the rabies so I will do titres on her for rabies after her 1 year booster. Rabies is not effective unless you do the 1 year booster and other than the requirements by law in each town it is usually effective for up to 7 years. Shoshi had a bad reaction to lepto before the research came out about it and we did titres on her every year. Last titres done on her was a year ago and her last vaccine was 6 years old. She had sufficient coverage. She is now 12 though Nathan insists she is 10. He doesn't want them to grow up. So 6 years later her titres said she is covered. Other than her reaction to lepto and rabies (rabies just a lump) she's a healthy gal.
Debi: The vets don't report you. You are responsible if you do not have a rabies shot and they bite someone. All bites are reported and they will ask for rabies proof if they bite a neighbour. If your own dog bites you and you go in for care, the medical facility must report. When I got bit by a sheltie, I didn't know who owned the dog so they said I had to get shots as if I did get rabies or sign a release saying I was informed and refused. They did put in a report. First report they quarantine the dog in your home. Second report they quarantine them in a facility and they can be faced with being put down. If the bite is serious the 1st time it may be put down and won't put quarantined in your home.
I had titre tests done on my 10 year old bichon. My vet gave me all the numbers, but she was so overly protected it was ridiculous.it was her eye surgeon that told me at the time to stop the vaccinating.she was also protected from the other illnesses but the rabies was so over the top.stella is due for rabies in octoher, I will test her. I believe the rabies titre is about $300.00 now but money well spent.
Ridiculous that it costs so much when a biopsy cost 200 and change.
Hoping Risa is feeling much better today and you are getting some rest.
Thinking of you all,
Su
Debi (and Laci): I have done titres on my dogs in the past but this is my first Havanese and wanted to know what Darlah advised. I had titres on my other dogs done every year starting at 7 years of age. I never had to have vaccinations again, but, my eldest dog lived to 13. My annual titres cost about $120.
Angela - Your titre cost sounds very reasonable. Valerie paid $300 for just the rabies and I have been informed much the same. Now that I know, will check around. Thx for the info.
Darlah - I will check our bi-laws as I believe they may differ city to city. If I knew Laci didn't ever have another one, I would just opt out given her reaction and that we know these dogs don't bite. I would be shocked to hear one does and it was explained to me by that specialist that the rabies shot is primarily to protect those that they bite, not the dog. At least that was the way it was put to me.