Might be a poor prognoses

I have to say right away, I love my dog. He is the most well behaved (I say that now), smartest, kindness, friendliest, family dog that I've ever known. I know this lovable lug would risk life and limb for any member of his family, I know he knows his job, and he knows it well. His mission in life is to be with me, and although I really bonded with one other dog and vowed up and down never to take another, Tartarus has learned from me, been trained by me, and kept me company for 12 years, everyday.....he is loyal to me.



It is with a heavy heart I say.....my beloved pet went to the vets for a out of control growth on his ear. This diagnosed growth was a discomfort 2 years ago when the vet first said 'there was nothing we could do about it'. It was flat and slightly opened at the time. Now it has ballooned to the size of a walnut and become heavy for Tartarus....he is uncomfortable with it, unhappy. You can barely see it in the photo taken May 23 but it's his right ear if you feel inclined to enlarge the picture..



Two things can happen, surgery to remove half the ear and the growth or antibiotics for the necrosis in hopes it will shrink the tumor. Tartarus has a secondary issue though, the vet wasn't encouraged about enlarged lymps in his neck. Might be the infection from the growth or it might be lymphoma, she could not say.... and would not depress us with the prognoses.



The quick resolve would be to aspirate it, antibiotic it with pain meds for 2 weeks, and then mega blood work for the surgery that will remove 1/2 the ear.



Or .....antibiotic with out pain meds to see if it helps to reduce the growth and MAYBE the lymps, if we are lucky. See, pain control meds work depending on the liver function, the function (good or bad), is determined by the blood work. Good God.......how much to take from this, how much to put my dog through?
What if we do a regime of antibiotics and find the lymps reduce? That would be good, perfect situation would be the growth reduced by 1/2 too! Even if it isn't ....just to have the lymps reduced would be a good sign, NO change in the size of nodes means.... cancer.



10 days should tell....5/28 was the start of the antibiotics. The vet was nice enough to say in Tartarus's file.....an additional 2 week supply of antibiotics IF! it works for the swelling on the first 14 days. No change in size of the ear growth will mean mega blood work and surgery at the end though. *Sniff* *cough* and *gulp*. Least he will have a start up on the infection.



He has a appointment for June 10 th, time will tell. C&G Design

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