Ton Ton's Excisional Biopsy

This is the reason I've been absent from blogging for 2 weeks. The last time I shaved Ton Ton was in autumn, probably about 4 months ago. I've kept his fur long for winter so he isn't so cold all the time. Even though there's 1 more month to go before spring arrives, I just felt this urge to shave him. It kept nagging at me till I gave in & finally did 2 Wednesdays ago. With his fur short now, I discovered something that wasn't there 4 months ago. This mole. It was just a flat pigmentation previously which had now puffed upwards. 1st thought will always be that of cancer. I managed to get him slotted in for an appointment with the vet the very next day. An aspiration was done but the vet couldn't tell 1 way or the other if it is indeed cancer. The other 2 lumps he had were cysts just as I had guessed but the vet wanted to check it since we were there anyway. We were given the option to wait & observe or to have it removed. I thought about it. Even if it isn't cancer now, if we waited, it'll be too late if it turns cancerous. If it's not cancer & I remove it now, I just blow $1400 which I can always earn back. If it is cancer, it means early intervention along with higher survival rate. But I won't know until it has been removed & sent off for histology.

Ton Ton, the night before his surgery.

It seemed like as with everything in my life, things just fall into place. I wasn't able to book him in for surgery on Monday so it had to be Tuesday. We were told that he would be going in between 12 noon to 3 pm & we would be able to pick him up around 4 pm. I had 8 cases in the afternoon & there was no way I could get home by 4 pm. So our plan was to have hubs bring him home. Turned out that he went in late due to delays in previous surgeries & could only be picked up at 6.30 pm. I finished the list at 5 pm & by the time I drove up to my front door, it was exactly 6.30 pm & hubs was just coming out of the house with the intention of waiting for me on the verge. We got to the vet's at 6.35 pm & soon Ton Ton was placed in my arms with 2 long surgical wounds on either side of his back. 1 was from the mole, measuring 9.5 cm & the other was from the cyst, measuring 6 cm. The last cyst on his elbow was removed with a 2.5 cm wound. He whined the entire journey home. I was so glad I was there to cuddle him home. If things didn't turn out the way they did, he would be alone, shivering in confusion & pain on the passenger seat while hubs drove him home. Ton's pain is physical. My pain is emotional.

The main wound, 9.5 cm.

Once home, he walked around restlessly before finally reverting to a semblance of his usual self 2 hours later, trying to steal our dinner from the coffee table. By bedtime, he was jumping up & down the sofa & bed no matter how we tried to keep him still. Before I left for work the next day, I put his sweater on for him to prevent him from scratching his wounds while we were at work. Guess I know him so well. Hubs came home to a dog on his back, all 4 legs in the air, rubbing his back on the sofa since he couldn't sooth the itch by scratching over the layer of sweater. Over the next few days, he could be seen rubbing himself against the furniture now & again. I've not received his histology results yet but I have a feeling that it will come back negative for cancer. His blood tests (liver, kidney & blood components) prior to the surgery were all in the normal range which is really good for a senior dog. I really pray that I have done enough for him to continuly be in good health.