We took Shadow to the vet on Tuesday - they took out the rest of his stitches, and expressed pleasure at how well his neck was healing. The lump on his neck was different. Despite us phoning to express our concern on Sunday and Monday, the veterinary nurse seemed surprised how big the lump had got. I said it was about the size of an egg, the vet said a ducks egg (I was thinking the actual lump, maybe he was including the skin covering it). The lump was drained, producing 15 ml of pus, described as "nasty" by the vet. I did not know that there were degrees of nastiness when it came to puss, I thought it was all horrid. Shadow had not seemed himself on Tuesday, and when I was taking him to the vet he seemed very unsteady on his feet in the back of the car. When the lump was drained, he was back to himself, and was absolutely relaxed and comfortable in the car on the way home. I began to think that the lump was pressing on something and affecting his balance. The vet said that the lump began as a reaction to the jab, but had developed as it has because the chemo had affected his immunity.
We were told we may have to return to have the lump drained again, and sure enough it had swollen again the next day, though thankfully not to the same size. I returned to the vets, who drained a further 7ml of puss. They also shaved his neck, though they asked for permission, as the chemo will probably stop his hair growing. He does look odd with a grey lumpy patch on the back of his neck. The lump has inflated again today, but the vets said not to bring him back in as he is due in for his next chemo in the morning. There is another lump starting to grow down his neck, attached at one end to the main lump. Shadow is quite okay in himself, still eating and playing, but I do hope that they do something to fix this problem - they may have to give Shadow a general and open the lump with a scalpel. I don't relish the thought of the poor animal having a third general in so short a time, but this does need to be sorted.
As for the chemo, well, he breezed through this week, no problems at all.
We were told we may have to return to have the lump drained again, and sure enough it had swollen again the next day, though thankfully not to the same size. I returned to the vets, who drained a further 7ml of puss. They also shaved his neck, though they asked for permission, as the chemo will probably stop his hair growing. He does look odd with a grey lumpy patch on the back of his neck. The lump has inflated again today, but the vets said not to bring him back in as he is due in for his next chemo in the morning. There is another lump starting to grow down his neck, attached at one end to the main lump. Shadow is quite okay in himself, still eating and playing, but I do hope that they do something to fix this problem - they may have to give Shadow a general and open the lump with a scalpel. I don't relish the thought of the poor animal having a third general in so short a time, but this does need to be sorted.
As for the chemo, well, he breezed through this week, no problems at all.
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