Sculpin

 I've been postponing this post until I had some good news. Sculpin was diagnosed with cancer two weeks ago, but it looks like she is going to pull through!
About two weeks ago, I discovered a large tumor on Sculpin's belly. It hadn't affected her eating habits, her stool, or her personality; therefore, I regret to say that I was late in catching it. The problem with caring for 18 dogs is that I rarely have the opportunity to give each a thorough physical exam. Sculpin's tumor was fast growing and I didn't catch it until she decided one day to roll over for a belly rub. As soon as I saw it, my heart sunk. I have come to love these dogs so much and the thought of one of them being sick was heart wrenching.

I immediately called our vet and brought Sculpin in to get checked out. They took blood samples of the tumor and poked and prodded. It didn't seem to be causing her any pain, but that might have been because I was feeding her a constant stream of dog biscuits. After a brief look under a microscope, it was apparent that Sculpin has Mammary Cancer. This is a fast moving cancer that affects older female dogs. If a female is not spayed before her first cycle, she has an 8% greater risk of incurring the cancer. That risk increases to 26% after the second cycle and so on. Sculpin is 10 years old and has had approximately 20 cycles; her risk was very great. This type of tumor is the most prevalent kind of cancer in female dogs. In a kennel so large, it is typical to have a few cases.
Pinks, the oldest dog in the kennel, was diagnosed with this cancer last year; she is doing very well after her treatment. As soon as I learned of Pinks' recovery, I felt much better about Sculpin. Although this cancer can be deadly, there's a good chance she will live.
She was instantly put on antibiotics and moved into my house. The meds were the doctor's orders, the house was my own attempt to make her comfortable. For the following week, she lounged on my couch while her tumor got bigger. The antibiotics she was on were an attempt to kill any kind of infection and perhaps reduce the size of the tumor. I sadly watched as she got more uncomfortable and stopped eating.
As a result of her discomfort, her surgery date was pushed up. The vet agreed that we needed to get the tumor off of her and get it in for a biopsy. She went into surgery on Wednesday and passed with flying colors. Along with the larger tumor, they removed four small tumors that were in the beginning stages. Thankfully, the cancer has not spread into her lungs; it would be impossible to save her if it had. Sculpin was also spayed on Wednesday to help prevent future tumors.
Currently, she is doing a lot better. She is staying in my house and getting all the love and attention I have. I've put her on canned food, so she's eating regularly now; along with getting several meds to keep her comfortable. Her belly is one jagged line of stitches. I ice it every now and then to keep the swelling down and she has a cone to prevent her from picking at the stitches. I think the most unpleasant thing for Sculpin right now is that cone. Anytime I put it on her, I can feel the embarrassment and awkwardness radiating off of her. I can't put her back up in the dog yard, for the other dogs would pick on her.

My cuddle buddy...

In another ten days, she'll go back into the vets to get the stitches out. At that time, we'll hopefully have the biopsy results and see what other actions we might have to take to prevent the cancer from reoccurring.
Ever since I learned of Sculpin's illness, I have run my hands over every other dog in the kennel, especially the older females. These dogs are my best friend's, I will do everything I can to make sure that none of them suffer as Sculpin has. Keep her in your thoughts and please share my hope that she'll have many more years of running.