Cami
Boxer Insane
Visited with Cami's oncologist yesterday. She has had some weird thing going on and I always assume the worst so off we went.
No need to go into all the gory details about the reason for the trip but......
While there she asks about the only known remaining MCT that she has had for about 1.5 years now. Located in a very bad place (between vagina and anus) so we have been pretty cautious about treating it. It has been pretty benign acting and not bothering her at all so we have just been monitoring.
Well.......
Doc wants to treat it with the same med/procedure as she treated the past 6. INJECTIONS. We go back and forth about how I swear she told me it was going to be painful for Cami. She swears that she never said that. We finally decide that it was another oncologist who is a Boxer mom and lover herself that made the statement. So OK. A fellow Boxer mom just KNOWS things right??? But after her main oncologist tells me how it isn't good to let MCT's just sit on the body for who knows how long I cave and agree to treatment. In my mind I know this but the mom and protector part of me was trying to help my baby.
I have to say that Cami DOES NOT like, not even a little bit, to have ANYTHING "done" to her backside. She doesn't even want anyone LOOKING "back there". I know this. She has been this way her whole life. She doesn't even like for other dogs to smell her behind. She always positions herself so that they smell her from the side. Anywhere but her bum. That is sacred territory. She also doesn't like to be held or restrained in any fashion. I also know this. Again, this behavior has been since she was a pup.
The doc applies a bit of topical lidocaine to the tumor and we give it a bit to numb the area. She had already had her temp taken so VIOLATION #1 had taken place and then she has to experience #2 of the topical. She continues to wiggle however since she doesn't hold grudges.
Then the doc grabs the needle. The student grabs Cami's body and I grab her head.
Cami's face said this...."ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME??"
Insert needle and my sweet baby girl turns into KUJO. Evil sounds start to emit. Her face changes. Needle comes out. No time for the medication to get injected. Doc goes one way. Student goes the other way. I nearly get bit. Cami was like a rabid animal. Freaking the heck out. Doc was making sure student was ok. Both ask if I am ok, (yes). Meanwhile I am shocked that Cami could even make those noises and had that type of reaction in her. She was nothing but TEETH and she meant business.
The doc didn't want to make another attempt at it and the student was happy to follow her lead. I on the other hand had thought for a fleeting second that if we had some peanut butter and a spoon handy that we could easily try it again.
Then I notice the blood. Her tumor was bleeding profusely. That was hard to see but they got it stopped.
Plan "B".
Medication comes in a topical form. The odds that it will perform the same way are quite low but it might shrink the tumor. Not holding out much hope on that one. I mean seriously.....if curing a MCT was as simple as applying some cream 3 times a day then to be honest, I would have seen it somewhere in my 4 + years of research. But I agree to give it a try.
Plan "C".
If this doesn't work she will return in 2-3 weeks and be given a sedative to make her loopy and they will then inject the tumor. I'm thinking I will suggest the peanut butter idea first.
On a side note I had posted a few weeks ago about Cami getting a nose bleed. Her regular vet said to keep an eye on it and if it happens again then he will perform a rhinoscope of the sinus cavity. Never been through a nose bleed before with her so I don't question him.
I talk to the oncologist about this and she nearly has a coronary! She said NO WAY to the scope but said she would need a CT Scan. Said that ANY short faced dog would need a scan since a scope usually about 90% of the time will miss a tumor. The area is just so much smaller than longer nosed breeds and it would be reckless to do otherwise. Good to know.
Cami was back to her old self within seconds of the incident but MAN....she certainly surprised the heck out of me. I didn't know she had it in her. I know she has her grouchy moments, especially when she is sleepy but this was way different. She meant business.
I thought I was embarrassed but then decided that I know she doesn't care for certain things to be done to her. I can't change what she likes and what she doesn't. For a little while yesterday I was feeling like a bad dog parent that I allowed her to "grow-up" with these "pet peeves" (for lack of a better description). I got over it though! She is my baby and can do no wrong. I know you guys understand.
No need to go into all the gory details about the reason for the trip but......
While there she asks about the only known remaining MCT that she has had for about 1.5 years now. Located in a very bad place (between vagina and anus) so we have been pretty cautious about treating it. It has been pretty benign acting and not bothering her at all so we have just been monitoring.
Well.......
Doc wants to treat it with the same med/procedure as she treated the past 6. INJECTIONS. We go back and forth about how I swear she told me it was going to be painful for Cami. She swears that she never said that. We finally decide that it was another oncologist who is a Boxer mom and lover herself that made the statement. So OK. A fellow Boxer mom just KNOWS things right??? But after her main oncologist tells me how it isn't good to let MCT's just sit on the body for who knows how long I cave and agree to treatment. In my mind I know this but the mom and protector part of me was trying to help my baby.
I have to say that Cami DOES NOT like, not even a little bit, to have ANYTHING "done" to her backside. She doesn't even want anyone LOOKING "back there". I know this. She has been this way her whole life. She doesn't even like for other dogs to smell her behind. She always positions herself so that they smell her from the side. Anywhere but her bum. That is sacred territory. She also doesn't like to be held or restrained in any fashion. I also know this. Again, this behavior has been since she was a pup.
The doc applies a bit of topical lidocaine to the tumor and we give it a bit to numb the area. She had already had her temp taken so VIOLATION #1 had taken place and then she has to experience #2 of the topical. She continues to wiggle however since she doesn't hold grudges.
Then the doc grabs the needle. The student grabs Cami's body and I grab her head.
Cami's face said this...."ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME??"
Insert needle and my sweet baby girl turns into KUJO. Evil sounds start to emit. Her face changes. Needle comes out. No time for the medication to get injected. Doc goes one way. Student goes the other way. I nearly get bit. Cami was like a rabid animal. Freaking the heck out. Doc was making sure student was ok. Both ask if I am ok, (yes). Meanwhile I am shocked that Cami could even make those noises and had that type of reaction in her. She was nothing but TEETH and she meant business.
The doc didn't want to make another attempt at it and the student was happy to follow her lead. I on the other hand had thought for a fleeting second that if we had some peanut butter and a spoon handy that we could easily try it again.
Then I notice the blood. Her tumor was bleeding profusely. That was hard to see but they got it stopped.
Plan "B".
Medication comes in a topical form. The odds that it will perform the same way are quite low but it might shrink the tumor. Not holding out much hope on that one. I mean seriously.....if curing a MCT was as simple as applying some cream 3 times a day then to be honest, I would have seen it somewhere in my 4 + years of research. But I agree to give it a try.
Plan "C".
If this doesn't work she will return in 2-3 weeks and be given a sedative to make her loopy and they will then inject the tumor. I'm thinking I will suggest the peanut butter idea first.
On a side note I had posted a few weeks ago about Cami getting a nose bleed. Her regular vet said to keep an eye on it and if it happens again then he will perform a rhinoscope of the sinus cavity. Never been through a nose bleed before with her so I don't question him.
I talk to the oncologist about this and she nearly has a coronary! She said NO WAY to the scope but said she would need a CT Scan. Said that ANY short faced dog would need a scan since a scope usually about 90% of the time will miss a tumor. The area is just so much smaller than longer nosed breeds and it would be reckless to do otherwise. Good to know.
Cami was back to her old self within seconds of the incident but MAN....she certainly surprised the heck out of me. I didn't know she had it in her. I know she has her grouchy moments, especially when she is sleepy but this was way different. She meant business.
I thought I was embarrassed but then decided that I know she doesn't care for certain things to be done to her. I can't change what she likes and what she doesn't. For a little while yesterday I was feeling like a bad dog parent that I allowed her to "grow-up" with these "pet peeves" (for lack of a better description). I got over it though! She is my baby and can do no wrong. I know you guys understand.
