Pet of the month for January 2023 goes to this lovely girl Bee!
Bee came to visit us as she wasn’t feeling herself and her owners were worried something was wrong. We took some bloods & it came back that her red blood cells were low. An abdominal ultrasound was recommended to find out why & she was scheduled in for the next day.
Bee is so lucky that her owners agreed with Dr Raj’s recommendations, as it turns out that she had a large splenic mass. 6.6 cm x 3.9cm to be exact, which is huge for a little Bichon!
Signs associated with splenic masses can be subtle and include weakness or may be more obvious e.g., collapse and sudden death if the mass ruptures and bleeds internally. Mucous membranes, such as the gums, may be pale and heart and respiratory rates can be increased. Other signs can include
- abdominal distension
- weight loss
- inappetence
- fainting or weakness
Bee went straight into surgery with Dr Raj to have the mass removed. Everything ran very smoothly during her operation and she made a quick and full recovery. She still wasn’t out of the woods though until we found out if her mass was either benign or malignant. Unfortunately, Bee’s mass came back as a Haemangiosarcoma, which are aggressive neoplasms that can frequently metastasize to the liver and lungs.
Bee is now being seen by an Oncologist who is managing her condition, at this stage you would not even know her diagnosis. She is such a strong little girl.
We would like to thank her family for being so great and doing everything that Bee needs, she is so lucky to have them!