Oh Noes! The Toes!

As I write this, Louise is once again having an operation on her paw to remove another growth of unknown origin. The purpose of this operation is to get another sample to send to the lab so it can be tested and identified. The primary concern of course is to check to see if this growth is cancerous or not, which is obviously a whole lot more trouble than a simple cyst or wart would be. The last time we went through this, the results came back saying that it was not cancer. Hopefully we will be twice lucky and the tests will come back the same.

As you can see by the photo, it's clear what area is swollen and inflamed but it is not as well defined as the last time. That is, one cannot easily tell where the normal tissue is and where the extra tissue begins. There is no easy way to say 'take off this bit only.'

Last night we had Louise in for an examination and I held her while the doctor poked and prodded the area. We all hoped to be able to conclude that it was a boil or abscess, which could be determined by a quick pinprick - if fluid came out, it was one of those two things. We were not to be so lucky. It was quite painful for Louise and she struggled a fair bit, with a yelp for the needle. Even with all of that, when we weren't messing with her paw she was right back to her happy self, eager to interact with any of us and just excited to be with people.

Surgery was scheduled for this morning but due to a busy schedule has been pushed back to early this afternoon. If all goes according to the adjusted plan, I should be able to pick up Louise near the end of my shift today and at that time I will at least find out from the vet how things went. We won't have results from the lab right away, of course.

I have included a few other photos taken in recent days because I don't want this to become an 'injury blog'. We are NOT looking for donations for Louise's medical treatments. This site will continue to focus on the fun parts of her day, with fun pictures and video. Any notes of encouragement will be very much appreciated and I will be quick with further updates as we get our little girl back to walking (chasing cars) without pain. Getting rid of any limp is optional so long as she is comfortable.