Is there anything I can do to help?

My eight-year-old spayed dog had been off and on her food for a fortnight. She is on Previcox for arthritis in her elbow but was also lame on her hind leg on the same side. When the vet weighed her she had put more weight on in spite of not eating so they wanted to give her a scan. This was on the Thursday and by Monday last, the 21st, it was obvious that something was very wrong. She was given a scan and blood tests, which showed that her kidney and liver were working all right, but the scan showed a growth. She was operated on and the extra weight was blood; her spleen and the tumour were removed but on the Tuesday her blood count was very low, from loss of blood, that she had a transfusion. I collected her later that day and up to Saturday we have had to take her back to the vet for injections of painkillers and antibiotics and she did not want to eat. As well as this she was leaking urine which made her very sore in spite of changing her bed, but ointment has helped a lot and she is now eating and much much brighter. We are waiting for the result of the biopsy and this is what I am afraid of, and would like to know whether there is anything that will help her.
Kind Regards
Carol

Has anyone else had a dog go through this procedure? I think Carol would value any insight into what the post operative situation has been like for others.

Alison Logan, vet, advises:

I feel guilty at not having seen your query before now because you are needing reassurance. A combination of school half term, extra hours at the practice and sunny weather have kept me away from the internet.

It is amazing how long dogs can accommodate problems without outward signs making them apparent to us. All too often I have encountered dogs of a similar age to yours who have suddenly started to show vague signs of being unwell, perhaps reduced appetite, reluctance to exercise or simply lethargy. There may still be no abnormality found on a routine examination, further investigations such as blood tests and imaging being needed to reveal the source of the problem.

Having a spleen removed is a major surgical procedure, on a patient who is not at all well. Together with blood loss, your dog has experienced a great shock to the system and will require a longer convalescence than from more routine surgery. The need for pain relief by injection, for example, is not surprising. Much like ourselves, the loss of appetite is to be expected in the immediate post-operative phase, and the fact that she had started to eat when you contacted the Think Tank is a sign that she is starting to feel better. Wetting her bed was, I would hope, probably more a reflection of being too sore and uncomfortable to reach the back door in time and should also have improved. Vaseline on the external genital area is a useful barrier against urine which can scald.

I would imagine that you are in receipt of the biopsy result by now. I sincerely hope that the growth was benign and that your dog has continued to make a smooth recovery.