cavNrott Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Thanks persephone and VizslaMomma, and thanks for the info cavNrott. Actually Melb Vet Specialist was one of the centres I was going to call. I remembered they have oncology as I’ve seen the dermatologists there before. I heard or read somewhere that the oncologists are really busy(?), so I was going to call to see how quickly I could get in before asking my vet for referral. I’m just feeling really pressured time-wise and it has sent my head spinning. It's good to hear of a positive experience with the oncology team there, though obviously under sad circumstances for you. The pathologist report says neoplastic tissue extends to within 1mm of biopsy margin – doesn’t say clear – so I assume the margins are not clear. Which I guess is why the vets here have recommended further surgery asap. My regular vet has suggested one of the other vets down here on the Peninsula do the surgery, but he's not an oncologist and the clinic is not staffed overnight. So that's why I thought either Glen Waverley, or perhaps South Paws (which I've never been to before). Just trying to work it so the next surgery has the best chance of success, and fairly quickly. Yep, understood Kayla. The surgeon your vet suggested is probably an excellent surgeon with a history of successful results but I too would want a team of qualified oncologists caring for my dog after surgery. I'm sure, if you wish, the recommended surgeon could perform the surgery and then refer you on to an oncology team following surgery. The surgeon would be well aware of the need to try for clear margins. I doubt there would be a waiting period for you to see an oncologist. They're well aware that time is of the essence when dealing with a malignancy. I got in to see the oncologist at Glen Waverley the following day after my dog's pathology results were in. My vet called them and made the appointment for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'm sorry to hear this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Thanks kirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Thanks persephone and VizslaMomma, and thanks for the info cavNrott. Actually Melb Vet Specialist was one of the centres I was going to call. I remembered they have oncology as I’ve seen the dermatologists there before. I heard or read somewhere that the oncologists are really busy(?), so I was going to call to see how quickly I could get in before asking my vet for referral. I’m just feeling really pressured time-wise and it has sent my head spinning. It's good to hear of a positive experience with the oncology team there, though obviously under sad circumstances for you. The pathologist report says neoplastic tissue extends to within 1mm of biopsy margin – doesn’t say clear – so I assume the margins are not clear. Which I guess is why the vets here have recommended further surgery asap. My regular vet has suggested one of the other vets down here on the Peninsula do the surgery, but he's not an oncologist and the clinic is not staffed overnight. So that's why I thought either Glen Waverley, or perhaps South Paws (which I've never been to before). Just trying to work it so the next surgery has the best chance of success, and fairly quickly. Yep, understood Kayla. The surgeon your vet suggested is probably an excellent surgeon with a history of successful results but I too would want a team of qualified oncologists caring for my dog after surgery. I'm sure, if you wish, the recommended surgeon could perform the surgery and then refer you on to an oncology team following surgery. The surgeon would be well aware of the need to try for clear margins. I doubt there would be a waiting period for you to see an oncologist. They're well aware that time is of the essence when dealing with a malignancy. I got in to see the oncologist at Glen Waverley the following day after my dog's pathology results were in. My vet called them and made the appointment for me. Yes, I'm sure the surgeon is very good. Hmm that's an idea, see the oncologist afterwards. Though I guess the only thing is that they're expecting to keep him in overnight, and because I'm not prepared to leave him in the clinic unattended, it would mean picking him up after surgery and taking him to AEC, which I'm worried would create more stress for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yes, I'm sure the surgeon is very good. Hmm that's an idea, see the oncologist afterwards. Though I guess the only thing is that they're expecting to keep him in overnight, and because I'm not prepared to leave him in the clinic unattended, it would mean picking him up after surgery and taking him to AEC, which I'm worried would create more stress for him. With my dog neither the vet nor I had considered a malignancy so the surgery went ahead. It was a few days later when the path results came in that he made the oncology appointment for me. I certainly understand your trepidation about transferring him to AEC for the night. He'll be very woozy and out of it from the GA so the trip will be a lot more stressful for you than for him but I'd feel the same as you do about the transfer. If you decide on Melb Specialist Centre I can vouch for the skill of the surgeons. My Cavalier had tricky spinal surgery done there which was 100% successful. He went from a dog who was paralysed from the shoulders down to a dog who is walking, running and playing normally. This was about 5 years ago. It was emergency surgery with no malignancy involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 I was able to get a consult with the head surgeon at Glen Waverley today, which was good. So we now have a plan, Maxie will go back on Wednesday for a full body CT scan. Assuming the cancer hasn't spread, he'll have surgery next week. Unfortunately because a drain was placed below the incision after the first operation it means the surrounding tissue all along the drain hole has been compromised, so that will also have to be removed with margins. They will definitely keep him in overnight after surgery. If it has spread and is not operable then we'll go straight to the oncologist there. He said because it's an intermediate grade, it's not the best case scenario but not the worst either. So I'm hoping for some good news when I speak to him again after the scan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Excellent news Kayla. I wonder if he is the surgeon who operated on my Cavalier's spine. If so, you're certainly on a winner there. Good luck with it all and please give us progress reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Thinking of you and sending you loads of best wishes and prayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 Thanks Steve. Could well be the same one cavNrott, he seems very good. I've since heard other positive feedback about him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Peter Laverty did the complicated spinal surgery on my dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 Yes, that's who I saw yesterday too. He must be an excellent surgeon to be able to do complicated spinal surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Hoping for the best results possible . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Well fortunately the CT scan showed Maxie's lungs were clear, and he had his second surgery yesterday. It was a major operation and because sarcomas need such wide margins the surgeon had to remove a lot of tissue and replace part of the abdominal wall with mesh. It all sounded so scary when the surgeon told me and I couldn't bring myself to update this thread last night, but he is apparently one of the best surgeons in the country so I'm glad he did the operation. This morning his temperature was down a bit, which could have been the morphine, but has improved throughout the day. He is drinking and urinating normally, and today he even ate some mince and chicken! The surgeon is happy with how the incisions are looking. He'll be staying in to be monitored until Thursday, and then I can bring my little boy home. The pathology results should be back by Friday, then we'll know if it has all been successfully removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Thinking of you Kayla at this very stressful time and hoping for the best result possible for Maxie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Good luck Kayla - keeping for Maxie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Thinking of you :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave73 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) Sorry to hear about this. My 5 yr old GSD was diagnosed with haemangio Sarcoma and it was a lump on her left rear leg. Thankfully after a full body CT scan there was nothing anywhere else but the leg had to come off to get clear margins. She is know 5 months post surgery and still in remission(scans 3 weeks ago confirmed) has just finished her round of injectable chemo and next week starts a tablet chemo which she will stay on indefinitely. Hope your boy makes a full recovery Edited March 6, 2014 by Dave73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Kayla, how is Maxie? Were you able to bring him home today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Yes! He came home yesterday evening. And good news, we have clean margins! Everything is going well - good results, good healing so far. It was a really difficult operation given the location and the amount of tissue that had to be removed but Pete has done an amazing job. He was able to remove all the tissue and then reconstruct the abdominal wall using mesh. Even more good news is Pete was able to use a biological rather than synthetic mesh which means there less likely to be complications such as infection in future. So now with clean margins, we can just focus on the healing. Maxie has lots of sutures and bruising of course, and swelling, but the incision is looking good. He's eating really well and toileting. I understand fentanyl can reduce their appetite but it hasn't affected his! And he is so happy, I don't think he could believe it yesterday when he got in the car to come home! In terms of pain, he is tender but seems pretty good. I'll take the fentanyl patch off on Saturday. He has anti-inflammatories too, and I have tramadol here as well if he needs it but he hasn't so far, and we're four days out now so over the biggest hurdle. We're going back to see Pete Monday week for a follow up, and I'll chat to the holistic vet down here about diet and supplements. So I'm back to sleeping on a mattress on the floor in the lounge room with him. Here is my little boy this morning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Sorry to hear about this. My 5 yr old GSD was diagnosed with haemangio Sarcoma and it was a lump on her left rear leg. Thankfully after a full body CT scan there was nothing anywhere else but the leg had to come off to get clear margins. She is know 5 months post surgery and still in remission(scans 3 weeks ago confirmed) has just finished her round of injectable chemo and next week starts a tablet chemo which she will stay on indefinitely. Hope your boy makes a full recovery Sorry to hear about your girl, Dave. I hope she does well on the chemo and her remission continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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