The old dog with the recurring cheek tumour goes home

2 days after surgery. The 11-year-old dog looks good and will be going home today. His pustules which spread all over his body had disappeared due to the intensive IV drip with baytril, metronidazole and a bit of dexamethasone.

I spoke to the young lady yesterday. "Spend time with your dog. Give him good food and water. It is unlikely that he will survive a 5th anaesthesia and operation. The tumours had spread to his lymph nodes."

I popped out a 1.5x1.0 cm popliteal lymph node which is usually not palpable to show the young lady. I said: "It is unlikely that the immuno-suppressive azathioprine 50 mg (1/4 tab/day for the next 14 days at 1.5 mg/kg/day initially). The drug will stop the fast growth of this tumour. The dog may be vomiting and not eating on this drug.

It is back to square one after excision of the cheek tumour for the 4th time. This time, the cancer had spread aggressively back into the gums and the bones of the lower jaw. "If chemotherapy works, his cheek tumour will not grow back again. It will be a miracle." It will be Christmas in 17 days' time. If miracles do happen, it will be known by Christmas day.