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Dear Dorothy,
It was lovely to receive the newsletter in the post, delighted that
it's up and running again.
We wrote to you last year regarding our 4 year old bitch truffle,
asking for feeding advice etc.
We had a fright last summer as we took Truffle to our vet as she was
very itchy and looked as if she had an infected nipple, which was
cracked and oozey.
She was seen by a locum who suggested that she had probably
scratched it whilst running and jumping through undergrowth and it
cleared up with antibiotics.
A few months later she was due to have her boosters and check up and
I mentioned to our regular vet that the infected area had healed but
it was actually next to her nipple and that she was left with a
small hairless area, about the size of a 50p coin which was very
pink and flat like a pancake.
Our vet looked concerned and took Truffle in immediately to remove
the 'lump'. After tests we were told that she had a grade 2 mast
cell tumour (they are graded 1 benign, 2 malignant, 3 aggressive)
Our vet took Truffle back in for another op under anaesthetic to
make sure that she had removed absolutely all the cancerous tissue
and she was then put on a long course of steroids as a precautionary
measure.
We were advised to change Truffle to a BARF diet (Biologically
Appropriate Raw Food) to keep her weight down whilst on steroids and
also to remove any additives or preservatives etc from her diet.
We are delighted to report that there have been no reoccurrences of
the tumour, (touch a large lump of wood and everything crossed) her
weight has not crept up and she is a very happy and healthy dog with
great zest for life and loving her BARF regime, particularly the
chicken wings!
I believe that the 'lump' and itching are fairly typical of this
sort of tumour so I would advise any other owners to get any strange
hairless flat patches of skin checked out asap.
I've attached some photos of Truffle having fun at our local canal
for inclusion in your gallery or newsletter. She grows more delightful every
day!!
Best regards
Denise
and Olivia Harvey-Williams |
