Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Bella update

Enough with the NSA stories and the royal birth; let's discuss a matter of true significance.

My dog Bella had surgery yesterday to remove two growths -- one large, one small -- and I'm overjoyed to report that she is doing fine and sleeping here at home. (The shot to your left was snapped just minutes ago.) Even her appetite has returned.

However, she did piddle on my bedding no less than three times. As any James Bond fan can tell you, three times is enemy action. No doubt this was her way of warning me never to make her go through something so traumatic again.

The scars are massive and hideous, but they will heal. A biopsy will reveal whether the growths were malignant. Frankly, if malignancy is found, I'm not sure what further steps are available. I understand that some people have put together gluten-free canine diets which supposedly fight cancer. Heretofore, I've mostly fed her either chicken or ground beef, mixed with rice and oatmeal.

I owe my readers more than words can express.

7 comments:

DanInAlabama said...

Thanks for the update. I was wondering about Bella and how she was doing. As far as the accidents go, if I were her I'd blame it on the Drugs.

Twilight said...

Wonderful news! Now we must keep thinking powerfully positive thoughts that the growths were benign.

I guess the piddling fit is a kind of doggy PTSD. If I'd been through what she's been through I'd be doing a lot more than piddling! ;-)

Anonymous said...

So glad to hear Bella came through the surgeries and is home. The surgery evidence is always hideous; they come home shaved, looking like Frankendogs. The piddling is often from trauma [psychic and physical] and as Dan mentioned above, medication. Hopefully the lab results will be benign and she'll be on the mend in short order.

And then, you can heave a sigh of relief. Either way, you'll know you did what you could and relieved whatever discomfort she was in. It's the best we can do.

Peggysue

prowlerzee said...

Bless her heart. I hope she recovers fully and swiftly.

RedDragon said...

Very happy to see Bella recovering from her surgery Brother. Here's hoping all goes well with the biopsies. btw.....I sent you an email with pictures of my two Havanese children.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear Bella came thru surgery OK. The urinary incontinence is almost certainly from the anesthesia drugs, I agree.

When her fur grows back it will cover the scars nicely.

About the gluten thing -- not clear if there's much evidence that dogs benefit from zero gluten. After all, their "natural" diet would include stomach content of rodents, and so grains.

We will hope that the surgery has removed all malignancy with clean margins.

Give Bella a few gentle pats from me. And get some rest yourself!

--NW Luna

Anonymous said...

So glad to see this update. I had been wondering about Bella a lot and hoping for the best outcome.

I hope she heals fast and is back to her old hound self soon.
Kitty