Doris has a lump 7

Our darling Doris has a lump, we first noticed it yesterday. So yesterday evening I phoned up a VetFone vet from MoreTh>n insurance (which we have access to as Wagglepets Ambassadors) and they advised me that there was no major panic but she would need seeing by our local vet soon. They talked through basic symptoms and ruled out the need for emergency veterinary treatment, which was helpful as it was after opening hours and a weekend. Pricey! Doris is in no obvious pain, walking and running fine, eating and drinking as normal. If she was suffering at all I would have paid the out of hours call out charges and had her seen immediately.

Today we popped in to our vets and had a chat, they gave Doris a check over and agreed it’s not normal and does need looking at. They also say it’s non-urgent and unlikely to be anything really bad. Then they booked her in for 9:30 tomorrow morning, that’s efficient for a non emergency. In the picture of Doris look closely near her front shoulder, where the lead is, under the paler area of fur? It looks like a tuft of beige fur, but it is a solid lump causing that fur to stick up. It is around 2cm tall and wide, and is at exactly the point her shoulder meets with her leg bones.

I feel bad that I didn’t notice this sooner, Doris sits on the sofa with us in the evenings and we all stroke her. Her and Freya follow me pretty much everywhere, anywhere I go that they can come they do. Doris jumps in bed with me every single morning, so I don’t think it could have been sticking out for long.

At most two weeks, because she had a check up at the vets the same time she had her yearly immunisations. The veterinary nurse gave her a rather thorough check over, including stroking over all her body, a hand on each side of her to check for anything unsymmetrical. Freya had all the same checks too, they both get well looked after.

So in the morning I have to do something I hate doing, taking both hounds to the vets and leaving Doris behind. This evening she’s not allowed to eat after about 7pm which she’ll be a bit upset about. Tomorrow she will be sedated, then x-rayed and other things like blood taken for testing and a needle put in the area around the lump to see if they can test it without surgery.

It’s times like this that I am pleased I’ve taken our dogs to the vets regularly and they know (and like) all of the staff at our vets. At least she won’t freak out as she’s not being left with strangers.