Month: May 2016

My beloved little 11 year and 9 month old Yorkie developed a mysterious cut on the third toe of his right foot in March 2016. He was stitched up and treated with anti-biotics, but it wasn’t healing and was very swollen and the swelling started spreading to the second toe and underneath the pads too. A further dose of anti-biotics was given, but still little healing, so a biopsy was taken on the 29th April 2016. On the 11th May 2016 I received the shocking news:  Eccrine carcinoma!! This is a very rare and aggressive cancer of the sweat glands. The prognosis on the pathology report said: “cautious, further complications as regards local infiltrative growth and distant mestastic spread could be expected.” Apparently an important differential in these cases is mestastic carcinoma from the lung.

My heart felt broken in an instant. Little McCarthy is the sweetest, most loving and joyful little being I have ever met. He loves life and has no idea how small he is in size. He used to run 10km races with me and up until he was around 9 years old he was still regularly running 6 – 8km’s on the road or in the mountain with me. As he has aged we now do more walking, which his brother, Higgins prefers. (Higgy is also a Yorkie, and a day younger. I adopted them both on the same day in 2004. The breeder had two different litters, born a day apart). McCarthy and I have a very special bond, he never leaves my side. I adore them both, but I think McCarthy imprinted on me. It felt that way from the minute I saw him. When I took them home with me in September 2004, Higgy cried for a while, then curled up and slept all the way home. McCarthy sat straight up in his little box staring at me all the way home 🙂

I now step into unwanted and unfamiliar territory. Next week he has to go for a CT scan to see if the cancer has spread. If not, surgery of the foot / amputation is indicated. I will have to wait until my consultation with the specialist on the 17th May 2016 to get more detail as to what the best will be for my little doggy. The saddest part of all this is that he doesn’t seem to be in any pain and carries on as normal, so I want to ensure that whatever I decide to do is not going to cause him unnecessary pain and suffering.

My heart is incredibly sore, and this is only the beginning….

I will post again once I have more information.

 

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