[edelweiss]

Last Thurs afternoon Kitzi had an aspiration of a lump on his head -- left side between the top of his ear & his eye about 7 mm in size. Unfortunately due to the location it was difficult to get enough of a sample (except for blood)for the lab to correctly identify for fear of injuring him (he did it without a local). He has a few other "lumps" but this one was a bit different so it seemed important to evaluate it.

Today the vet offered cautery & a local as an alternative method of diagnosis. I am on the fence. He has been unable to sleep long for about a year, is very restless at night & sometimes acts odd---like this AM. He refused his meds, would not eat (a first for him) & acted like he might not know me. We have been giving him (since 3 days) melatonin & finally got a thundershirt that fits correctly but I have not used it yet. I hold him tightly in the night & he seems good w/that---but then I fall asleep & we start all over. He has a heart murmur of 5 & is almost in CHF. He is on 4 meds for his heart.

Do any of you have experience w/this procedure---it makes me nervous being so near the eye (right at the point where his top-knot is parted.) Would you do this or just leave it to see what happens. I don't want life to be any more difficult for him but then I live w/the "not knowing." If we do remove it, it might come back. His blood work is good but his ALT has started to climb maybe from the newest med. I wish I were a vet!

 

[Coster]

Hi Sandi sorry you’re going through this. Cody had a lump on his head too but closer near the tip of his forehead here’s a picture of it too. My vet said it was a cyst and didn’t touch it. It was fluid filled. My vet also said if she removed Cody’s lump it would just fill up again. I never did anything and it grew larger than one day I woke up the next day and it burst . No blood fluid or skin opening. I guess it leaked out. And so far never filled back up. Also molly has a tiny lump of n her head but this is different it’s small and blood filled. That my vet said she wants to remove it. It’s very small and wants to do a local too. She did a needle aspiration and it didn’t fill up back either. But this lump looks very different … it’s had dried blood under the skin as a lump. Cody’s was fluid filled. Honestly depending what the vet said is it painful for kitzi? Does it bother him? Mine I left alone and it disappeared. Like I said molly I will remove because she said it can turn into something later on. Now that you bring of restlessness- Cody does the same thing he sleeps then gets up tries to sleep in another position and does this over and over. Wonder if this is age related he’s doing it now again. If your vet said it may come back? How long has he had this? Cody’s lump was about 7 mm too before it deflated. Although I do know it was painful for Cody because if I went near or touchéd it he would wince and cry so I stayed away from that area.maybe question your veterinarian alittle deeper with more questions? So sorry. Your such a good mom! I hope your veterinarian can give you more precise direction to guide you in the right direction. Big hugs to you and your babies.

 

[pippersmom]

Poor poor boy. This has to be scary for you not knowing what to do. You're such a good Mom and Kitzi and Lisi are so lucky to have you. If it were me, I would want to be sure that it's not causing him any pain. Maybe an ultrasound could at least tell the vet if it's fluid filled or a solid mass. I think you just need to follow your heart. It will tell you what to do.

 

[maggieh]

Sandi, if it were Tessa I'd try to do what we could to determine what it is without causing any pain - imaging or fine needle aspiration. I'm not sure I'd do a procedure even with a local given all of his other health issues. Sometimes not knowing, while hard, really tells us what we need to know. At this point with our seniors, the most important thing is their comfort and quality of life, not ours. Hugs to you!

 

[edelweiss]

Thank you for the replies. It sort of came up over-night & is harder than the cyst types & not so moveable. He does not like for me to feel or bother it. I am almost decided to just leave it for now as I don't want to cause him any more pain. The last two mornings he has been acting strangely when he gets up---like he doesn't know me, won't take his meds, & yesterday he refused food. I finally got him to eat later in the day. I am wondering if it is a reaction to the new med he has been on for the last couple of weeks from the cardiologist. I will research this & bring this up w/the vet. He is such a good guy & it is heart-breaking to see him like this.

 

[wkomorow]

Oh Sandi, I am sorry Kitzel is going through this. I wrote a reply yesterday but must have forgotten to post. I agree with Maggie you don't want to put him through too much if you can avoid it.

 

[edelweiss]

I am pretty well decided for at least now to just leave it. I read about how the cautery would go & I do think because of the size & location it could be painful afterward for a couple of weeks. He doesn't need anymore pain or possibility of infection there should he rub it. An ultrasound would require anesthesia & that isn't going to happen unless it becomes very crucial for another reason. I will have the blood work repeated before his next cardio exam (in early August) and we will do whatever he wants in the meantime. He is now happier to walk some & then ride in the stroller either with or without Lisi. One problem is getting him to take his meds now (he has up until now been very food motivated). He won't take much from me because he KNOWS I put tablets in stuff---but Dwight has the magic touch (usually). Lisi notices that he is "off" --- she has become his little mother. She even lets him stick his head in her dish if she is eating--my little piggy! They are so bonded.

 

[Coster]

Hi Sandi I am so sorry you’re going through this with your sweetheart Kitzi . I know it’s super hard to administer pills to our smart little ones! They just spit them out! I just wanted to give you a suggestions what I do. I bought this wrap ups for the first time to put the pill in. But it’s not a pill pocket like greenies. It’s a bacon wrap. It looks like a fruit roll up sticky how I can explain it. I wrap one of Cody’s pill in it he forever spits out. This wrap up sticks really also has good covering so if you wrap it and then stick it in something he won’t spit it out it slips down. And the other is I boil a hard boiled egg and cover the yellow in the pill. Cody downs it. I am sure you have your specialty tricks but I wanted to share. Here’s a pic of the wraps if you want to try. I hope things get better for you and your babies. It’s so hard when they’re older. And it hurts us so much. Hope you’re doing okay too! Love Dee

 

[Dixie's Mama]

I think you’ve made the right decision Sandi. Poor Kitzi, he has enough to contend with.
Maybe Dwight can convince him to eat better.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Lisi is so cute being Mother to her best friend.

 

[maddysmom]

Lacie has had this cyst in about the same location. It’s the size of a pea and hard. Both my vet and internist say it’s a cyst and too leave it. I was so worried, like you, but I really think it’s best to just leave it, and from the sounds of things, I think that’s what you decided. You are the best mommy ever. Sending you all hugs. xx

 

[mss]

One of my dogs had a lump on the top of her head. I think it was diagnosed as some type of a sebaceous something-or-other.
Not a pimple, but some kind of growth. It bled a little but did not seem to hurt her. I talked to the vet about taking it off, but thought about it for a while. To my surprise, and the vet's, it disappeared on its own! So sometimes doing nothing is the right thing, for various reasons. {{{{}}}}

 

[edelweiss]

Thank you all---this is not a cyst nor a wart. It also is not a mast cell. Lisi has a "growth" but it is nothing like this. He also does not want anyone to look at or touch it. Every day his left eye is extremely goopy where this is located. It does not seem to be getting any bigger but I can not say for certain. He continues to be dramatic at night & the melatonin helps but not enough & not every night. I am extremely sleep deprived but I am keeping on keeping on. I have so much outside work at the moment I can't nap & we have workers here replacing our very old privacy fence & replacing some soffit rotted wood & painting. I tried one day to take a nap & it was so frustrating I have given up until they finish---hopefully by the end of next week weather permitting. Kitzi's respirations have been too high at night but by morning they are better. I continue to be at loss as to how to help him. My brain is fried w/research but empty w/help!

 

[The A Team]

Sandi, the way Kitzi is acting at night....do you think he could be entering doggie dementia? My yorkie, Tinker went through that and Jill's Milo is going through it now. That lump sounds really worrisome, I don't have any advice for that....it sounds scary.

 

[edelweiss]

Pat, not sure. Between the lump & his heart condition & more than a few meds it could be anything. We can't do MRI or CS as he would have to be sedated & that won't work. Also we can't add any more meds. Is Milo breathing hard at night?

 

[Snuggle's Mom]

Oh Sandi, i feel so very bad for you and what you are going through with sweet little Kitzi!! I will surely continue to pray for you and your family. And yes, I sure know what it is to be sleep deprived and it sure isn't great!! The dementia idea might just be something as our precious little Snuggles did have that. She lived to be almost 18 years old and we could tell that she did have dementia.

 

[edelweiss]

His respirations go up to 40 & the cardiologist said he should not go above 35 & stay there for any amount of time. Sometimes in the dark it is hard to know how long they stay that way. But in the AM he seems normal (well almost). He isn't big on the Thundershirt & I think he gets too hot in it. Both dogs like it cool for sleeping. He is coughing more & has a raspy breathing---so that is the heart. He takes Lomotil for it & it does help keep it under some control. He still LOVES his walks---even when he tires & has to ride a bit in the stroller.
I am going to go to bed early since we spring ahead tonight & sleep is so precious at the moment. Thank you all for your suggestions!

 

[pippersmom]

Sandi, I'm so sorry that Kitzi is going through all this. It breaks my heart. Do you think the lump on his head could be causing him pain and that's why he's so restless at night. You know sometimes with us humans, when something is hurting we don't seem to notice it as much during the day because our minds are occupied but at night when we're trying to sleep is when it seems so much worse just because we're not busy with other stuff so we're so much more aware of it.

 

[edelweiss]

Thanks for your insights----so appreciated!
We had the first "decent night" last night in a L-O-N-G time! I have no idea why but am thankful for not a perfect but comparatively speaking, a good night last night! I will take what I can get! I love our SM family & am thankful that some of us are still here to welcome the "newbies" & hope we can grow as a family! Our precious babies bond us together!

 

[mylittleluna]

Sandi, I'm just seeing this. I'm very sorry for what you are all going thru. I hope he gets to feel better somehow. Sending you a big hug and all my love.

 

[edelweiss]

We have actually had 2 decent nights of late!!!!!! I am doing nothing differently so unsure of why, but I will take it!!!!