When it rains, it pours. Sometimes that old idiom is just very true.
Cooper had not been running as much as usual (per his wheel's odometer). After a couple of days of not figuring out what the problem was I went on a serious examination to find a problem. I'm glad I did as I found a mass on his left front shoulder.
The mass was located in a bit of skin that tucks away so that you really cannot feel it if he raises his leg. Thankfully Cooper lets me do about anything I want to him, including pulling his leg straight to give him a good rub down.
Upon closer examination the mass was red and a veterinary appointment was made. By the time of our appointment (less than two days), the mass had started to "turn white." We had a fine needle aspirate done and instead of the pus of an abscess that I was hoping for we found abnormal cells.
We scheduled Cooper for surgery, but due to the blizzard that was due to hit, we had to delay it for a couple more days. Last Friday, Cooper had his mass removed.
I got the histopath results back yesterday. His mass was a trichoblastoma. Scary sounding word. But it is a benign cutaneous mass. Borders were clean so this should not come back.
I feel like I have dodged a bullet. This is the second benign mass Cooper has had removed in less than a year. The first was a papilloma removed from his jaw.
Cooper has a lot of bruising around the incision site, but is doing well otherwise. Image below is of his incision less than 24 hrs after surgery. That area is now very purple.
Cooper had not been running as much as usual (per his wheel's odometer). After a couple of days of not figuring out what the problem was I went on a serious examination to find a problem. I'm glad I did as I found a mass on his left front shoulder.
The mass was located in a bit of skin that tucks away so that you really cannot feel it if he raises his leg. Thankfully Cooper lets me do about anything I want to him, including pulling his leg straight to give him a good rub down.
Upon closer examination the mass was red and a veterinary appointment was made. By the time of our appointment (less than two days), the mass had started to "turn white." We had a fine needle aspirate done and instead of the pus of an abscess that I was hoping for we found abnormal cells.
We scheduled Cooper for surgery, but due to the blizzard that was due to hit, we had to delay it for a couple more days. Last Friday, Cooper had his mass removed.
I got the histopath results back yesterday. His mass was a trichoblastoma. Scary sounding word. But it is a benign cutaneous mass. Borders were clean so this should not come back.
I feel like I have dodged a bullet. This is the second benign mass Cooper has had removed in less than a year. The first was a papilloma removed from his jaw.
Cooper has a lot of bruising around the incision site, but is doing well otherwise. Image below is of his incision less than 24 hrs after surgery. That area is now very purple.
