-PETCORNER
plenic tumor
requires surgery -

JOHN ROBINSON |
D.V.M.

*“Mrs. Day, I'm not
going to beat about the
bush. Begie is in big

trouble.” So began a

worrying time for..us
all.-I went on, “you've
told. me about these
bouts .of not feeling
well and lying about,
no_energy and oc-
casional vomiting and
this together with a
thorough examination I
have made adds up to a
tumor of the stomach
or-spleen.”

_Begie had been admitted

fof examination earlier that
morning as Mrs. Day was on
her way to a dental. ap-
pointment. The story was of
a general malaise over .a
period of a few weeks
without anything very
specific. Her temperature
was normal at 101 degrees,
urinalysis normal, slightly
overweight but this we
would expect in an eleven-
year-old spayed female
Beagle. I thought her an-
terior abdomen appeared
quite full in spite of her not
having had any breakfast.
She was slightly on the
anemic side evidenced by
pale gums.

Gentle palpation, of the
abdomen revealed a firm
swelling about the size of a
grapefruit. Now Mrs. Day
was back with us and I
continued, “What I would
like to do is called an ex-
ploratory laparotomy which
means giving a_ general
anaesthetic and opening into
the abdomen to actually
view, all the viscera or in-
testines and other organs. In
that way I can determine the
nature and positidn of what
appears to be a large tumor.”

“If it is possible to remove
it we will go ahead but if I
find it is an inoperable
condition I would like you to
agree to euthanasia so that

she doesn't have to come out,

of the anaesthetic and we
just give a little overdose of
the aneasethetic.

“Ann will get you to sign a
form giving us aumority to
do this. Similar situations
arise in human surgery but of
course the patient is merely
sewed up and sent home to
be nursed by the family if at
all possible.”

“O.K. doctor” said Mrs.
Day. “she’s been a won-
derful dog and I want you to
do your best to save her.
We'll all be saying a little
pre ier.”

» tittle later Begie was on
the operating table under
duo p> anacsthesia§ ad-
mi oustered initially = in-
t, nously and then

hed over to an
4. ~1(fon machine in which

“2 48 passed into the
wits'pipe and a
ano sthetic called Halothane
is used to maintain
anaesthesia for a long period
wit! litde toxicity to the
jos ail.

.

gascous |

Sterile

Page: 64, May 9, 1979- North Shore News

She was draped with
sterile towels to show only a
one inch wide area of skin
extending between the
breastbone. and the lower
abdomen, shaved, scrubbed
and sterilised with antiseptic
solution. My incision was
nine inches long, through
skin, all muscle layers and
the inner lining or

' peritoneum. The abdomen

appeared full of blood. This
was mopped away with
gauze and = using
retractors I was then able to
see a massive tumor of the

spleen which was bleeding |

profusely from its surface.

My mind raced back five
years to Professor Browne's
words in final year surgery

class, “if you even suspect a‘

hemangioma of the spleen

handle with care or they'll .

bleed to death before you

_ little canned food to make a

get your incision mede. The ~

tunior is terribly friable and
the palpation in forming a
diagnosis is enough to set it
off bleeding. We had no time

sto lose.

With the help of my two
nurses the spleen was
brought outside the incision
and all blood vessels en-
tering the organ were
clamped to prevent further
flow of blood into it. These
in.turn were ligatured with
catgut before being cut ... 29
in all. The tumor in the
spleen must have weighed at
least two pounds.

Begie’s tongue and gums

“were quite pale so I ordered

a blood transfusion to be
prepared. We maintain a
stock of blood for just such
emergencies which was
replenished regularly by the
S.P.C.A. local branch who
obtained it from the many
dogs which had to be
euthanised although quite
healthy. At $26.00 a litre it
was a bargain. Soon her
color was back to normal
and I was able fo proceed
with the long job of
resuturing the large incision
in the abdomen.

A little later I telephoned
Mrs. Day, “Good news for
you,” were my opening
words, “I knew how anxious
you would be. We have
completed the surgery
successfully and recovery
should be rapid and un-
complicated.” There was no
evidence of spread of this
‘tumor to any other tumors
but only time will tell. 1
didn't use the world cancer
but I felt that it was form of
sarcoma se highly
malignant. The pathology
examination of the growth
would probably confirm it in
which case it probably would
crop up elsewhere in the
system, but why worry Mrs.
Day at this time.

“QUESTION:

At what age should kittens
be weaned?

ANSWER:

Their mothers’ milk can
be supplemented from two
weeks on using cow’s milk
which should be sweetened a
little at first and later on
thickened with pablum and a

soup which the kittens can

- lap. By four weeks they will
be able to eat more. solid
food and can be taken away
from their mother. Whole
canned fish is too strong for
them and may cause
diarrhea. Given the op-
portunity kittens will
continue:to suck for 7 or 8
weeks. The mother will
usually come in heat again
about a week after the

kittens stopsucking.  —_._«.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 67

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tytn hs

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