Texas

Texas Adopted by her foster mommy this is her story....and we have one more surgery to go!....

Tess finally ate last night. She ate all of her breakfast this morning also. She seems a little more alert today, however she has a large amount of congestion, her nose is stuffy, seems mostly just on one side, and the same side her eye is having some purulent discharge.

It is a warm beautiful day here today, so we took her out in the sun for a little while, thought the warmth would feel good to her, she seemed to enjoy it and was looking around with interest, so that seems a good sign to me. She sat in her stroller which has a cover that protects her from any breezes.

I had to go out for a few minutes this morning, and when I came home, she met me at the door with her tail wagging, and then accepted some water. That made me happy!! :)

It is very difficult to give Tess her medications, she fights like a bull in a china shop I have not found an easy way with her to take her medicine, any suggestions? I don't want to upset or stress her more than necessary.

Tess needs prayers, this is a setback for her, and may further delay her surgery. We will be able to tell better how she is when we get the report from her labwork done yesterday. The other thing that concerned us was that on her chest x-ray this week there was a shadow by her heart, our vet said she doesn't believe it is a tumor.

Tess is the sweetest little girl in every way. It is hard to explain the attachment we feel for her. I think because she had all those years in a mill and has survived is amazing, we are hoping that she will continue to be a survivor and live for many years and let us have the opportunity to love her and give her the life of a princess. I am hoping that she already feels secure and safe with us. I think that she does, she watches my every move, and she loves to snuggle in my neck, and ofcourse I love holding her, which is often. My husband says that she will forget how to walk if I don't put her down :) She does this little "Tessie Dance" thing when I come home from work. She jumps up and down and bats her front legs and is oh so cute, I have missed that with her illness.

I am cautiously optomistic about Tess, that is where things stand right now. Tess does need prayers from the group. We are giving her very tender loving care, it is up to God to help her with the rest.

Hi, I'm Texas and I am a female Yorkie, I am 10-11 years
young and weigh 5.3 pounds.

This is not for the faint heart, if you don't like seeing
blood, don't look at these pictures below go to the next page.

We would like to thank All the Vets at ANIMAL MEDICAL CLINIC AND HOSPITAL, in Granbury TEXAS for their wonderful care of little Texas.

New picture taken after surgery Punkin bed donated to Texas by Ron and J.P.Ottino

This little girl is
feeling so much better than when I first got her a couple
weeks ago. She is eating well, playing, running around with
the other dogs. What a wonderful little one she is. Jean
sent a new pumpkin bed for the pups and Texas has claimed it
as hers. Doesn't she look just wonderful, she has a smile
on her face.

UPDATE Texas got her drain removed today from her mastectomy. The Dr said it
was really looking great, and healing really well. She is maintaining
her weight at 5.6 pounds.
The Histopathy showed that the large tumor and the cluster (which
were the only ones checked), were both cancerous. The results showed
that the removal seemed to have gotten all the cancer, with clear
margins around, and no lymph gland involvement. They are a slow growing
type.
The recommendations are to have the other mammary glands removed
when she is able to, and to keep a check on her lymph glands and
general good health care, Jackie will be sending a copy of the actual
report to the Board of Directors and Foster moms.
Jackie now has Texas again, as she needs no further follow-up until her
stitches need to come out, a week from Wednesday, as long as she
continues to do well.
Please keep her in your prayers for her continued healing.

Jan Smith

The Story so far...........She has had a spay and her dental but now needs mammary tumors removed. This will be done 2/16/05 in Texas, her tumors are growing and multiplying she has been re-evaluated and this is the report we have, and pictures of her belly.

1. X-rays were taken from different sides. The tumors haven't gone into her lungs.
2. She ventricular sclerosis in her eyes- an age associated eye problem, causes some cloudy vision but not blindness.
3. Yeast infection in both ears.
4. Both patella's are bad but not causing her any pain. One is out all the time, the other one is in and out.
5. Heart is normal, lungs and abdomen are normal.
6. Had a very normal bowel movement while at the vet's today.
7. She weighs 5.6 lbs, needs to gain 1/2 lb.

Update 2/15

Jan & Jackie called me about an hour ago from Dr. Hardwick's office. I had to leave shortly after, so I apologize for the delay.

The blood counts on Texas are back to normal. Dr. Hardwick took a stool sample herself from Texas at the office. There is no blood in the stool and she has been off medication for this since Saturday.

Dr. Hardwick will be going ahead with surgery tomorrow morning on the side with the large cluster tumor. She will only be able to do the one side because of size and location. The other side has only very small tumors and will be done at Enid's vet.

Now for the tumor specifics:
1. Bottom ones are the big ones, near where she goes pee. That one is considered a #5. They are graded from 1-5.
2.Right side has tumors on 3rd, 45h and 5th.
3. Left hand tumors in cluster between 3rd 4th and 5th.
4. Because of her age at time of spay and all the breeding, likelihood is high that the tumors are malignant. (however, Emmy's tumors were benign.)
5. Texas should be settled in for a week before surgery is performed. Then surgery should be done ASAP.

This is not for the faint heart, if you don't like seeing
blood, don't look at these pictures below go to the next page.


The first picture is right before surgery. click pictures to enlarge	The second picture is of the entire side that was removed. You can see the large tumor and the cluster one, there are smaller ones in between, but you can't see them.	The 3rd picture is a close-up of the large tumor,

the 4th is the cluster of tumors.	The 5th picture is after the surgery was done and she was closed up and her drain inserted. Look at that incision. Poor baby.	The last picture is of her waking up in my arms in a warm towel . Jan and I are very lucky because Dr Hardwick lets us hold them while they wake up.