We All Can Help The Fight

Here you can see Rae's surgeon, oncologists, and pathologist and learn more about a very cool program just getting underway at Penn Vet:

Penn Vet Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program

The lump

While bed-ridden with the bug that took me down at the Watercress Trial, I happened upon a teeny tiny lump while giving my snuggle-buddy Rae a belly rub. I cried. Round, firm, felt like a BB sitting within her right 5th mammary gland. The next day I called the head oncologist at Penn Vet (my alma mater) to discuss our options. My biggest question was whether I could (in good conscience)wait another 4 weeks until the end of the trial season to surgically remove it, or if it needed to be dealt with ASAP. Of course I didn't want to put Rae's health in jeopardy, but I did want to continue running her if it wouldn't be a concern. Dr. Sorenmo assured me that it would be fine to wait another month based on what we know about canine mammary tumors in that they are slow-growing and that size is an important prognostic indicator. Dr. Sorenmo stressed that I send the mass to Penn's Dr. Goldschmidt in pathology, since he is supposed to be the best there is at accurately describing and classifying mammary tumors. Though we could do the surgery at my own clinic, I decided that I'd go ahead and take Rae up to Penn for the procedure and have it done by professionals. Dr. Holt was my top-choice, and after touching base with him, I made Rae's appointment for the week after our last trial of the season.

It was a ridiculously long trip that ended up totalling 23 hours of drive time round-trip. When we arrived at VHUP, I was pleasantly surprised that the parking attendent remembered me as a student!! Now, this is something special considering I spent only the bare minimum amount of time in the small animal hospital, but I did see him on my way to morning classes my first 2 1/2 years. Anyway, he made me smile. Dr. Holt looked at the bloodwork and 3-view chest radiographs that I brought and then examined Rae. I told him he may think I'm crazy and that it's too small to even worry about, but I'd rather have him and the oncologists make that decision instead of me-of-no-experience. He decided that the mass was "real" and that we indeed should remove it. Rae was also examined by an oncologist who was described as "having the magic fingers" to be sure there were no other masses needing attention. The next day she underwent her mastectomy and removal of the local lymph node. The procedure was uneventful and I picked her up the following day.


Then came the waiting. Since her surgery was on a Thursday, I had to wait until Monday for the histopath results to become available. Dr. Holt phoned that afternoon to relay the EXCELLENT news that her tumor was a benign mammary adenoma and the local lymph node was clear! What a major relief, I'd been waiting to hear that good news for the last month!

It has been one week since the surgery and Rae has been S-P-O-I-L-E-D to no end. Her incision had considerable brusing for the first 5 days which I managed with icing, but otherwise she has shown no indication that she's even gone under the knife. I see her little face pop up in the bedroom window when I'm out moving sheep, and everytime I go to the back door she's hopeful that she'll be called to go along. Out of all my dogs, I thought it would be easy to keep her quiet, but the little stinker is acting like a puppy again! I'm just glad she feels so good.


I used the trip to the city for some Livy-socializing. She was the only other dog who got to go along, and she thrived with her one-on-one time. Now, Philly is the country's 5th largest city, and Livy's not really had many worldly excursions in her short life. Poor country-girl thought her brain would explode when she first stepped foot on the West Philly sidewalks. We checked out my old digs:

Hard to imagine that me and Ella lived there for 2 1/2 years. Whoa.

Then we walked down to the undergrad campus on one of my many Ella-walking-routes. Ella and I used to walk miles and miles everyday all around West Philly, and now I'm realizing what a special accomplishment that was for Ella to be able to deal with all of that city craziness.

Lastly we went down to the City of Brotherly Love statue by the library for a quick photo. I have one of baby Ella at this very same place, almost 5 years ago.

Rural Hill SDT

Only a week after-the-fact!

Last weekend was the big Rural Hill Trial and festival down in Huntersville, NC. Nearly 100 Open dogs, first day of running was Friday and I missed it all due to work. Saturday I got up at 4am to get there just in time to check the field, see that Julie was already out for the first run, Scott was on deck, and I was to be in the hole. Ran back to get Rae, saw part of a run, then headed to the post. It was very challenging to see the sheep, they blended in very well with the house in the distance behind them. I doubted myself whether or not they were set, I told Rae to look but she never really saw them. I finally decided to send her when I saw both horses in position, Rae ran out without her usual gusto and was a little tight. She got out and around them once she spotted the horses, I let her have the top to get control of them and then got into her head early. Really, I didn't need to, she was on her best behavior. Her driveaway was quite nice, she took her time every time I asked for it, flanked freely, stopped when asked. Good turn, and I kinda had to wing it for the cross-drive. The only run I saw was very low, so other than knowing NOT to be there, I didn't know where the line was. All I could see was frost and some rolling terrain. It was a little wobbly but we made the panels and headed back to the shedding ring. I have a tendancy to forget to watch that last leg when it is to the ring instead of the panel, thankfully Rae takes care of me! Had a marked single and though we had to work at it, WE GOT IT! Timed out en route to the pen.

Sunday I got to sleep in til 4:30am, got there to run 7th-ish, after an hour or so of a fog delay. I was really nervous for this run and felt mentally sluggish. Rae ran out better knowing where her sheep were, but she was a little pushy down the fetch and not as in tuned to me. Were doing ok until right before the DA panel I blew the world's worst down whistle at a critical moment. We're talking a horrendously bad whistle. She flanked and we played rodeo for some time, missed the panel, rodeoed across the cross-drive and missed that panel, too. I was ready to walk, but we hung in there to get our split and pen. I was totally disappointed in myself, but Rae was such a good girl for me all weekend and I was so happy with her that I didn't feel quite so down.

Liver-puppy got to watch her parents run and see her sisters. She also had some practice watching agility, pumpkin-chucking, and other festival goings-on. Other than having endless energy, she was a good girl. Gabe thought every single person and dog there wanted to be his best friend, he was beside himself with excitement over the whole shebang. Told him he needs to get the sillies out because soon he'll be out on the trial field and I need him to have his mind in the right place. He is a high-energy type of worker, so I'm starting to get a little nervous about running him!

That was the end of the fall trial season. Rae has been running so very well for me and I think I've made some improvements myself. Trying hard to not get too frazzled when things don't go well and trying to use more efficient corrections. I can see major progress, but there's still room for more!

Time to focus on Gabe and get him trial-ready.

Broken Back Ranch SDT

Geez, I'm always playing catch-up.

Two weeks ago we headed down to SC for the Broken Back Ranch Trial. I was up last and had to work until lunchtime, so hustled like mad to get there just in time, a mere 4 runs before I was up. The field was not large but had lots of draws, and the sheep were very challenging. Plenty of RTs for losing sheep to the woods. It was tricky to figure out how to handle them...sheep ran if your dog got too close, ran if your dog got too far off...ran ran ran! Had to find that sweet spot. I suffered the effects of a cold whistle for the first part of Sat's fetch (just under my jacket was NOT good enough, had to go down another layer!), we nearly found ourselves in the woods by the driveaway panel where you were to RT, but got things recovered. Good cross-drive line, made panel, split, timed out at pen (there were but a handful of pens).

Sunday she lifted like a mack truck (and they were on corn), so they shot off down the hill, catching me by surprise. Regained control but she took a wrong flank at the post and we had to unwind half (never did that before). Same course, better first drive leg, cross-drive dead on and made panel, this time pen before single. The only prayer you had at the pen was to get them stopped in the mouth and wait them out. We had 2 promising occasions but somebody decided to get a little slicey (I swear I kept my cool on my end!) and unsettled them. Timed out.

Livy came along to learn about "the business." Here she's learning about the business of king-sized hotel beds.

I was really pleased with our work even though the scores weren't great. We were able to clean up messes that previously would've resulted in RTs. Woohoo, progress!