First off, we really appreciate everyone’s concern over Wyatt. Thank you so much! We don’t mention him a lot here because he has his own blog, but he really is a big part of our family. Your concern about Wyatt’s hospitalization means the world to us, and has helped keep us sane during this very scary week of events.
And now, for the update:
From the beginning, Wyatt’s role in our lives has been to see how close he can take us to the brink of insanity.
Well, now he’s done it to the good vets at Texas A&M Veterinary School.
Today after eight days of hospitalization to recover from last week’s exploratory surgery, we received word that:
What IS That Thing?
One of the most frustrating scenarios of coping with any medical condition, is not knowing the “Why” or “How?” of what caused it.
But even after a CT scan, the vets could only tell us:
Wyatt has a “bacterially infected tract” deep within his body, but the docs simply don’t know the underlying cause of this infection. We may never know.
Hopefully, 30 days of strong antibiotics will eliminate the infection / rump lump. If not, an ugly and complicated surgery is probably in order.
In our new world of medicine for dogs and people alike, we’ve come to expect more from technology.
When we don’t get the answers, we want to scream.
We are rejoicing that he doesn’t have cancer, but still baffled as to how the most brilliant minds in medicine still can’t figure our boy’s condition out.
After a hearty glass or two of wine, I’ve finally accepted sometimes technology can’t give us the answers. Sometimes you really do have to toss the technological wizardry aside and take things as they come, and live each day as it happens, just like Wyatt.
This is “Being More Dog.”
Wyatt will probably come home tomorrow, and we can hopefully get on with our lives.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfcP8helNZs&feature=share&list=UUvZ24Tv83DmWu8Ct-7jpRiQ[/youtube]
Good news…so happy to hear that Wyatt doesn’t have the dreaded Big C.
Wyatt’s story sounds very familiar to what we went through with one of our dogs two years ago. He suddenly went blind one day. Our vet couldn’t figure out why. After a few days on prednisone, his eyesight returned but he developed an unsteady gait and was constantly shaking his head.
Not long after that, he developed a lump right at the bottom of of one his ears. We went through a few months of antiobiotics and visits to the Ontario Veterinary College. Nothing seemed to help and they couldn’t figure out what was causing the lump.
Needless to say, we opted for exploratory surgery in his ear. When the surgery was done, the veterinarian told us that they had never seen anything like it before and didn’t know how to treat it. They found a sac of “something” behind his eardrum.
They sent “the liquid” and a portion of the lump away for to be checked, and that came back as an infection unlike any they had ever seen before.
Another course of very strong antibiotics resulted in the lump “popping” and all the “liquid” escaping (needless to say, it was gross). We were very careful while the hole healed and it has not returned although he has slight permanent nerve damage on the left side of his head (the side that had the lump), a permanent slight head tilt to the left, and a scar from when the lump burst.
I hope the current course of antibiotics helps Wyatt.
Wow Joanne that does sound a lot like what we went through. Your dog is amazing though, that’s a lot of medical ordeals to endure, all for some undiagnosed goo! I’m glad he’s OK otherwise. Thanks for the sympathy, I know you totally understand what we’re going through!
Sooo happy to hear it’s not cancer. Very frustrating not to know what it is however. Totally understand that. Hope Wyatt makes a full recovery on the antibiotics!
Nina
Thanks Nina, we are too!
Wyatt the wonder dog!!! What a happy guy! Hoping that the antibiotics do the trick and no surgery is necessary. They had no explanation for what made Jack so sick, either. They knew what it was, but didn’t know what caused it. Jack and I will keep Wyatt in our thoughts. I was very relieved to here it wasn’t cancer though as with Jack, there are other things that can take them.
Oh thank you hobopals. As fellow dog people, I know you get it. Thank you for the good thoughts, they really help so much.
YAY! So good to hear. What a beautiful boy 🙂
Thanks Soody, we think we’ll keep him!
Thank Dog it’s not cancer!! My next thought was a foxtail that traveled deep and abscessed?
D, the jury is still out as to what this could have been. Even a 3D CT scan and an ultrasound couldn’t find evidence of the actual foreign invader, just the results. It’s incredible when science and technology fails us. Ugh. Thanks for the good thoughts.