Gravel desperately ill

Gravel in the sea at new year

Our plans for a holiday in the French Alps with Sam and Lucy were somewhat disrupted by dint of Gravel being unwell.

He and Holly were booked into kennels for the week, but in the days before we were due to leave it was clear that Gravel was not right. He had no energy and was very lethargic - not at all like a springer spaniel.

I’d noticed some swelling of his belly and also a distrinct lump. The vet had suggested it might be Cushing’s disease, a condition caused by a hormone imbalance where the symptoms included distended belly. This would be confirmed by a blood test.

We decided that Margaret should stay at home but I would go skiing.

Gravel had his blood tests on the Monday I was away and we then had to wait a few days before confirmation and starting treatment. The test for Cushing’s came back negative, which was a surprise as the vet had made a strong suggestion that was the problem and we were expecting the blood test to confirm it. She then suggested it could be a thyroid problem and suggested tests to look for hyperthyroidism. Two tests were done and showed that Gravel may have a slight imbalance - sub-clinical hyperthyroidism. She started him on some medicine on the Friday that I was away and Margaret said he seemed a little better.

We got home about 6pm on the Saturday and Gravel was very excited to see us. However, it was clear to me that he wasn’t right and when I felt his belly, the lump that I’d detected in the week before we went away, was clearly much bigger. It was quite a chilling discovery.

Sam examined him and thought the lump was about the size of a grapefruit - a considerable mass. We clearly had to get him back to the vet and see what could be done. Frankly, I feared the worse. This was a massive lump, growing aggressively and would require a major operation to remove it.

Margaret took him to the vet on Monday armed with extensive notes from Sam and the vet was alarmed by the size of the lump and that she’d not spotted it earlier. She clearly hadn’t examined him properly, she’d taken a look at him, listened to the symptoms and jumped to the wrong conclusion - Cushings.

The problem was now beyond the skills or technology of Whittlesey and so they asked Margaret to take him to their practice in Broadway, Peterborough where an ultra-sound scan showed a massive tumour surrounding the spleen. An X-ray suggested that it hadn’t spread to other organs and the vet thought it could be removed (along with the spleen) with a positive outcome for Gravs. We gave the go-ahead on the basis that if he opened him up and found that it was hopeless, he should simply not let him wake up. He’d operate immediately because he was concerned that the tumour might rupture.

So we had an anxious wait on Monday until the vet called to say that the operation had gone OK and Gravel was still with us. We’d see how he got through the night and the following day, so more anxious waiting. Gravel got through Tuesday OK and was making good progress, so they said he could come home Wednesday evening.

It was good to see him. He looked incredibly thin compared to how he was, with his belly gone and a really defined waist. The vet told us that the tumour has weighed 3.4kg, which is the size of a baby, so it was hardly surprising that Gravel looked so slim. I asked how it could possibly be that big and the vet said that it had been growing backwards into his belly, causing that to swell outwards, but also up into his rib-cage where it couldn’t be felt.

Gravel came home, trotted into the garden and did a one-minute wee. He then went down to the bottom of the lawn and did a huge dump! The good news is that he’s definitely not lost his appetite, he seems to be a little better each day and last night, he even humped my leg when I came home - his favourite greeting (and not one that I encourage). His scar is massive - from the middle of his chest, straight down to past his sheath.

He’s back at the vet this morning for a check-up so we’re hoping all is OK (it certainly appears so). The next issue will be whether the tumour was malignant or benign. If benign, then there’s every chance he’ll survive another four years or so (he’s nine this year) and can have a full, happy and active life.

Treatment, including the misdiagnosed hyperthyroidism, came to £2,500. Luckily, we have pet insurance to cover that, but my premiums (currently £27 per month) are bound to increase substantially.

UPDATE: Gravel went back to the vet today (Friday) for a check-up following the operation and we got the results of the lab tests on the tumour. Sadly, it was malignant and so the long-term outlook isn’t great. They’re doing some more tests to see what type of cancer they’re dealing with and that may give us an insight into life expectancy.

It’s a disappointment after all he’s been through this week, but there was every likelihood of losing him on Monday, so I guess every day is a bonus. I hope he can have a happy summer, he really is a lovely natured dog. Of course, none of us know when the trapdoor will open underneath our feet/paws and dogs probably have the right attitude - live one day at a time and enjoy it as much as you can. That’s what we’ll be doing with Gravel.

Gravel and Holly having a good sniff in the garden. This was his first day back home