A Veterinary Journal by Claire Poole
March
Chapter 3 - Page 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
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Friday 6th March
After the wonderful day yesterday, snow and gusting winds takes us by surprise today. During the morning walk, I feel like a character in one of those little snow domes as snow swirls around us in wild circles. I expect a peaceful morning surgery but it is incredibly busy – each customer had anticipated that no one else would venture out in such bad weather!
We had a ‘lump removal’ day on Monday, and the patients are coming in for their interim check ups. Polly the Boxer had an ulcerated nodule removed from her paw. Histopathology tells us that this was a benign cutaneous histiocytoma - a peculiar little growth that can look sinister with its rapid growth and raw, ulcerated surface. If the sample had been sent to a human pathology lab, it would set alarm bells ringing as it looks malignant. However the veterinary pathologists know that it is virtually always benign in dogs. This a good example of why one should not extrapolate from humans to animals, and vice versa. There are quirky differences between species, and what goes for one does not necessarily go for another. Some drugs can be used in different species but this cannot be taken for granted. For example, Penicillin, a lifesaver in many species, will kill guinea pigs; a highly effective human anti-arthritic drug has caused several fatalities in dogs. It is vital to be aware of such important variations. Nowadays, vets use human drugs rather less than before, as we have to abide by a system of prescribing known as The Cascade. If a suitable veterinary drug is available for a particular condition, then that rather than its human counterpart must be used. Only when no suitable veterinary product exists can we dip into the human armoury. This can be very irritating for both vet and client as veterinary drugs are invariably more expensive than their human counterpart. Doing the right thing is not always the easy option.
Next after Polly was the elderly Nuisance. His growth was a haemangioperiocytoma. This tumour can infiltrate (invade surrounding tissues) locally and can recur. It always seems to appear on an extremity where spare skin is in short supply, and it is hard to remove with a good margin of safety. This growth was a recurrence close to where Nuisance last had surgery over a year ago. If at worst we have to remove a growth every year or so, then we can live with that.
Last of our lump run is Glen, a Border collie. He had a painless, tomato-sized swelling on his chest which his owner thought had appeared quite rapidly, although it may be that the growth was present for a time before it was noticed. It did not look or feel worrying, but I have learned from bitter experience that in most cases, it is not possible to diagnose a growth just by examination, and with the possible history of rapid growth, the decision was made to operate. On parting the skin during the surgery, a shiny white oval of fatty tissue came into view and peeled easily away from the surrounding tissue - a lipoma - a benign growth composed of fat. An easy operation and a happy outlook. The wound has begun to heal well so Glen is unlikely to have any further problems.
Copyright Claire Poole 2005
