Due to Laika's first occurrence of mast cell cancer, I was very cautious about checking her regularly for lumps and bumps that might be something to worry about. I wanted to be proactive to help keep her healthy and cancer-free. Usually, this involved full-body massages for Laika, which she didn't seem to mind, either! One time, she was getting an ear scratch and I noticed a little bit of blood on my finger. Upon inspecting her ear, there was a tumor on the very inside of the flap closest to where it connected to her head! It was cracking and bleeding a bit, and was about the size of an almond. (Truth be told, it kind of looked like one of the weird alien egg things from the movie Cocoon.) Immediately made me think that the cancer had spread!
The next day, amidst my growing fears that it was another mast cell tumor, I took Laika to see our regular vet. After a fine needle aspiration and many treats and loving attention for Laika, the results were inconclusive. Due to her general allergic conditions, her body always had a low level of mast cells throughout. Therefore, it wouldn't be confirmed as malignant or benign until it was removed. Due to the location, the vet recommend removing the entire ear to get the right margins, since her first mast cell tumor was a low Stage 2 cancer! I was shocked and sad to hear this news, but remembered that there was a specialty vet with more skilled surgeons nearby. I asked for a referral, because a missing ear might cause a lot of hearing problems and infection problems for Laika. I didn't want her to go through that. Again, she was blissfully ignorant of the situation, keeping her energetic, eager outlook during my whole conversation with the vet. It was reassuring that she was so steady in her demeanor.
The next week or so, we went to see the surgeon Dr. Compton. She was amazing. Her positive outlook and knowledge of Laika's previous condition was extremely reassuring. She said that removing the entire ear was not necessary and not recommended; only the cartilage in a small area around the tumor needed to be removed! This was great news. She also noted that if it was a malignant tumor, then it it might need more procedures, including removal of the ear. However, at the time, Laika's beautiful ear would be safe (pending the results of the post-surgery biopsy). Laika wagged her tail in approval. The surgery was done that day and I picked her up in the evening. Her ear looked great and was only a little bit floppy in one area...I couldn't even see the stitches! Dr. Compton had worked serious magic!
The only problem was that Laika had to wear the "cone of shame" to prevent scratching of the ear. Neither of us had dealt with this before! Not only that, but she was also given a lot of pain killers given the location of the surgery. So, I had a groggy, uncomfortable baby with a heavy cone weighting down her head and her spirits! At bedtime, I made a nest of her blankets on my bed and carried her up to my room to sleep. She was comfortable for a little while, but soon was staggering around the room, bumping into things with the edge of the cone. It was pathetic to watch and made me feel so bad for having to deal with this. I decided to sleep on the floor with her, so hopefully she would calm down. Soon, she went to sleep next to me. Finally, we were both calm...
"Ow!" I woke up to jabbing pain in my right eye. Upon opening-up and focusing, I saw an extreme close up of a semi-somnambulant Laika mouth trying to give me kisses...only, the sharp edge of the cone had gouged my eye! It was quite a way to wake-up! I think Laika needed to go out, and she confusingly and patiently sat waiting for me to help. I quickly carried her downstairs and she proceeded to meander up and down the dark, 3 am alley for 20 minutes, dragging the edge of the cone along all the ground. It would have been easy to track her path simply by the indentations! However, she was a sneaky scratcher, so, even in her current state, the cone needed to be on. After she peed and pooped, we went back to bed.
After settling her, I went to take a look in the mirror. Sure enough, there was a scratch right beside my eye! The cone was not only a problem for her, but it became a danger for me, too! Something had to be done. Enter the Comfy Cone E-Collar. My mom was kind enough to pick one up for me the next day after I told her of our shared discomfort caused by the plastic cone. After all, I only have two peepers, so according to my logic, I had only one more night of "sleep" before neither of them looked good! At first I was skeptical because the cone was not clear and could be folded, but upon changing the cone for Laika, she immediately perked-up. Not only could she drink easily while wearing it, but the softness and lightness allowed her to sleep comfortably with her head gently resting on the edge of her bed. It was an instant win all around. Against the black background of the cone, her face looked even more expressive and her eyes brighter from the shine of the safety reflector edge. Watching her return to a wigglier and happier pup, even one day after surgery, was extremely heartening...and easier with my eyes still intact!
The biopsy results arrived a few days later...it was a histiocytoma, benign! Laika would continue to enjoy life with two ears...and for the time being, a nice, soft cone. Although she didn't love it completely, she adapted quickly and was able to move more easily and curl-up, just like the drawing of the puppy on the side of the cone. She would, unfortunately, become reacquainted with the soft cone at various times in her life (dental procedures), but having her wear it made a huge difference in her quality of comfort and recovery. Each time, she was a star patient. Switching to the Comfy Cone saved Laika a lot of anxiety...and allowed me to keep my eyesight better than 20/20!
Sad Laika with clear cone.
Laika modeling the Comfy Cone.
Expectant Baby Girl with reflector accents.
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