Yesterday Buddy went back to the oncology vet.  We hit all kinds of problems on the way there with Traffic and construction work blocking the road, along our route that we were about 5 minutes late for the appointment.  We didn’t have to wait very long so that was good.  There were  a lot of dogs in the waiting room when we arrived. Buddy barked at them like he always does.  There was another dog owner who was waiting for their dog who also has cancer.    There were also some cats which I kept Buddy away from.

They took Buddy and he went willingly with them trotting next to the vet tech to the treatment room.  He was back in about 15 minutes.    The doctor came out about 15 minutes later with discharge instructions and talked to me about Buddy’s condition.   Buddy’s Hematocrit (HCT) was down at 35.6% from42.9% which she said may be indicative of an ulcer in his stomach.  The hematocrit is the percentage of packed cell volume relative to the full volume of blood.  She also said that there is thrombocytosis.  I can’t really explain that so here is a link.  Buddy’s platelet count is lower from 805-584.

The tumors.  Sublumbar area showed mildly enlarged hypoechoic lymph nodes.  The right sublumbar lymph node measured 2.24x 0.7 cm (former measurement 2.57 x 0.66cm) and the left sublumbar lymph node measured.18 x 0.42 cm (former measurement: 2.37 x 1.1cm).

Buddy is to continue on Palladia.  And begin Famotidine (Pepcid-acid reducer) once per day while on Palladia and Sucralfate 2-3 x a day for 10-14 days (coats the stomach and esophagus) .  Buddy will have his PCV (packed cell volume) and total protein rechecked around the 18-19 of March after his course of Sucralfate.  His full blood work will be checked around the 30th of March.

His next appointment was to be April 5th.  However, the doctor informed me that she would be relocating (she wasn’t specific as to where she was relocating) and that I he could be followed by a General practitioner at VHA, or be refered to another oncology doctor in either Maitland or Tampa.  I chose Maitland.  I have made a new patient/ follow up appointment for Buddy at AVS in Maitland with Doctor David Lurie, DVM, Diplomate Oncology and Radiation Oncology and former faculty member at the University of Florida Collage of Veterinary Medicine (founder of their oncology program).  He is from South Africa and I hope he’s really good.

His new appointment is on April 2nd.