Raven's cancer *Final recheck, pg 38 (post 568)*

I was in class with Raven this morning and she was getting worn out, she started panting and was looking up at me when I noticed something wrong in her mouth. It looked like a fleshy pink growth or abscess on the floor of her mouth that extended between her lower canine and front teeth. It looks alarmingly big to me for being in her mouth, I am not sure how long it has been there as she usually has her mouth closed and when I check her teeth she generally closes her mouth and I look along the outside.

I already have a vet appointment coming up Thursday afternoon because she was getting her lyme vaccination and the other two are getting their rabies. My vet is out of town at a conference until Thursday when he will be back in the office.

She doesn't seem to have any pain or reluctance in eating or chewing or playing, but earlier when she was playing with a ball outside I noticed a bit of blood on it and when I looked at it again it had some pinprick type blood spots on it (probably irritated from carrying the ball around). I just feel really anxious about it. She is only 6 months old and has very healthy teeth and gums, I'm not quite sure what this is and what has caused it.

I guess I was wondering if anyone had seen anything like this before. I'm anxious that I can't get it looked at until Thursday but I guess I will keep a close eye on it and if need be take her to the substitute vet as an emergency, but I don't think it's at that level right now. I'm just really fretting and worrying about this. :( (The "brown" on the lower part of her front teeth is a bit of leaf, she had been playing in the yard with a tennis ball)

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A friend of our noticed somthing similar in their 10 yr old dog a few months ago. They saw the vet and were debating if they should have it removed, it went awy on its own. Hope you ahve similar luck with Raven!

Oh wow, you can see it easily. I don't think I've seen anything like it
before, but if she's eating & playing normally, I would think it's not that
serious.

Well I've been searching and hunting and I'm wondering if it could possibly be what is called an epulis. It seems it can range from pretty easy to deal with to requiring more in depth surgery and sometimes even radiation. I feel sick with worry :(.

http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=3057

http://www.bobmckee.com/Client%20Inf...ia/Epilus.html

Thanks for the sites K-Nine. I had never heard or seen anything like this before. The links were very educational.

Oh no, I'm very sorry to hear this. :( I hope if it is an epulis it will be the kind that is easy to deal with. I know how worried you are, I'm the same way, I always look on the internet and make myself worry even worse. Please keep us updated.

I'm just seeing this, Jess. You must be sick with worry. I'll keep you and Raven in my thoughts and prayers. I hope the vet visit gives you some answers real soon. {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

Hope it all checks out okay. Try not to worry too much till then. My Dr. ex-SIL used o tell me: "keep in mind that the chances are far greater that it is not serious. If it is, the chances are greater that it is still not life-threatening." Somehow hearing this always made me feel less anxious.

Never saw anything like this, so I learned something, again.

You may want to phone the vet about it on Monday, just to give them a "heads up." And sometimes theyy won't give vaccines if the dog is ailing, but I don't know if this would be considered "ailing" or not. Just don't be surprised if they put off the vaccine.

Let us know when you find out more info!

Dear Raven, keeping you in prayers lady!

I guess I'm not really thinking along the lines of malignancy or life threatening, although that is ALWAYS a niggling fear any time something unusual comes up. But reading things about tooth removal, partial jaw bone removal, recurrence, locally invasive, etc. etc. scare me a lot. She's just a baby, I don't want her to have to go through such things. I know all of that probably won't happen, but for there to even be a chance of it sickens me. :( I'm having a horrible time keeping my anxiety level under control. :(

As far as the vaccination, I doubt it would affect that at all, but even if it did it would be a non-issue. All three of mine are scheduled that day, Tommy and Tasha for yearly physicals, rabies, etc., and Raven at the same time for her Lyme booster. I've debated calling, but with my vet out of town the most they can really do is set up an appointment, which I already have, or send me on to an ER vet, which I don't believe would be appropriate for this.

Thanks for the reassurance and words of understanding.

I can see why you're so worried. I hope it turns up to be nothing serious, or like in the situation Amy described, it goes away on it's own.

Have to say, despite being worried, I love Raven's smile.

I bet you are worried sick Jessica. Most of the time we worry needlessly and I will pray that is the case for Raven. {hugs}

Oh Jess, I'm so sorry. Please try not to worry, though I know it's nearly impossible. I hope it's nothing. I know how much she means to you. My stomach feels a little sick, too. I hope it's nothing serious. Please keep us updated.

I'm sorry I missed this Jess. I am sending healing vibes and lots of prayers and love for you and Raven...

Healing vibes for Raven!