As a lot of you know I lost Aera 2 weeks ago after what was a routine spay. I was paranoid about pyometra and she was going on 8...I had also set up a spay appointment for Raine for May 27.

So yesterday I reluctantly took Raine in to be spayed. I can't tell you how hard it was to go into that clinic. I had prearranged to stay for the surgery and just bring Raine home once she was out of recovery. As I was getting ready to leave for the vet (which is in MN, and about a 75 minute drive) Ed told me that the day before Raine had found a marrow bone and gotten it stuck on her lower jaw. I don't let Raine have recreational bones, she's too aggressive with the chewing and I don't want a fractured tooth. I still don't know where she found this particular bone. The clincher here is that a big piece is missing from this bone and I have no idea where it is.

I get to the vet and have them do a full blood panel, everything is perfect there. I mention the bone and tell the Dr. I'd like an xray taken because I would hate to do the spay and then end up with a dog that has a blockage. We shoot the xray and sure enough, there's the bone. ARG!!!! We give her several meds to make her vomit, no luck..the bone isn't coming out.

We decide to go ahead and sedate/anesthetize her and he'll get the bone with the endoscope and then proceed to the spay. This should only add 15 minutes to the time she's knocked out. Dr. gets the bone out and begins the spay. I have my computer along and am working in one of the offices there and a vet I don't know comes in and tells me Dr. would like me to come into the surgery room...MY HEART SANK. I walk in to see Raine's spleen out on the drape and it's huge. I'm just speechless. We discuss what could be going on and the pros and cons of taking it out. I tell him to take it out. My mom's dog died years ago of an enlarged spleen that ruptured. The splenectomy adds a lot of time and stress to Raine and another 600 bucks to my bill.. We discussed hemangiosarcoma, immune mediated disease... nothing that really sounds all that great for Raine. We'll get the lab results back soon, I hope.

I stayed in the living room with her all night, after spending over 10 hours at the vets office yesterday. My 15 year old son brought his foam mattress pad out and slept next to Raine too. I was afraid if I fell asleep she'd stop breathing, it was one of the longest nights of my life.

Today I put another bag of fluids in her and have been sitting with her non stop. I'm also already drinking wine at 2 in the afternoon! LOL My nerves are shot. I've got the Ellis seminar coming up in a week and I can't leave my dog to get my stuff done to prepare.

Lots of you are on Facebook and have offered a ton of support and I want you all to know I appreciate it so much. I think Raine can feel the love too. I am going to be optimistic that she's going to be fine and the lab results will come back benign. I can't lose her too, not right now. I'm not ready.

I'll sure feel a lot better when she wants to eat something and wags her tail again. She's in a lot of pain and on heavy drugs. I'm not going to leave her side until I know she's ok. She would (and has ) done the same for me.

Anyone who has a spleen story with a happy ending to share, please do. Raine & I need some good vibes.

Cindy, I'm so glad to see the update. Your son is one great kid

I hope she starts to feel better soon. No spleen stories, but I'm sending Raine lots of love and healing vibes, and lots of good vibes your way too! I can only imagine how scary it is, but she's home and she's clearly got the best family she could ever have with her while she recovers (and she will!).

Cindy, I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with you and Raine ... sending positive ones your way.

Cindy, I don't have anything to offer but support - but of that, you have it all. I'm so very sorry to hear about this surprise medical issue, you sure don't deserve to deal with unexpected canine tragedy TWICE this month. But I'll be keeping all fingers crossed and sending extra strong 'get well' vibes to Raine today so that she makes a quick and full recovery. I know that feeling of utter elation when a sick dog finally does something indicating a return to healthy normalcy - like eating - and hopefully Raine will turn that corner soon... in the mean time, she's sure lucky to have you by her side.

Hang in there Cindy!

~Natalya

Cindy, I'm sorry to hear about the spleen surprise as well. You are going through enough already! I am hoping for the best for Raine and you.

Well, I just went through Merck and other vet manuals, and you probably already know that there are many many possible causes, but that the spleen is so large now that it needs to come out and stop using up blood, space, etc.

It's not at all easy to take a part of the spleen for examination (I read), but now at least the cause is going to be ascertainable, even if she did have to have major surgery.

There are definitely some enlargement causes that have good prognoses.

Geezzzee Cindy, I'm so sorry to hear about Raine. What a terrible surprize on top of the loss of Aera. Raine is so lucky to have you by her side to help her get through all of this. You are in my thoughts & prayers.

i can't imagine how difficult that must be. when bad things happen, they tend to happen back to back like that.

but, you have a tough dog, and that attitude that the dog has about everything else will help her get through this.

all you can do it wait, and stay by her side. Do things that help you too, if its wine, drink up! i know you can't leave to get work done, but do what you can from next to her.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Well, I just went through Merck and other vet manuals, and you probably already know that there are many many possible causes, but that the spleen is so large now that it needs to come out and stop using up blood, space, etc.

It's not at all easy to take a part of the spleen for examination (I read), but now at least the cause is going to be ascertainable, even if she did have to have major surgery.

There are definitely some enlargement causes that have good prognoses.

The vet did remove it. I even took a photo with my cell phone but I'll spare you all the gore.

I'm hoping some benign condition, I'm just terrifed of hemangiosarcoma. The good news is that she wasn't the least bit anemic and had no clinical symptoms of any spleen issues at all. The vet said we may have actually averted something that could have become an emergency situation as it progressed. While he was removing the spleen yesterday I was googling every spleen related problem I could.

Raine is now sleeping and I believe until now she's not really been able to rest at all, she would lay on her sternum and drool. Her throat is a raw mess too, from the endoscopy. She couldn't even swallow her own saliva last night. This poor dog!

 Quote: Cindy Easton Rhodes

The vet said we may have actually averted something that could have become an emergency situation as it progressed.

That is what all the books say: for examples, an infection confined to the spleen; a benign tumor that benign or not could have caused it to rupture; a malignant tumor not metastasized.