Preliminary Biopsy Results

Good Friday to you all!

The surgeon called this morning with the preliminary biopsy results. So far, it is excellent news. The mass in Jake's ear appears to be infection and inflammation. NO CANCER! The full biopsy isn't completed as they have to de-calcify his ear to check the deeper parts.

The cultures of the infection came back as well. Our favorite bacteria, psuedomonas, was present. And, unsurprisingly, resistant to the free antibiotics they hand out at the grocery store. But don't worry, it is susceptible (sorry it was a mistake earlier) to an antibiotic that is $7.50 a dose. yay?

Tuesday Jake Update

Hi all!
Jake is doing really well.  Sometimes he seems a little confused, but I think it is because he's still adjusting to being totally deaf.  For the most part, he has been taking his medicine like a good little basset.  It involves baby food, cheese, and the peanut butter from a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  There was some damage to Jake's facial nerves, so he was having trouble blinking, but it seems to be getting better.  This requires Jake to get eye ointment.  Jake's been really good about leaving his ears alone, so he only has to wear the cone when he's unsupervised or at night cause I can't keep an eye on him, cause I'm sleeping.  He's licking his paws more so I guess I have to wash them with the medicated wash.  That's always fun!

His stitches are scheduled to be removed Thursday, December 17.

That bald spot on his butt is where his opiate patch was.

It came off today.

I Do Not Like the Cone of Shame

Happy St. Nick's Day!  Jake is home and currently eating rice and hamburger, he had baby food appetizer laced with pills :).  He's doing really well, although there was some facial nerve damage, as Jake can't blink really well yet.  He gets eyedrops until he can blink!

Jake gets to wear a cone!  So far it hasn't been all that great.  Jake keeps running into stuff.

Here's Jake the Flower.

This is the cone they gave him at the hospital.

He steps on it.

Here's Jake modeling his new cone.

It's soft and padded.

It also folds so that he doesn't step on it.

Thanks for all your special prayers and wishes as Jake was sick and in the hospital!

UPDATE: Jake's special bud Mike composed a poem for Jake:

I would not wear it in the shower

it makes me look just like a flower

I would not wear it in the park

I would not wear it in the dark

I would not wear it in the yard

I can not walk it is too hard

I would not wear it on a walk

I look so silly folks will gawk

I do not like this cone of shame

I do not like things that are lame

Update on Jake 12/5/09

I visited Jake this morning in the vet hospital.  He's doing really great! He's not really eating well, but that is to be expected given the stress of the surgery and the opiates.  Jake won't take his medicine (shocked, I'm shocked not at all) so he has to stay until Sunday so they can give him shots.  They wanted me to try and give him pills while I visited...yea, right.  The vet student also said he kept trying to escape...

They shaved his butt for a pain patch.  They also shaved his head and his actual ear flaps.  Walks are going to be very, very cold.

His paw has lots of band-aids and the IV.

He's bald!

You can see the base of his ears are swollen.

JAKE IS OK!!!!!

Hi
I just got off the phone with the surgeon. Jake is out of surgery and recovering.  The surgeon isn't convinced it is actually cancer but we won't know for sure until the biopsies come back.  She seemed to think it the mass actually maybe chronic otitis.

Basset Sphinx

Before recorded history, before they worshipped cats, the Ancient Egyptians worshiped basset hounds.  They made many monuments to the bassets and the earliest sphinx were not lions, but rather bassets.  Sadly, all of the quantifiable evidence of this has been lost to time (or to someone's lack of organization).  However, the basset hound still retains his noble bearing and sphinx-like appearance, to share with us his past (and still) total awesomeness.  The basset hound (Jake in particular) is to be worshipped and adored.  One day, they will reclaim their place of pride.  Until then, the noble basset practices his pose for that day of adoration.

You must worship and leave offerings.

Jake's New Duds!

Hello all,
Jake is feeling almost normal!  Some kind soul sent Jake an early St. Nick's Day and Christmas Present, a new collar, harness and leash!!! Doesn't Jake look so bright and cheery?