Allergic Reaction

Bad day today. Everett went in for an emergency visit to oncology. Her face was very swollen (by my standards at least) and after asking twice overnight to go outside, she was not able to get out of her bed this morning. When I asked her to, she tried…and collapsed. The tumor side of her face (left) looked chipmunk-like, which is to say much more swollen than yesterday. Her drool, laced with blood, dripped from her mouth despite her attempts to contain it.

We were seen by a technician, a visiting vet from Denmark, and the oncologist on call. The doctor today thinks she is having an allergic reaction to something, just as the doctor yesterday thought. There were two different variables in yesterday’s cocktail of drugs: her anesthesia blend was new, and yesterday was the first time she received both her radiation treatment, as well as the melanoma vaccine. Both vets said, allergic reactions may take time to show up, as anyone allergic to bees or perhaps shellfish may know. So she poked and prodded Everett’s mouth, face, head, and chest, with no apparent reaction from Eve. Eve even distributed some licks.

I gave as much information as I could about our rough morning, including Everett’s difficulty rising from her bed. Everett was lying on the floor by my chair while I spoke, and the doctor moved to Eve’s rear, and felt along her spine and down her legs. She stretched and bent the rear legs; Eve didn’t seem to pay attention. Doctor moved back up to Eve’s spine and retraced her fingers along the backbone, and all of a sudden Everett whipped her head around, flews raised, and gave a HUGE warning growl. It was so unexpected that we all jumped.

So this changes things a bit. The tech checked—the CT scan Eve had during her planning session three weeks ago was head only (location of the tumor), not full body as I’d thought. Doctor suggested it’s possible the cancer has spread to Eve’s spine or hips or pelvic region…or it was just arthritis or a sore spot from something during her treatment yesterday. We’ve ordered x-rays for her next visit. The pain may explain Everett’s reluctance (inability) to get out of bed. Doctor prescribed antihistamines to combat the swelling in her face. We left.

She seems much more alert tonight—must be time for another antihistamine pill. The swelling has lessened, but I won’t say it has retreated. She seemed interested in water—stood over the bowl looking at it, but did not drink. I drenched her food to soften the kibble and she cleaned her bowl, so I know she’s had at least some liquid. She also ate some snow when we ventured to the back yard.

I am hopeful she sleeps soundly tonight. Selfishly, I hope she returns to “normal” soon, so I will feel better about choosing this treatment method. As always, I just want her to be pain-free.