Squirm, squirm, squirm.

('Unhand me Vile Bipod!')
Stay still Roxy... good girl.

Roxy got all her stitches removed today - horray!
And, the doctor still has all ten fingers - horray!

FINALLY! Almost the end of June and I finally get my stern in the water - for shame! And, to top it off, due to winter and spring inactivity, I'm sitting low in the water. ('Gained some weight there Piglet?') Hmph. Regardless, it was still a beautiful weekend for a paddle in the St. Lawrence. Ooooh look - a rare photo of MOI looking all sporty.



Poor Roxy had to stay behind, albeit at family's house with a spacious backyard. It's only been a week since her surgery and she hasn't even gotten her stitches out yet; best wait until she's fully recovered before teaching her how to sit in a kayak. Stitches come out on Thursday... hmm, wonder if her stitches will come first, or the doctor's fingers?

The phone rings; it's the vet. (Left radar ear is up).





se·ba·ceous
Pronunciation: si-'bA-sh&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin sebaceus made of tallow, from sebum tallow
1 : secreting sebum (sebaceous glands)

ad·e·ni·tis
Pronunciation: "a-d&n-'I-t&s
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
1 : inflammation of a gland

That’s what you have, Roxy. (She looks at me, nonplussed). Well at least those bumps weren’t tumours. (She lays her head back down and feigns sleep).

Sebaceous Adenitis (SA) is a cosmetic skin disorder. Currently the causative factors for this condition are unknown. The sebaceous glands are located within the dogs skin; they both lubricate and protect the skin. But with SA, the sebaceous glands become inflamed and are eventually destroyed. When the sebaceous glands are no longer functioning the dog will exhibit a variety of symptoms, such as loss of hair, thickening/scaling of the skin, and secondary skin infections which appears as bumps – that’s you Roxy! (‘Tell me something I don’t know.’).

Sebaceous Adenitis is not a common skin disorder, it does however occur more often in certain breeds of dogs, most commonly in Standard Poodles and Akitas. However, SA has been diagnosed in Vizslas, Weimaraners, Old English Sheepdogs, Dalmatians, Collies, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds & Miniature Pinschers. Within Standard Poodles, SA has been determined to be inherited (a recessive characteristic both the sire and the dam) and therefore, dogs with SA should never be used for breeding. (‘Oooh, lucky me…or rather, unlucky me.’).

Presently there is no effective treatment for SA, just frequents baths with specialized shampoo every 10-14 days, (a moan comes from the body sprawled on the floor). Some dogs have been reported to respond well to baby oil soaks following the baths. The baby oil soak helps to temporarily restore moisture to the skin; it is recommended that the oil be left on the coat for 20-30 minutes, however, removing the oil will necessitate several thorough shampoos. (‘SEVERAL shampoos???’).

Poor Roxy. Wanna bath? (Eyes wide, left radar ear up, she uses her front legs to push...just enough momentum to get her up on her feet, do a couple backpedals...and she’s off to find a place to hide).

My Little Frankenstein...

Roxy's my dog. She's crossed between a German Shepherd Dog and a Miniature Doberman Pinscher; she's two and a half years old and her left ear is always on alert ('Was that a squirrel? I thought I heard a squirrel...I'm sure I heard a squirrel.'). But today her radar ear is down.

Roxy had day surgery yesterday; had two lumps removed, one on top of her head and one on her back. ('And the bastards took skin samples too - oh the horror! Just look at me!'). Ten stitches on her head, five on her back and individual ones dispersed here and there from the skin samples. (A moan comes from the small body curled up by my feet). Yeah, she's not too happy with post surgery palliative care either. ('Vile Bipod! Why are you TYPING when you should be attending to my every need???').

A couple months ago, I had noticed a small white lump on her head, wasn't festering, wasn't an open sore, just...a lump. Well Roxy managed to scratch it off; I put some Polysporin on it and it looked like it was healing up nicely...until I noticed a week ago, it's baaaaaaaack! But this time it's black, and I could feel a second one coming up on her back. ('What the devil is that? Call the doctor, quick Human!'). However the Doctor wasn't sure what exactly the bumps were and suggested that we do a biopsy ('What do you mean you don't know? Where did you get your veterinary degree - the Home Shopping Channel???').

Now all we can do it wait until we hear back from the Pathologist with the results from the lump and skin samples. (Another moan). My poor little Frankenstein. Wanna treat? (The left radar ear perks up a little as she raises her head up off the floor). Wanna go for a walk? (And she's up...and we're out).