Early last week a bigger than baseball size lump showed up on my almost 12 year old Vizsla Blaze's neck just under her jaw. It was very hard and not painful to her to touch. She was in no pain, eating ok, and acting normal other than sleeping a lot. She has had some benign fatty tumors that are small and soft. This one on her neck was nothing like those, huge, rock hard, and going to cause airway problems if it got much bigger. We gave it a couple days to be sure it was not something like a wasp sting, hematoma, blocked salivary gland, etc. It did not get better and maybe even got bigger.

Location and symptoms or lack of, and her age had me believing this was very likely Lymphoma. Before going to the vet I had the talk with the wife deciding at her age to go with the least invasive treatment if it was cancer and to let Blaze live out the rest of her life with dignity and spoiled.

A needle aspirate of the tumor or lump was done with a full checkup and blood work. You know it is bad when the vet walks back in the room with tears in her eyes. In house it looked like it was going to be Thyroid Carcinoma and the wait was to determine what stage Blaze was in. Worse news than Lymphoma. I wanted to wait for the blood work and tests on the needle draw before telling anyone, but I did tell my wife, that we were certain, and it would take a miracle for the final results to come back anything good. My wife did not take it well.

What was to take one day, took two. And miracles do happen. The results came back with no cancer cells and good blood work. It was her Thyroid, but they could not tell what was causing the problem. It was possible the cancer cells were just missed since it was a needle draw. Rather than do another needle draw, do cultures, or even exploratory surgery, we opted for a broad spectrum antibiotic and hope for the best. $711 later, the baseball is almost gone and Blaze is her normal self still.

Now that's an awesome outcome!

I'm glad it working out for you and Blaze. I feel like I know her from all your stories. I was getting a little misty eyed just reading it. Live long and prosper, Blaze.

So glad it was just a scare, and Blaze is on the mend.
I understand your wife not taking the first results very well. In June I spent $11000.00 trying to save one of my red dogs. I still cry over having to let her go.

Glad it wasn't worse. Ol Blaze has been through alot. Good Girl Blaze!

Great news. She is looking good.

Gosh what a great outcome. Hope to read more stories about you and your dogs our and about. They are among the best on THF. Do yall have any excursions planned?

That's great news!

That's good news, really happy to hear that. I'm going through something similar with my dog. Upon hearing your results we took our dog to another vet for a second opinion. Unfortunately the results are the same.

I didn't know what a Vizsla was until I saw your pics of Blaze. Those pics inspired me to get my own. Good to hear that is isn't cancer.

Good to hear.

Today is nation dog day. I just saw on the local news that the Vizsla was the number one dog to take to work.

They have gotten really popular over the last 20 years. When I first started sharing pictures of my first Vizsla, most on the forum it seemed knew very little about the breed. Several of my friends now own one.

Blaze's knot in her neck is now smaller than a golf ball, soft, and slowly getting smaller. So I think she will be with us for a while. Sadly Blaze's brother Ruger, BISS Lagniappe Sir Ruger Huntmore JH ROM, passed away last month peacefully in his sleep. He was a great dog with wonderful owners. I believe it is the third of Blaze's siblings to go.