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[pyrnet] My Best Friend
At 51 years of age, I've finally gotten a pc for my home use. I saw this
website and hope that maybe you can help me. My best friend...my first any
only Pyr died the end of January of this year. He was 11 yrs old. I am
requesting any information you may have to help me determine whether his
health problems were unique or if any of you have experienced the same
thing. I contacted the GPCA representatives in charge of health problems in
February and contacted Dr Brown (from whom I got Thor as an 8 wk old puppy).
Dr Brown said he didn't see anything odd with his health record. I submitted
Thor's health history to the GPCA database to help others. The GPCA health
folks said they would ask Pyr owners to see if they had experienced any of
the problems I had, but, after waiting six months, it doesn't look like they
will publish anything in the national magazine.
First, the following is what I sent to them:
"Tumor Problems in Pyrs?
I am seeking any information from club members concerning a possible health
issue I had encountered throughout almost the entire life of my recently
deceased (and terribly missed) Pyr. He has been the only Pyr I have ever
been fortunate to have owned. I will explain:
My dog was born in 01/90. Three+ years later, I took him to the University
Vet School in Madison, WI because the local vets didn�t know what to do with
him. He had grown a 5 lb benign lipoma on his left side. They removed it at
that time, stopping at the rib cage. Less than six months later it had
regrown with a vengeance. I requested the vet remove the entire thing down
thru the �root�. They had to take two partial ribs out and found it was
feeding directly off his stomach. Luckily, they got it all; weighing in at
over 13# with 62 stitches needed to close.
Thru the next few years, he only grew a few small external tumors that
looked like large wood ticks. They grew primarily on his head and cheek. By
age 8+ he had developed a lump on his leg from lying on concrete at a kennel
he had to stay at for a while while I moved.
That was about the time he started growing perianal gland adenomas around
his rectum and the base of his tail. I had the first few taken off at one
time with a local vet that didn�t know what caused them. They grew back
almost immediately. I then took him to the Vet Teaching Hospital in
Minneapolis for further testing. They removed one and tested it for cancer.
It was benign. They recommended he be neutered and the problem would cease.
I had him neutered within the next month. He was now 8 yrs and 10 months
old. Less than 3 months later, he grew a huge tumor at the base of his tail,
which opened up and bled profusely. He had surgery immediately to remove it.
There wasn�t enough skin left to close the wound, which required quite a bit
of attention on my part to keep the area clean. At 10 years and 10 months,
he needed to have another six or so directly on his rectum removed. They
performed this operation using only local anesthesia as he was becoming
quite frail and we were scared to complete sedate him. Finally, at 11 years
2 weeks, he needed to have another surgery performed as another very large
one was growing at the base of his tail (same one?) along with others around
his rectum. The vet needed to put him under to perform the surgery this
time; and, unfortunately, he died two days after the surgery, at home, as he
could no longer get up. He valiantly tried to rally the strength to rise;
but his hindquarters had been getting quite weak from age and after the
surgery he couldn�t get his front legs under him. He splayed out at the
elbows.
I need to have some closure on all these tumors that spanned the majority of
his lifetime. Are tumors of this type prevalent in this breed? Do they
regrow from some kind of root? Is it a hereditary problem? Do some breeders
have more problems with this than others? Before I would consider getting
another Pyr, I need much more information concerning this tumors (both
lipomas and perianal adenomas). I loved him dearly and miss him terribly;
but, don�t think I want to go thru this much trauma again. Thank you in
advance for all information you can provide. I would appreciate it if you
could poll the general members for any similar health problems. Thank you
again."
I would appreciate any information anyone can give me on this. Some tumors
are understandable; but, to be plagued with them for 11 years, it just seems
unreasonable.
Since I now feel that I am addressing the people that raise and love Pyrs,
if I decide to get another Pyr pup, can you tell me if some breeders breed
for a tighter mouth? Thor had mostly French ancestors and he drooled really
badly...I loved him but it was a real mess on the walls, floors, and
friends. He seemed to always be sweating. I kept him in air conditioning in
the summer (68 degrees) and my house is kept at 67 degrees in the winter. Is
this much sweating without any outside stimuli normal?
I know by reading all the emails and articles and magazines for 11 years
that Pyrs bark... a lot. Until two years ago, I lived in the country and it
didn't matter. Now I only have 1.7 acres and it is in a small town. If I get
another Pyr, is there a way I can get control of the barking at all? Barker
collar, have him debarked (which I would hate!), or training of some kind?
Thor (and Buster, my grossly overweight and kind of dumb springer) were kept
in the house during the day while I work; but, Thor barked at anything and
everything, real or imagined as soon as I let him out. He was better when I
stayed outside with him. In town, that could create a problem. Is there
anything I can do? Are they supposed to prowl around the house overnight?
He'd bark one time about every two hours overnight for no apparent
reason...except to him? Made it a challenge to get a lot of quite sleep
time.
I love Pyrs and can't picture getting any other breed. Thor was the sweetest
and greatest dog I've ever had. He wore his soul on his sleeve. He would do
anything for me. I still cry each time I think of him. I haven't been able
to remove the urn with his ashes in it from the bag he came home from the
vets.
Any information will be greatly appreciated. I value anything you can tell
me. Thank you in advance.
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