Sometimes Small Things Don't Stay So Small

I went to visit my vet yesterday. 

Mom had discovered an irritated spot in my armpit a few days ago.  She cleaned it, and watched it to see if it was just an itchy bug bite, or something else.  Well, it turned into a rash with a few pustules.  

 So, off the the vet I went.  Mom was thinking it might have been a Staph infection like I had last year.  He said it wasn't infected with Staph yet.  He said Mom did a good job catching it early, and that we could treat it topically.  Now I have a special spray for it.  It is already improving.  

The vet asked if I could have been bitten by an ant.  Mom said that could have happened.  This county has lots of ants, and I like to lay on the ground sometimes.   An ant could have crawled into my fur where Mom couldn't see it.   The basic theory is that an ant bit me, and my scratching irritated the whole area. 

Sometimes a girl's just got to roll!

 While we were there, Mom also had the vet check the sebaceous cyst on my hip.  It's been there for over a year, but it was only a cosmetic issue.   The vet had said to wait until I needed my teeth cleaned, then he'd remove it at the same time.   Mom kept an eye on it all this time.   Mom thinks that lately the cyst seems a little bigger.    

My vet checked my cyst and said it was larger than last time.  He said it feels different too.   The cyst probably ruptured internally, and is making scar tissue.   The cyst is no longer strictly a cosmetic concern, now it needs to come out.   After the cyst is removed, it will be biopsied.

I go back to the vet on Monday to have surgery.   The vet will remove the cyst, clean my teeth, and "quick" cut my nails.   My teeth still look good, so I don't really need a dental, but I may as well have one while I am under the anesthesia.    Mom also asked to have my nails cut short while I am anesthetized so I won't feel the pain.   My quicks are too long to allow the groomer to clip my nails short enough.   I had a regular nail trim while I was at the vet's office, and one nail was "quicked".  I also had my anals expressed.   On top of all that stuff, I got an anti inflammatory shot right before we left.  The shot is to help the itchy rash go away.   I'm also not supposed to wear a harness while I have the rash, so we will be staying home.

Take a good look....

.......Because after Monday, I will have a shaved spot somewhere in this general area.   

I'm sure some of you will notice it in some of my future photos.