Nyxie's "It"

"You're going to WHAT?!"

"You're going to stab Nyxie in the chest?!"

This was what Matt asked me on Friday when I told him I needed a cytology of the growth on her chest.  I originally blogged about "It" in "Nyxie's Great Adventure".  She's had "It" on the deepest part of her sternum since she was just past puppyhood.  "It" has grown over time and has elongated, looking a bit like a large, flat, dog nipple.  Kinda gross, really.  So at her yearly visit, I asked if we should remove "It".  This was when we discovered her heart murmur that I obsessively worked up to reveal that she has...well, a heart murmur.  (Sometimes seeing heart disease in everyone else's dogs everyday, prepares me to expect the worst.  Which is exactly what I did.  Me worry?  Simply unheard of!) 

Having passed the initial heart concerns, I was finally able to focus back on this growth, bump, thing, on her chest.  

~~Let me first go on record to say that any growth, bump, thing, should be examined as soon as possible by a vet.  The sooner something is caught, the safer the resolution of that something~~ 

So I took everything I needed home with me to do a proper cytology of "It" and asked Matt for my help.  And now you're all caught up:

"I'm only poking "It" with a needle for some cells, not stabbing her!  When you put it like that, it sounds awful!" 

So he fed her treats and I indeed stabbed "It" with a needle, gathered some cells on a microscope slide and saved my sample for the next day.  Nyxie never even flinched!  I waited until Saturday so if there was something ugly on that slide, I'd have a day off to digest the news.  The doctor set it on the microscope and searched for an eternity a few minutes.  

"Nothing unusual - nothing that would cause concern."  

So Nyxie's "It" is a callous.  I feel a bit silly, but so very relieved.  She got a few extra cookies this weekend, just because.   And the "It" will remain with us, now free of suspicion and stabbing. 

My pretty girl