02/06/2026
A little feel good Friday along with client education!
(warning: graphic photo)
Everyone meet Frisco! This handsome boy came to see Dr. Clarke for his annual exam in mid-January. At home he had been acting normally with no concerns noted by his owner. On physical exam, Dr. Clarke palpated a prominent abdominal mass. Unfortunately, xrays revealed a large mass on Frisco’s spleen. Anyone who knows golden retrievers is aware that this wonderful breed is sadly prone to developing various types of cancer as they get older so this was quite a worrisome finding. Thankfully, Dr. Babb was able to remove Frisco’s spleen the following week. It weighed a whopping 5lbs and was on the brink of rupturing which can become life threatening. About a week following surgery, we received Frisco’s pathology results which thankfully revealed that the mass was NOT cancer, but a hematoma which can still cause life threatening bleeding if they rupture. Frisco came to see us today for suture removal and has been doing great at home!
The moral of Frisco’s story is that regular routine exams (annual for younger pets, biannual for our seniors and pets with health concerns) are always recommended even if they are seemingly acting fine at home as we can often find issues before they become a bigger problem.
If it’s been a while since we’ve seen your pet, please call and schedule their exam!
