My dog has ear polyps. Is a CT scan needed for full removal?

Hello and thank you for your questions. I hate to hear Callie is having these issues but I can glad you are having them addressed. Make sure to ask questions about what procedure they want to utilize to remove the polyp and what you should expect as part of normal recovery. Make sure to ask about potential complications and what a time line would be like for those to develop (that way you will be able to identify any issues quickly). Ask about advanced imaging like a CT or MRI. It's important to remove any polyps that may be present in her ears or sinuses. Otherwise she could have a continuation of symptoms. Ask if the ears or any nasal secretions need to be cultured. If this has been a long standing problem, antibiotic resistance issues could be present. Ask about histopathology for any polyps removed. Make sure Callie is tested for Felv/FIV as well. Here is some additional information about polyps in general (there are a couple kinds): https://bluepearlvet.com/medical-articles-for-pet-owners/inflammatory-ear-polyps-in-cats/ https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nasopharyngeal-polyps-in-cats https://www.ovrs.com/blog/ear-polyps-pets-pet-owners-need-hear/ Once Callie is examined, you should get a better idea of what to expected. Lastly, make sure to get an idea of costs as well. I hope this helps and that everything goes smoothly!

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A needle aspirate is the standard way to get an initial "suspected" diagnosis on a lump, but there are limitations to what a needle sample can tell us. If the cells in the needle sample appear worrisome, then the next diagnostic step is to send in a biopsy (surgical "chunk") of the tumor, or to remove the tumor itself and send the whole thing in to the lab for analysis. So, was removal of the ear necessary? I can't say, I don't know enough about the location or size of the mass. I didn't see the slide from the initial needle aspirate. But if the needle aspirate looked worrisome, and the next step is to remove the tumor or cut a piece of the tumor off, then removing that piece of the ear may have been the only way to find out for sure what the tumor was, and whether surgical removal was curative. Rather than regretting in hindsight that the surgery was done because the histopathology report came back as a histiocytoma, I would be focusing on the good news that Tate doesn't have a malignant mast cell tumor. And removal and lab analysis of the tumor was the only way you could have gotten that news. Hope this helps!

I would recommend bringing him back to the veterinarian. The polyp removal may or may not help but it is recommended to have it removed. I would talk to your regular veterinarian to see exact cost of the surgery since every place is different. They would be able to see the polyp on their physical examination and give you a proper quote. As long as on physical examination Duncan looks good and he blood work is good then I would recommend even at his age it is ok to go through the surgery. They typically recover very well and quickly. He may need a few days of medications. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Bronte has such a bad ear infection. If her ear is as inflamed as the vet says it is, then an ear canal ablation sounds like it would be the most appropriate next step. I am surprised to hear that it is $5000. That seems quite high for this type of surgery. I would call around and ask for prices on a total ear canal ablation and see what you can come up with. I generally end up charging about $1600-2000 at our clinic. If the ear is not bad enough to the point where the ear canal is calcified, a lateral ear resection may be appropriate and should be a cheaper surgery than completely removing the ear canal. As far as medications are concerned, I would probably use pain medications, antibiotics, anti inflammatories and antifungal drugs along with topical therapy. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Pearl. A radiograph is a good way to evaluate involvement with the bulla, the bony part of the inner ear, & to evaluate for lysis, the destruction of the bony structures. Computerized tomography (CT) & magnetic resonance (MRI) are better than skull radiographs for determining the extent of the tumor's involvement. Median survival is the point where 50% of the patients with a condition are still alive. This also means that 50% of the patients may live longer. A lot longer. Your veterinarian may be more optimistic, because the pathologist is just reporting on published statistics. Your veterinarian knows more about Pearl's health & may feel that she has a much better chance of surviving longer than the median year reported. I would discuss this with your veterinarian & ask why he thinks Pearl may do well for 2-3 years longer. I hope this helps & all the best to Pearl. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, a CT scan would be the next diagnostic for something like this. This is very important as I am afraid this could either be a nasal cancer or possibly a severe nasal fungal infection. A CT scan helps to distinguish these conditions and a biopsy will help confirm it. Rhinoscopy is needed in some cases to better visualize the nasal cavity after the CT scan is done. Good luck and have a great day!

This appears to be ceruminous cystomatosis - very common in Himalayan and Persian cats. It is a benign neoplastic condition but sometimes becomes a problem when lesions enlarge and occlude the ear canal, which disrupts normal self-cleaning. With just one cyst present I would not be overly concerned but if more start to appear and/or they get larger then you may need to have treatment done. Cryotherapy and/or laser treatment is usually the first line of treatment. It does not cure the issue then surgery to remove the entire ear canal is needed (TECA). At this stage I would just recommend monitoring it. Hope this helps. Best wishes.