My dog's abdominal mass: What's next after inconclusive biopsy?

Hello and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Unfortunately with some tumors, a biopsy may not reveal what the tumor is. Some tumors can be small with a larger capsule of inflammation or surrounding normal tissue. I have had biopsies come back with no diagnosis but when the entire Mass is sent out for further testing, I get a more definitive answer. This is because with a biopsy you are only taking a tiny portion of the mass in hopes you get a good sample with cells to give you an answer. With removing the mass, there is a larger sample size for the laboratory to come up with an answer for. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text consultation

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Possibilities include mast cell tumor, soft tissue sarcoma, plasmacytoma, carcinoma, something of a benign origin, among many others. It should be something similar or the same as the FNA. Ultimately, the biopsy is what actually provides the definitive diagnosis. Feel free to contact us back once the results are available and we can try to guide you going forward the best we can. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it is something benign. Good luck and have a great day!

Needle aspiration of lipomas typically yields identifiable fat so i agree with your family vet that it is concerning to not have any material recovered with the needle aspirate. We always start with needle aspiration as it is non invasive with quick results but some masses are harder to diagnose with this test. This typically occurs if the mass is firmer in nature. Going to see a specialist can be helpful as we can sometimes use other techniques such as ultrasound to obtain samples with needle aspiration to try to avoid biopsy. But ultimately biopsy may be necessary for some masses. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Unfortunately without seeing the tests myself, I cannot say for sure whether or not it is cancerous. A lot would depend on its location as to whether or not it needs to be surgically removed. You could have an abdominal ultrasound done to help identify where it is located. Sometimes the mass can be aspirated during the exam and a small sample of cells can be examined under the microscope to help determine whether or not it is cancerous. If it is on the spleen and it is bleeding or growing then I would recommend a splenectomy. I have seen these masses be both benign and malignant. Removing the spleen is the best treatment to prevent both types of masses from rupture and prevent the cancer from spreading. As far as costs, I would talk to your vet about whether they offer payment plans or care credit. I would also ask for an estimate beforehand so your can properly plan. I hope this helps!

Hello, I am incredibly sorry to hear about your loss of Daisy. Based on the information you provided it sounds like the veterinarian's primary concern was a cancer called hemangiosarcoma. This is a very aggressive form of cancer that causes bleeding tumors in the spleen and liver. Surgery and follow-up chemotherapy is the recommended treatment. You are correct in that the tumor is submitted for biopsy after removal to reach a definitive diagnosis. Prior to moving forward with surgery, your veterinarian performed chest x-rays to look for evidence of metastasis, or travel of the cancer to the lungs. Hemangiosarcoma almost always leads to metastasis. Based on what you say, I suspect that your veterinarian saw evidence of cancer within Daisy's lungs. This essentially proves (without biopsy of the tumor) that Daisy has cancer. Even if you moved forward with surgery,, she would likely only live a few weeks before the cancer in her lungs/body would cause her to become ill again. These situations are incredibly challenging and unexpected. I hope that my explanation can provide some clarity and help you to realize that you did the right thing for Daisy. Again, I am incredibly sorry for your loss.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Yogi! I am sorry you are going through this. It is hard to jump in to a case like this with only a CT image. It might be better for you to sign up for a consult with one of out Vets to have a one on one text conversation. My impression of the CT is that there is a mass in Yogi's chest, in the mediastinum. There is abnormal fluid accumulation likely from the mass and there are also suspicious nodules with in his lung tissue. Which I think is safe to assume is metastatic. If Yogi was my dog and he had a chest tumor with suspected metastatic disease I wouldn't pursue further diagnosistics or surgery as his prognosis is very poor. To put him through a painful surgery when it has spread seems unfair for him. If the "biopsy" was really an aspirate they tend to sometimes be non-diagnostic as most tumor cells do not exfoliate well in to a needle. A true tissue sample would be needed. I am not sure knowing which type of cancer he has will change how I would proceed. Another option is to see a Veterinary Specialist. I would recommend an Oncologist. Sitting down with all the tests and having a discussion may help you. You can also call your Vet and ask to sit and talk about the results with out Yogi present. Just so you know all that you can before making any decisions. I am again very sorry for you and Yogi. Let me know if I can help in any other way.

Based on that location I would be very worried that this is a mammary tumor. This cannot be diagnosed with a blood test. A biopsy of the tissue must be taken and sent to a laboratory for testing in order to rule out a tumor. I, personally, would do a radical mastectomy removing all that swelling/mass and put a drain in there and stitch it closed. If it was a simple infection it would have cleared up by now with the treatment you have already provided so I think you need to do this as the next step.