My dog has aggressive oral tumors. Should I do surgery if they return?

I'm sorry to hear about Stephanie's problem. To know for sure what the type of growth is and what to expect from it, a pathologist should look at a sample of the tissue from a surgical biopsy. Without this info, we are just guessing by its appearance, rate of growth and our experience. I am very concerned by the appearance of this mass and the rapid growth after it was initially removed. It is suggestive of a malignant mouth cancer. These are typically very aggressive and very difficult to treat. Your best bet is to ask your veterinarian to refer you to a veterinary oncologist. This is a specialized doctor that can give you the best treatment options. My guess is that they could combine radical surgical resection of the growth and the portion of the jaw that it is growing from. This may be preceded by or followed by radiation treatment. They can go over the prognosis and what exactly to expect, but your regular veterinarian is probably limited to the surgery that was already done. It can be repeated, but the outcome will be the same....rapid tumor re growth. Ask your veterinarian if there is a good specialist that you can see to find out all of your options and decide if treatment is feasible.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on these reports, I would recommend a referral to an oncologist to talk about treatment options for this cancerous mass. These types of tumors can be quite aggressive and may involve surgical debulking of the mass in addition to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. I would discuss this with the veterinarian that performed these diagnostics in regards to who he / she would recommend for an oncologist so that you can discuss your options for Tiny. I wish you the best of luck and please do not hesitate to contact us further if you have any other questions / concerns.

I agree with your veterinarian to have that removed and tested. Unfortunately the veterinarian will not know how extensive the removal will be until Appu is sedated and the veterinarian can actually examine the area. You may ask that the veterinarian call you during the procedure to update you on the prognosis. You may also ask the veterinarian if there are injectable medications or liquid medications that can be given if you cannot give your pet tablets. It is best to get this taken care of quickly before it grows any larger. Best of luck.

I'm sorry that Foofie has a tumor! Given that she is very active and if she is otherwise healthy, I see no reason why the tumor can't be removed. The growth of this tumor is affecting her teeth, and it could affect them to the point she has difficulty eating. Not eating would lead her to be very weak and sick, and you want to avoid that. You can have the first vet doing a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis to see how her organs are functioning overall, which would give an idea of how she would fair under anesthesia for the tumor removal. Personally if it were my dog, I would have it removed, but that's me. I would have another conversation with the first vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I'm so sorry Bradee isn't doing well! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face this question often with my clients. While he doesn't seem to be in pain, it's likely that he is in pain from the malignant growth. I would make a list of five things Bradee loves to do, and if he's isn't doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. It can't be a comfortable quality of life for him to have to be spoon fed, bleed from a continually growing tumor in his mouth, and staying in his crate more. Dogs are often ready to go before we are ready to let them go, and it may be kindness to let him go now before he declines ever further. If you'd like to discuss this further with me, I'd be happy to consult with you. Simply click the "consult online" button under my answer. Again, I'm sorry Bradee is so ill, and I hope I've helped you.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this with Lyna. I have attached a handout below with more information on epulis. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3513 The type of epuis that Lyna had may have been completely removed if the tooth was removed and the socket was cleaned well. If that is the case, then we normally recommend closely monitoring the area. If the tumor recurs, then you have to decide if it is worth removing part of the jaw to remove the tumor. Some tumors grow slowly and we are able to repeatedly remove the tumor without significant growth into the bone and some tumors grow quickly into the bone. So, I would recommend discussing your options with your veterinarian. If you are looking for a second opinion, I would recommend consulting with a veterinary dentist who can evaluate Lyna's x-rays and help you make a decision on the next step. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello. That is a lot of money to do a dentistry & remove a small tumor, but prices are extremely variable in different parts of the country. I assume that your dog is an older one, otherwise, we do not recommend removing teeth just for the fun of it. If there is quite a bit of peridontal disease, then dentistry can actually extend a pets life. The small tumor looks pretty irritated, also your dog has been licking it quite a bit. I have no problem removing it now rather than waiting or doing an aspirate mainly because if it grows much bigger, regardless of whether it is malignant or benign, your veterinarian will have trouble finding enough skin to close the site. The best thing to do is to get a second opinion & see if there is agreement as to how to proceed. If so, consider having both procedures done. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.