My dog's tumor was benign. Can it become cancerous and cause vomiting?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends on many factors. It depends on where the main tumor is located, if it has spread to other organs, among many other factors. Even high grade tumors can have a good longterm outcome of years of survival when treated aggressively with surgery and chemotherapy if there is no evidence of metastasis to internal organs. However, if there is already spread to internal organs like the liver and the spleen, the survival times tend to be closer to 3-4 months even with chemotherapy. Staging to check for metastasis usually includes thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound and assessment of the local lymph nodes. At the very least, I recommend medications like Pepcid, Benadryl and prednisone that can help with these cases when there is still evidence of a mass present. Good luck and have a good night!

Yes, this looks like a tumor of some sort; there is no way to tell what kind of tumor it is just by looking at it. Being that a mass was removed already in 2017 and now there is another is suspicious for malignant cancer. Your vet will need to do a needle aspirate of the tumor to collect cells for a diagnosis. Dozer has a lot going on with the tumor, the vomiting and the hair loss. Please get him to a vet for an exam.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concerns. Based on the photo you provided, this could be a number of things. Tornado is very young, so there is a chance that this could be something called a histiocytoma. This type of mass is commonly seen in younger animals and is non-cancerous that typically goes away on its own. Some cases need to be surgically removed if they are not resolving or if they are growing in size.The other possibility is that it is something cancerous. Mast cell tumor would certainly be on my list of rule outs. To be certain this is nothing to be concerned about, I would recommend that you take Tornado in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction!

A mast cell tumor is a type of cancer-- if your dog has a mast cell tumor, it has a form of cancer. Generally, mast cell tumors are in the skin or in the connective tissue just under the skin. Sometimes, these are more aggressive and do spread to other parts of the body including the intestine or colon. Primary mast cell cancer in the intestine or colon are quite rare in dogs, usually its the result of spread of the cancer from a primary tumor in the skin. Mast cell tumors contain histamine. Therefore, symptoms can occur pretty quickly. Histamine affects the entire body-- it can cause vomiting, hives, and vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels which can lead to swelling, bruising, etc). Vomiting or diarrhea as a symptom does not necessarily mean that the cancer has spread to the GI tract, rather it could just be histamine release from a primary tumor in the skin. I hope that clears things up a bit for you. Here is some additional information that you may find helpful. https://www.petcoach.co/article/mast-cell-tumors/ https://vth.vetmed.wsu.edu/specialties/oncology/information-for-owners/mast-cell-cancer

Hello. This is probably one of the many benign skin nodules dogs can get. If it has been relatively quiet for the past several years, it is not likely a something neoplastic or of great concern. If it grows, changes color again, or begins to bleed, then it might be a good idea to just have it removed. Some benign growths can turn cancerous, although this is pretty rare. Do show this to your veterinarian at your next visit & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi we cannot see previous questions that you have posted on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you have a more complex case feel free to set up a consultation with myself or one of the other experts. But I'll do my best to answer the question do you have here. There are some tumors or cancerous masses that may appear to decrease and increase in size such as mast cell tumors or histiocytomas that may spontaneously regress on their own but can recur in other places. Certain medications can also cause tumors to shrink in size but they may regrow ones that medication is not as effective. Depending on the type of cancer and what organ system in the body it is affecting, many dogs live seemingly normal happy lives up until the point they can no longer compensate or the cancer spreads. For many different reasons owners do not always choose to pursue cancer treatment or in some cases it's not possible. But the pet can still live months to years relatively happy. I hope that was some help, if you have further questions feel free to open up a consultation. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would agree that the mediastinal mass is very evident and I would also be very suspicious that it is in fact cancer even if the biopsy did not show that. Sometimes dogs appear to be comfortable even when they are in pain. These new lumps you describe could be somewhat related to this or may be unrelated. I think it would be ideal to have Yogi reevaluated to see if the mass has progressed and if the nodules in the lungs (which likely represent spread of the tumor) have also progressed. I would maintain him on pain control medications even if he does not appear to be obviously in pain. Good luck and have a great day!