My old dog has a mast cell tumor. Should I operate or monitor?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that max has this problem. I would recommend a consultation with a veterinary oncologist to discuss this further. It is likely that surgical removal and chemotherapy will be recommended. Complete penile amputation combined with perineal urethrostomy (creating a new hole to urinate from in the perineum) is likely what will be recommended. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. Below is a helpful article that discusses this further in detail. http://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11181&meta=generic&catId=30097&id=3852322

Skin grafting can be tricky and there is a high risk that the graft would fail, especially when it is applied to an area where there previously was cancer. Mast cell tumors require 2 to 3cm margins and on the leg, many times, this is unachievable. Amputation is likely the best option. If you want to try and save the leg, I would discuss this further with a soft tissue surgeon and then an oncologist. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, thank you for your question about Zeus. If the lumps/masses were removed with relatively good margins, meaning that your veterinarian was fairly confident they removed all portions of the tumor, and the mast cell tumor was low grade no additional treatment is required other than close monitoring for recurrence in these areas. Although not as common with low grade mast cell tumors, you could elect to look for any evidence of metastasis, or travel of the tumors. This would likely include chest x-rays and an abdominal ultrasound. However, I believe it is also appropriate to continue monitoring Zeus. Hope this helps, good luck!

I’m sorry to hear about Tsunami’s diagnosis. MCTs are quite common in dogs, and unfortunately due to the cell distribution around the primary tumor, incomplete margins are common. If you want to be confident you’re pursuing the best options for the best prognosis, I recommend asking your vet for an oncologist referral. A veterinary oncologist will be the best specialist to be able to present all the options and their given pros & cons, and they have access to chemo medications that most primary vets don’t carry. If you choose not to pursue referral, then I recommend reaching out to your vet again to discuss the next step. If this were my case, I would probably recommend sampling Tsunami’s lymph nodes with a needle to look for evidence of regional metastasis, and based on those findings discuss if a second surgery is appropriate. Hope this helps!

I'm very sorry to hear about Bean's diagnosis! Yes, if you are interested in possibly pursuing treatment for this problem, I would recommend requesting referral to a veterinary oncologist for a more complete evaluation of your pup. There are many treatment options available for mast cell tumors in dogs, even in situations where the tumor may not be operable. The oncologist can discuss all of your options and give you a better idea of what to expect with whatever option you choose.

I understand wanting alternative therapy but with a mast cell tumor I do recommend surgery as that can often cure dogs with a localized mast cell tumor. My dog had several and they never returned after surgery. As far as light therapy it is not recommended. The light can speeed up the cell metabolism and in theory cause the cancer cells to divide and spread faster. I use cold laser light therapy in my practice and it is contraindicated to use it around any areas that may be cancerous. Yes, continue with the supplements. If they did a needle aspirate they may be able to grade the tumor to see how aggressive it is. Some mast cell tumors are slow growing and may not need surgical removal. If it’s an aggressive tumor then please consider surgical removal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Samm.

Unfortunately, this is a difficult situation because most tumors that are cancerous and rupture are not going to heal on their own. A double mastectomy will be a very large and could be difficult recovery time for an 11 year old dog. Also, please know that even with surgery, you may not get another 3 years out of her simply because she is already at the top end of her life span. Also, there is always the risk that the cancer has already spread. Another option you may want to talk to your vet about is whether they can just do a palliative "debulking" of the mass that has ruptured. If there is a way to just resect the one tumor that has ruptured, this potentially could give her a good quality of life without doing a full double mastectomy. With the tumor being ruptured, I am afraid you are being forced to either do a debulking surgery, full mastectomy, or euthanasia. Leaving it alone isn't a good option because it won't likely heal on its own and if it isn't already, it will become infected.