My dog's mast cell tumor is swollen and painful. Can I use a compress?

It's hard to tell from the photo, but some redness and swelling can occur as the body brings cells to repair the wound and surrounding tissue. You can use a clean warm washcloth compress a few times a day to help keep the area free of debris and reduce swelling of the area. An Elizabethan (cone) collar is also a good idea to keep it from being licked or chewed on. If it does begin to weep, the swelling or redness spreads, the incision opens up, or it is painful or bothersome to Delilah, then a checkup with your vet ASAP is best to rule out more serious issues.

Poor Diesel. I would be worried this could be part of his cancer. The release of large amounts of histamine from mast cell tumors into the body can cause local inflammation and swelling around a mast cell tumor. In the picture, his leg does look quite swollen and it's quite concerning that the fluid is spreading to other areas. I think it's important to take him into a vet immediately to have this checked out. It may be time to talk about his quality of life, as it could be that letting him go peacefully would be the best option for him. I know that is an extremely hard conversation to have, but they are important ones to have when a dog is sick with a terminal illness. Please take him into a vet asap. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this.

Hi, thank you for getting in touch with us. I totally understand your concerns, From the picture you are showing us, I would say that the bruising is excessive considering the small procedure. However mast cell tumours release substances that cause a lot of inflammation in the surrounding tissues, so this is what could have occurred to Sandy. I would recommend to have Sandy reassessed, if she is other ways well in herself, eating and drinking, tail wagging and comfortable you can make an appointment for tomorrow with your regular vets. If you are worried that she is unhappy, please take her in today. It would be best for you to see your own vet for continuity of care, because they have all Sandy's records and they did the procedure 36 hrs ago. Having said this, if you are not happy about the way your vets handle your concerns, I would go and see another vet. It would be interesting to know what medications is Sandy on. If you want to apply something just on the bruised area, Arnica is a natural but powerful ointment that helps a lot with bruising. I would not apply it where the dressing is. You just need to massage it gently so that it gets absorbed into the skin, 2-3 times a day. It is sold at the chemist under the name Arnicare cream. Also Lymph nodes in the area are quite deep, so I am thinking that maybe you are feeling something else ? Good luck, please get in touch if more advice is needed.

Is the tumor oozing? I assume it is if you need to clean it. Mast cell tumors anger very easily, so the least Amount of handling and touching you can do, the better. You may consider just using a warm water compress to the area, or if it is very large Consider rinsing with a turkey Baster and warm water. I’m so sorry Maple is sick. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

The ends of the incision look infected and very painful. She should be rechecked right away for medication for pain and swelling and further antibiotics. She may need some parts opened and drained and flushed to help minimize the infection. If the tumor was cancerous and it was not completely removed, then there is a change the cells are angry and irritated and growing again from inflammation. Try to apply a warm compress and keep the area clean until you can get her in.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. You can try and place a cold compress on the area for 2-3 minutes several times a day to see if this helps and lightly massage the area to see if this gets the swelling down. You can also try an anti-inflammatory for dogs, which can be found at your local pet store. I would recommend Well and Good Buffered Aspirin, which can be found at PetCo. If there is no improvement or the swelling increases, I would recommend having Lilly examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. 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.

This depends on the underlying cause of the welling. In some cases water tablets/diuretics may help but I would be concerned with her history that there may be a physical mass which is putting pressure on the draining blood vessels and lymphatics preventing the fluid from moving out her abdomen and legs in which case this will not respond to medical treatment and euthanasia would be strongly advised before clots or severe infection develops in the swollen tissue