My dog has MCT. Is his spreading leg swelling due to cancer?

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.

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.

If I read this correctly your dog's leg was swelling to this size within a few hours. If your vet took x-rays and found bone lesions then there is indeed a possibility of bone cancer. However only a biopsy of the bone or the tissue of the swelling will prove that there is cancer. Without the possibility of examining the leg myself I can only give you possibilitites of why there is a swelling: 1) Check for puncture wounds or an injury. this could be a peracute infection of the joint. 2) this may be an injury of the joint such as a fracture or tendon injury, You should take your dog back to a veterinarian for an exam, especially since this is painful.

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

Yes, you can do it (cold compress for 5minutes 3-4 times daily) and massage the leg gently from the paw to the body. An immediate check up is needed though as this could be due to an allergic reaction due to the tumor itself.

Oh no, I'm so sorry Harvey has taken a turn for the worse! Yes, it is possible that this is cancer, and if he has a swollen front leg and can bare little weight, I would be concerned that he is suffering from osteosarcoma (cancer of the bone). I would have him seen by a vet immediately to have his leg examined and x-rays. This will be very painful for him, and the x-rays can diagnose if he does have an osteosarcoma. Unfortunately, an osteosarcoma is a highly malignant, fast spreading type of cancer. Amputation of the leg is an option, and with amputation, the dog can have an addition three months of life depending on if the cancer has spread or not. I would take Harvey into a vet now. I'm sorry :-(

Wow! Poor Baby! I am really concerned about the potential of mast cell tumors. I would talk to your vet about whether they have aspirated any of them. If so, they may want to remove one of them and send it in to the pathologist to see what it is. They may want to send it in for a cytology, bacterial culture, and fungal culture to help figure out the problem. I would have make sure your vet has done blood work to look at her white blood count. If it isn't high and they suspect mast cell tumor, I would either go see an oncologist or start her on prednisone. I hope this helps to guide you in her treatment.