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My dog's vet report is confusing. Should I take him to an oncologist?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 59 lbs

Trying to understand this part of my dogs veterinary report. Cant decide if it's worth taking him to oncologist. Objective: Wt: 59.9lbs T: 99.6F P: 150 R: 60 MM: Pink, moist. CRT: <2 sec pink mm, moist, crt<2s. eent wnl. h/l - heart is muffled, hard to auscult. lungs ausc wnl. abd - enlarged, hard to palpate any structures, suspect fluid. ln/ns wnl. ms - after rads limping RF, nsf on palpation. standing with carpus slightly flexed. no pain in hindlimbs, sl decr rom

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Catherine Stecyk

Veterinarian

Published on May 17th, 2019

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I can explain some of these findings for you: Temperature is normal. Pulse and respiratory rate are mildly elevated for a 60lb dog but this could have been due to mild stress. MM is mucous membranes, or gums, which should be pink and moist. CRT is capillary refill time, which is a test of blood perfusion of tissues - <2 seconds is normal. EENT (ears/eyes/nose/throat) WNL (within normal limits). The muffled heart sounds could be indicative of thick fur, but can also be a sign of fluid present around the heart (called pericardial effusion). Diesel's lungs sounded normal. His abdomen palpated enlarged, and free fluid in the abdomen was suspected, which is abnormal. LN/NS (lymph nodes and nervous system) within normal limits. MS (musculoskeletal) - he was limping on his right front leg after x-rays were taken, but NSF (no significant findings) were found on palpation of the leg. He was standing with his wrist (carpus) slightly flexed. No pain in hind limbs, albeit slightly decreased range of motion (ROM). I would be most concerned about the muffled heart sounds (possibility of pericardial effusion) and abdominal fluid. It sounds like Diesel would benefit from chest x-rays and abdominal x-rays and/or abdominal ultrasound to evaluate his heart and abdominal organs, to see if there is evidence of cancer that may warrant a visit to an oncologist. I hope this is helpful!

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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