My Yorkie has a pancreatic mass. Could it be cancer before surgery?

Unfortunately both pancreatitis and cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Ultrasound with an experienced ultrasonographer is often the best way to diagnose pancreatitis, but sometimes the pancreas can look relatively normal or difficult to see during an ultrasound. A tumor in the stomach or the pancreas can be be very difficult to see as well. You may want to ask your veterinarian about referral to a radiologist or internal medicine specialist for an ultrasound if Sirius is not responding well to current treatments.

It can be very difficult to determine exactly what area of the bowel is affected by a mass without invasive and expensive testing which may not be in Jake's best interests given the very poor prognosis. However some benign prostate conditions can be more treatable in entire males (if no blood changes such as elevated calcium are detected). A specialist ultrasound exam, prostatic wash or needle biopsy from the prostate can be worthwhile as if benign may respond to medical treatment in some cases

Unfortunately without seeing the tests myself, I cannot say for sure whether or not it is cancerous. A lot would depend on its location as to whether or not it needs to be surgically removed. You could have an abdominal ultrasound done to help identify where it is located. Sometimes the mass can be aspirated during the exam and a small sample of cells can be examined under the microscope to help determine whether or not it is cancerous. If it is on the spleen and it is bleeding or growing then I would recommend a splenectomy. I have seen these masses be both benign and malignant. Removing the spleen is the best treatment to prevent both types of masses from rupture and prevent the cancer from spreading. As far as costs, I would talk to your vet about whether they offer payment plans or care credit. I would also ask for an estimate beforehand so your can properly plan. I hope this helps!

Poor Monte. It is possible that the tumor could have caused the pancreatitis but not always. With all of his problems, I honestly don't believe you could have prevented his death even if you had taken him into your vet in the very beginning. All of his conditions were very serious and most incurable even with early treatment. I am so sorry for your loss of this sweet family member. Please don't blame yourself as Monte knows you loved him. You gave him a good long life. Please know you're in my thoughts. Hugs!

Putting Frank down is a permanent decision. Before you do that you may want to consider a second opinion with a veterinary specialist. They may recommend blood work and do X-rays and an ultrasound so they can look at the pancreas and other organs. Also they could do an exploratory surgery to open his abdomen to see if it is cancer or maybe he ate something that has damaged his intestines. If they see what is wrong perhaps they can fix it. Frank is a young dog so having cancer is less likely than an intestinal problem or infection. If they find it can't be treated you can consider euthanasia at that point. Personally with my dog I like to understand the reason for the illness. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Frank.

Cancer is indeed one possibility, unfortunately without knowing the history of your dog and without further testing such as CT scan, ultrasound or MRI it would be impossible to give you a professional opinion regarding the diagnosis.

Not necessarily. It depends on the cause of the mass. Now if it’s a splenic hemangiosarcoma, the life expectancy with surgery is three months, and that’s if Bessy survives the surgery. The mass could be something like an abscess, but I can’t say for certain. You can try to give her a chance, and maybe luck will be in your favor and it’s not cancer. But if it is cancer, letting her go is the kindest option. I hope this helps.