My dog has a testicular tumor. Are X-rays and ultrasound needed to check for spread?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is done by different methods but all including an examination including a rectal exam. Further diagnostics include an ultrasound of the testicle and also a FNA (fine needle aspirate) of the testicular mass to identify the cancer. Therapy usually includes castration though given these tumors can spread to other locations, an abdominal ultrasound and chest radiographs should be performed to check for this first. Usually these tumors have a low rate of spread and surgery is the only therapy recommended. Good luck and have a great day!

This depends on whether the mass is on the scrotal skin or actually on the testicle itself. If a tumor is on the testicle then the whole testicle should be removed. If it is on the skin then the testicle does not need to be removed, but sometimes this is a hard area to perform a wide excision without removing the whole scrotum. Your dog is very young, has this mass been confirmed as a tumor by non invasive means first, like a needle aspirate? Given the age investigating in a non invasive way prior to any invasive treatment is recommended. As well, if a tumor is diagnosed, then staging to make sure there is no spread would be important prior to surgery. Also, if your pet does have a tumor then breeding a pet with a history of a tumor is not recommended. Consultation with a boarded veterinary oncologist and/or boarded veterinary surgeon in your area may be helpful before making a final treatment plan. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

The steps I would take are 1. Pre/operative blood panel 2. Chest X-ray to make sure there are no metastatic masses in the chest. 3. Complete surgical removal of the mass with wide margins AND spay at the same time. 4. Submit tumor for histopathology to see if it is malignant. Make sure the chest X-ray is clear. If this is malignant and has already metastasized to the chest, then successful outcome for long term survival changes. Surgical removal will not make it spread faster. I don’t think cryotherapy is a good idea because the surgical area will be too large and she needs to be spayed also. These tumors are very hormonally dependent. Her ovaries need to be removed as well as the tumor. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A testicular tumor will need to be removed surgically by a veterinarian. This is a relatively simple procedure, usually achieved by castration. Re the mass at the belly button: This may be an umbilical hernia which can be fixed at the same time as the tumor is removed. If you gently press on the mass and it can be pushed back into the abdomen, it is a hernia. Both of these conditions need to be fixed surgically.

Hello I would check with your veterinarian about doing xrays to see if there is any evidence of spread to her lungs. Also discuss with your veterinarian if all of the mass was removed ("clean margins") or if additional surgery is needed. In some cases if there is no spread of the cancer and it was completely removed do further treatment is needed.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These tumors have not been particularly well-studied and the literature available on them is very limited. However, based on the limited literature and my experience with this disease, the metastatic rate is usually low to moderate with the most common metastatic site being the local lymph nodes (inside of the abdomen) with about 40-50% chance, the abdominal cavity (carcinomatosis) about 30% and the lungs about 20%. This is why it is crucial to have imaging (abdominal ultrasound and thoracic radiographs) prior to surgery to ensure that there is no evidence of spread before proceeding with surgery. In some instances, even if there is evidence of regional metastasis, it is still recommended to proceed with surgery. The benefit of using chemotherapy for this tumor is unknown and for this reason we do not typically recommend it. Feel free to request a consultation with me if you have more questions about Ava. I deal with this disease commonly. Good luck with your girl!

It sounds like prostatitis and/or cancer. I'm not exactly sure what your question is. We don't have enough information to be able to guide you to a decision. I do not think it is simple gas/constipation. The fistulas and the size of the testicles is very concerning. I think you should consider taking him to an internal medicine specialist for a consult. ( https://www.gcvs.com/service/internal-medicine/ ) ( https://urbananimalveterinary.com/services/internal-medicine/ )