Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I'm freaking out here.... and I really don't know how I'm going to get through this one...
Wilson had a lump on his side about 5 months ago.. and it was just small about the size of a small pea.. I thought it might have been a pimple or maybe it was a head of a tick that got caught.. whatever. I was fooling around with it and squeezed it and I felt it burst under the skin.. and no more lump. it disappeared... weird. I mentioned it to the vet when I was there in July for Maggie and she said it was probably just a small fatty cyst. Springers are known for them.. but I wouldn't think at a year old!!
Well.. about a month or so later.. the lump came back and it was still small.. but over the last month.. it grew large to the size of a dime! So I took Mr. Wilson to the vets today. The vet drained a bit and shows me the needle, it was full of pus. He thought it was an infection and he said he was going to lance it. I would hear Wilson in the other room.. he was not a happy boy!
Well.. he came back into the room with a piece of gauze and on it was a piece of lumpy tissue. He explained that when he went to drain it, he came across this so he froze the area and removed the tumor. He put a stitch in and Wilson is on antibiotics for 2 weeks... Cephalexin, 500mg 1/2 tablets 2 x's daily with food.
He explained to keep an eye on the area and make sure I didn't feel another little lump come back, as well to check him over to see if there were other lumps and if there are.. to bring him back and they would remove them. When he said a Masticized tumor.. I thought he meant just like a large boil or something so I said.. Ok.. so it's not cancer. "Oh no" he said. "it's cancer"
I felt a cement block in the pit of my stomach. I think I actually said. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He said he was pretty confident that we caught it early but if it came back, he would need to have a bigger area removed. He looked at it under the microscope and he could see the live cells. He said that the dead cells are what causes the pus and that is what he had drained out. I was standing there listening with that "WTF" look on my face.
Mast cell tumors (MCT) are cancerous proliferations of mast cells. Although they can and will spread throughout the body, the danger from mast cell tumors arises from the secondary damage caused by the release of chemicals that they produce. These chemicals can cause systemic problems that include gastric ulcers, internal bleeding, and a range of allergic manifestations.
Mast cell tumors are among the most common tumors in dogs and are the most common type of skin cancer found in dogs. Approximately 1/3 of all tumors in dogs are skin tumors, and up to 20% of those are mast cell tumors. The most common location to find mast cell tumors is, by far, the skin, followed by the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. Approximately half of all cutaneous (skin) MCT�s are found on the body proper, another 40% on the extremities (most frequently the hind limbs), and the remainder on the head or neck. Approximately 11% occur in more than one location.
I squeezed that effing thing and it burst inside... I'm terrified... did this release chemicals throughout his body??? or.. was it just a fatty cyst that ended up turning into something worse? He's only 18 months old ffs!!!!!!!
I hate this....
Christine.. with Franklin waggin in her heart♥
Franklin, he was the Happiest Dog on Three Legs! Diagnosed 09/26/2012 with Osteosarcoma, amputated 12/4/2012. Had a wonderful 5 1/2 months painfree until he ran for the Bridge on 5/15/2013. Always in my heart, and always a guardian angel of my pack... You can follow his Tripawd Adventures, before and after, in my blog, Frank'n'Farter!
Ok Chris,
Here we go. Breathe... I don't know anything about this one.. Karen's pug had MCT and I know there have been a few others. I know this much we are here for you just like usual. We will pray that he got it early and got good margins. You didn't know what it was at the time. No one would have thought that he would have a tumor at that age. Give yourself a break. I know you are going to blame yourself but nope don't go there. Stay positive.
Karen will probably weigh in on this one.
I am here for you
Hugs & prayers
Michelle & Angel Sassy
PS we are in chat come over
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Ohhh Christine! I couldn't believe it when Michelle just told me. Geez I am SO sorry!!! This is unreal, he's just a kid! I can't imagine!
OK, you're tough, you've been through this ordeal, you know that there isn't a lot you can do until you know exactly what you're dealing with. Try not to panic. Wait for the path report, take it one step at a time. Wilsy is young and has his age on his side. Dogs can live indefinitely with MCT if that is what you're dealing with.
Hang in there, breathe. Be More Dog .
{{{{{hugs}}}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Christine,
Good news: mast cell is one of the most treatable cancers in dogs. Tani has been living with mast cell for over 7 years. I stopped counting when we identified the 11th one- some I took off, some I left in place.
Did the vet say 'mast cell tumor' or metastasized tumor? If he looked at cells under the microscope with a certain stain he could tell pretty much for sure that it was a MCT.
Since the vet took the tumor off is he sending it for pathology? You need to know the grade of the tumor and the mitotic index which tells you how aggressive the cancer might be. You also need to know the margin achieved when he took the tumor off. Did he talk about any of that stuff with you? The usual way to take a mast cell tumor from the skin the first time is to take a lot of skin, and take some tissue under the tumor to get clean margins. If you don't get clean margins there is a chance that the tumor will come back in the same place.
The chemicals released can also be released by a needle aspirate or a tumor removal, I doubt you caused anything by squeezing the tumor that it might have done on its own anyway. When ever we touch a MCT on any of the pugs (aspirate, or removal) we start them on benadryl and pepcid. Benadryl because MCTs releases histamines like and allergic reaction, and the pepcid protects the stomach from ulcers.
If you are confident in you vet that is fine, but my recommendation would be to find an oncologist who has dealt with mast cell. While it is usually easily treatable it can be unpredictable and having someone with experience on your side will calm your fears. That being said, my primary vet treated all of Maggie's cutanous MCTs and all of Tani's, but in both cases we consulted with our oncologist.
Right now I would not worry too much. Most cutaneous tumors come back as grade 1 and don't come back. And often when they come back, like Tani, nothing else happens except we have to worry about it.
You can PM and we can exchange email if you want to talk more.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Well Mr. Wilson, you sure are scaring the heck out of everybody!!! Now stop it! Right now!! 
Your mom jas to give Maggie extra sttention right now because she's verynold....and yoh are not! You have plenty of time to be even more spoiled thsn you are already!
Christine, I completely understand how you would be sick with worry!
I personallu feel a whole lot better after reading Karen's post! And she KNOWS her stuff! Read it over and over.....it really makes sense!
As Michelle said, we are all right here with you!
Wilson is NOT sick....he is y oung, vital and completely healthy! Youth is DEFINITELY on his side in this case
Don't go to Dr. GOOGLE.....DR. PUG KAREN knows her stuff better than anyone!
Hang tough!!!! Feel our love and strength coming through! And most of all....FRANKLIN WILL NOT LET ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN TO MR. WILSON!! Franklin's got everybody's back here!!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hi there,
I squeeze things on my dogs all the time & I would have done the same thing! I doubt that you did any harm, so don't fret about that.
One of our Dals, Jolene had a MCT removed from the fold in her rear leg. They took a lot of skin with it to try to get clean margins. I think one side was barely clean but that was 5 or 6 years ago & she has never had another pop up.
I recently heard about a treatment using Benedryl and Tagamet. May be worth checking into that?
Sonya & "Millie"--born Feb 1999, diagnosed with OSA 8/27/14, set free 9/27/14
(RIP baby girl)
Christine,
I'm sorry to hear about the worry you're dealing with for Mr. Wilson. Just take a breath and try not to panic too much until you know exactly what you're dealing with. You have a strong spirit and I know you can manage this.
I've never personally dealt with MCT but reading Sevydots and Karen's posting there is a lot of hope that Mr. Wilson will be ok.
You hang in there and know that we're all here supporting you and wrapping you in love while you start this journey. I know Franklin has stopped romping and playing so much at the Bridge because he's on Guardian Angel duty right now for you and Mr. Wilson.
HUGS
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
I felt like a punch in a gut reading this. I don't have any experience with MCT BUT my co-worker's dog, like many others stated here, has lived for YEARS w/them. They just keep taking them off (I guess). Try and breathe and I don't think you released anything into Mr. Wilson ... I would have done the same thing.
We are all here for you. Wilson is so young and I just believe he's going to be 100% A-OK!
Much love!
Alison with the Spirit of Shelby fur-ever in her heart (and little Jasper too)
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Christine- I hope you have had the chance to BREATHE and calm down. As Sonya mentioned above. Benadryl and an H2 Inhibitor such as Tagamet a or Pepcid have been used, check in to it. My Jake was 1st diagnosed at age 4 & 1/2. He lived another 4 years. Don't panic, His was not limited to the surface (cutaneous). Wilson is a young pup and doesn't even realize what is going on. As far as he is concerned it was a tic. Learn from him.
Hi Christine
I too have no experience with MCT but just that horrible "c" word is even to rock all of our worlds.
From all of the account I read above, it seems like it is quite common and very treatable - but it still sucks 
Sending you, Mr. Wilson and Maggie a big hug from Tucker and I.
Linda
Oh Christine, what an experience ! I too felt better after being reminded of Tani having it for years. I squeeze things on my pups too. I really don't think you did anything, but of course that is what our minds tell us right away. He is a young boy and may never have another pop up. That is what we are rooting for. Hugs from, Lori and Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Hi Christine.....
Easier said than done, but try not to worry too much........I am also dealing with a growth on my Pearl's nose/muzzle area that we saw her vet for, this past Friday. I too was worried about an early mast cell, but he is leaning way more toward a bite of some sort. He also said, when I asked, if a mast cell is squeezed, it will get much larger, not disappear, because it will release histamines, but it is not really dangerous to squeeze them. It is not like releasing any cancer cells per se', just histamines which are routinely inside the immune system of dogs.
We are all here for you, which you surely know by now.......like Jerry says, wait for the pathology report, take one step at a time, and hang in there......
Love,
Bonnie & Angel Polly
Christine,
Boy that really sucks but after reading about Karen's experience it sounds like it may be okay. I took Blink in to the vet last week for her Lepto shot and showed the vet a small moveable lump on her side. I was sure it was a lipoma. She said we should aspirate it and my heart sunk and I asked if it could be a mast cell tumor and she said it could. I burst into tears. So off Blink went and 5 minutes later the vet came back and said all she saw was fatty cells. Boy having to go through that again was going to be awful but we dodged the bullet for now but I sure can relate to how you feel. Good luck with Mr.Wilson, hopefully you will never see another lump.
Penny, Blink, Hank and Spirit Maggie
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