Lumps, bumps and MCT ~ warning!.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I'm not the most articulate so bear with me.

My Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'Ruby' started to develope a small growth on her neck just before Christmas, apart from the color it looked just like an innocent skin-tag but over the Christmas is started to swell, then the swelling would go and I'd breath a sigh of relief.

However my daughter was sufficently concerned that she got me to bring Ruby to the vet.. Our vet reassured us it didn't look sinister and to keep an eye on it and maybe come back in six months.

Then around New Years Eve Ruby started to develop another lump on her leg, but this one was growing rapidly and under her skin.. a return visit to the Vet and again reassurance and "probably nothing to worry about" but we refused to leave it at that and asked another vet in the practice to check Ruby over ~ THANK GOD WE DID.

The vet removed both lumps the next day and sent then off for a biopsy.

We'd an anxious three day wait for the results, which came in the way of a phonecall ~ "The lump on Ruby's leg is benign and nothing to worry about', but the tone of the vets voice didn't reassure me (over the previous few days my world was falling apart thinking the worst for Ruby).. then came the results of her neck growth "However the growth on Ruby's neck is a Mast Cell Tumor, its cancer" ~ even typing this I'm teary eye'd ~ "HOWEVER I removed a very large area of flesh from around both sites and the lab says it was a Grade I (lowest grade) tumor and we're confident I got all her cancer as there are no sinister cells in the surrounding tissue.

Return visits to have dressings changed, stitches removed etc over the last two weeks and Ruby is well on the way to recovery and we're very confident she's gonna be good.. However the Vet warned that because she's had one Mast Cell Tumor (MCT) we'll have to be forever vigilant for more growths and to act upon them immediately.

So just a warning esp to those owners whose dogs are susceptable to MCT's, don't ignore what you think might be an innocent lump, and if you're not completely content with your Vets advice don't worry about asking a second vet, your dogs life may depend on it and from my reading of MCT's in dogs many leave it too late to save the dogs life.

I can't believe Ruby actually had cancer!.



She couldn't wear the cone because of the location of the wound on her neck, and to stop her pulling her dresings off I'd to buy some baby t-shirts to cover her, but here's Ruby post-op

DBB

She's really lovely op... She's also really lucky!
A salient warning indeed to get anything odd checked out. Delighted that Ruby's was got in time and you know now to act quickly if it happens again... But will be keeping everything crossed that it doesn't

tk123

Poor Ruby - glad she's on the mend and glad to see she's lucky to have you taking care of her I think there's a growing trend these days not to vaccinate, not to go to the vets and use holistic remedies etc etc but you have stand above the crowd and go with your gut. I was the same when my dog had a tiny tiny bruise/lump on his gum and it turned out to be a benign but extremely aggressive tumour that ended up costing him 1/4 of his lower jaw within 4 weeks of his initial vet visit - that's how urgent it was. I'll always spend the €40 now and and go to the vets to be told its nothing than take a chance and waste valuable time.

EDIT - forgot to say when my girl had hotspots on her neck I found a loose bandana around her neck and baby socks on her feet helped to stop her scratching at the wounds and doing damage.

arybvtcw0eolkf

tk123 wrote: »

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EDIT - forgot to say when my girl had hotspots on her neck I found a loose bandana around her neck and baby socks on her feet helped to stop her scratching at the wounds and doing damage.

She was great and never scratched at her neck, but the long sleeves on the t-shirt stopped her pulling at her bandaged leg. Worked a treat too.