Labrador Retriever Forum
I need your help and input. One of my puppy owners just called. She had the puppy in for a spay on Tuesday and while under she was under, the vet also removed a small tumor that was on her chest. The lab results just came back and the diagnosis is a mast cell tumor and she is at stage 2. The vet says that he has never seen this "old dog cancer" in such a young dog. He is doing a referral to an oncologist and my puppy owner and I are devastated with this diagnosis. The vet is not sure if he removed the whole tumor (tendrils and all). He is not sure is chemo is an option in such a young, growing puppy. I would love to hear any input from other breeders. This is my girl's 2nd litter (total of 19 puppies between the 2 litters). The puppy otherwise is very active and seems unaffected. Thank you in advance.
I'm very sorry to hear this. Bless you, the pup, and the owners.
I don't know about the chemo, but I had a stage II Mast Cell tumor removed from a 6 1/2 year old bitch a year ago. Once the biopsy came back, my vet went back in to remove more tissue. You definitely want wide margins to make sure you got it all. We did prednisone therapy afterward.
The pathology report should say if the margins were clear. I would meet with the oncologist and see what the recommendations are. Some dogs are prescribed Benadryl and Pepcid. Often times Radiation therapy may be suggested. When you meet with the Oncologist have a list of questions and concerns prepared so that you are not completely overwelmed with all the imformation that you'll recieve from the Vet. Best of luck to you and the puppy.
As others have said I would definately find out if the margins were clean, if they were I wouldn't do further treatment but watch the dog for any new lumps. I had a bitch that had 2 removed at age 6 and I gave her brocolli as bedtime treats for the rest of her life (she lived till age 14 1/2) and we did no further treatment on her and it never recurred. If the margins weren't clean then as another said I would have them go back in and take more tissue till it is clean.
Aloha,
jackie
Agreement of clean margins are needed, but also, if any therapy is advised make sure you are aware of any long term/short term side affects of any therapies suggested so that ALL things can be considered.
Best of luck.
No words of wisdom, just wanted to commiserate with you as puppy of mine was diagnosed with cancer at 7 months. Shock and disbelief were all I could express for a while. Can't understand how such a young baby could be so sick.
I'm really sorry about your news and hope your baby returns to complete health.
I am so sorry. When Shanny was diagnosed with her MCT my vet suggested high doses of Benedryl which is supposed to help shrink the MCT. It worked since we couldn't find the tumor again until we backed her off the Benedryl. Thankfully we had clear margins but I have her back on the large doses of Benedryl just in case.
I chose not to do chemo or radiation as my vet didn't think it was necessary since the margins were clean.
Best of luck with your puppy. I hope it lives a very long life which is possible. :)
I've never heard of using Benadryl and Pepcid for cancer in dogs. What is the reasoning behind this approach. Someone else mentioned broccoli. How come? Certainly alot better than chemo if it works.
"The pathology report should say if the margins were clear. I would meet with the oncologist and see what the recommendations are. Some dogs are prescribed Benadryl and Pepcid. Often times Radiation therapy may be suggested."
The reason for using broccolli is it has antioxidants (cancer fighting agents) in the food and was recommended by my vet, I would rather use a food that is totally natural than some manmade concoction.
Aloha,
jackie
I greatly appreciate all the input that has been given. I have been doing some research myself today. The question was raised why Benedryl and Pepcid AC (or Tagamet). This is the information I found on Dr. Hutchison's website via his Medical Library link (http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1600&EVetID=30014960)-
"The mast cell tumor releases histamine-containing granules that lead to inflammation and increased stomach acid secretion.
These unpleasant symptoms may be alleviated with the use of H1 blockers (antihistamines such as Benadryl® and others) as well as H2 blockers (antihistamines such as Pepcid AC® and others).
These medications help palliate the inflammatory effects of the spreading malignant mast cell tumor."
Thanks again for your input and if anyone else has input, please feel free to give it - I am greatly appreciative.
I work for a vet and have seen a 4 week old kitten with a mass cell tumor and 4 month old german shorthair with mass cell tumor and my own 6 week old lab with mass cell tumor. It can happen at any age. With my dog all I did was keep a close eye on her after it was removed and it was a grade 1 when she was 6 yrs old I have another on removed.
I had Mast Cell tumours on my JRT bitch for years on and off they seemed to occur in the summer(mosquito bites) and then I had them removed with clean margins, for various reasons she couldn't tolerate Benadryl but I did give her Claritin during the warmer weather and that did help, she lived to be almost 12. Chemo wouldn't have helped her as she was already on a bone marrow suppression for her R PDA and couldn't take more chemo, but after a while I stopped having the tumours removed too much stress for her heart.They didn't seem to bother her.I did give her antioxidants and Enzyme Co q 10. Good luck. 
You can ask your vet to request a second opinion of the biopsy, done by another pathologist. Make sure it is a tumor.
I'm sorry to hear this. Especially on such a young dog.
I don't have advice but there is good info on diet for cancer at www.dogaware.com
Just a small update for now - I spent 6+ hours with my puppy owners at another vet's office today. He is an internist at a specialty hospital. Today we accomplished having blood drawn (should have results on Wednesday), xrays (to check out the rest of the body for anything different - results were normal) and an abdominal ultrasound that showed some larger than normal lymph nodes near her spay area (could easily be inflamed from her spay a week ago today) and perhaps an enlarged liver (but then again, what is a 5.5 month puppy's liver suppose to look like). So with those two areas of concern, cytology samples were taken and those results should be back by Thursday. The bloodwork should tell us what stage she is at (originally I posted that she was a stage II - that should have been grade II).
If all tests come back normal, she will have surgery next Tuesday to get clean wide margins (which did not happen with the first surgery). She will continue on her Benedryl and will begin Pepcid AC this evening.
I will keep you posted with her results and progress. I do thank all of you who responded so kindly and informatively. Also, thank you for your support - the puppy owners having been reading the forum and greatly appreciate your kindness.
Do not be without hope... I had a then 3 year old that had 3 Grade II mast cell tumors surgically removed within a 6 month period.
Because of their location, clean margins were not possible without invading the body cavity... so that wasn't an option.
The first one was an obvious lump on her side (raised, flattened hairless lump about the size of a dime in diameter), vet did needle aspirate... gave us the option of having a biopsy taken and sent off to pathology.. I figured if we were going to put her under, just remove the mass and take clean margins if possible. While doing that surgery, he found a second smaller one under the skin near the first one. Both were sent off to pathology.
She was on a course of Pred and the Tagamet (I believe)... she didn't tolerate the Pred well, I hated what it did to her, but we finished the course. We also did the ultrasounds, blood tests... she went back monthly for check ups for the first 4 months. I was instructed on how to do a deep finger massage checking for new lumps... that was easy, because I had years before taken a course in canine massage therapy. At about 6 months, I discovered the 3rd tumor... only the size of a pea, deep in her shoulder muscle. It was so small, doc couldn't believe I found it. So that one was also removed, and back on the Pred again... again, I hated what it did to her and this time decided not to continue it (she was not the dog I knew) and weaned her off it early.
We went back in another 6 months for a check up. I think vet told me if we got to 2 years with out no new mast cell tumors, that is good... but he said he's seen dogs that have been back to have more removed and lived to an old age.
Knock on wood, she is almost 10 years old now and I have found no more lumps since those at 3 years old.
Only other thing we did after the first surgery was switch her to Canidae All Life Stages kibble. I liked the idea that it was all human grade ingredients.
Good luck with your puppy. As my vet told me, there is alot still not known about the agressiveness of these tumors and it can vary even within the grading. Again, all 3 were Grade II.
Oh forgot to mention, when doing the deep finger massages checking for lumps, if you feel something questionable, the good thing is you have the same area on other side of the body to compare what you're feeling to.
If you find a lump, don't be handling it alot, squeezing it, etc, just get it checked out. Actually, even when I suspect something is a fatty lump, we still get it checked out by needle aspirate at least.
Sorry, I keep remembering more... prior to her surgery she was given an anti-histamine... I guess these mast sell tumors release histamines.
Also, after the diagnosis, I decided no more vaccines for her (my thinking is there is already a compromised immune system).
