Cancer in Dogs

[nikkinack]

Thank you, I had no idea this was an issue.

[jrsygal37]

BJH. I lost my 10 year old Yorkie Newman to cancer this past summer. Our story is unique and I hope it can help others out. Newman, started licking his paw pad. We originally, thought it was a nervous habit as we did not see anything. The paw pad became raw and swollen and so I cleaned it and wrapped it - thinking it was irriated from his licking. I kept the bandage on it for a week, changing it daily. After a week I removed the bandage and his foot looked great. I kept an eye on him and within the day he began licking again. Within the night the pad was swollen again and so I called the vet in the morning. The weather got bad, and we had icy rain. I remember vividly carrying him into the vet, because by the afternoon he could not walk.

Our initial vet visit. Our vet looked at his foot pad and said that he must have stepped on something. A piece of glass or something. I assured him that I watch Newman like a hawk and I check him over constantly and I'd know and that no way could he have gotten something in his foot. He told us that he'd have to operate and explore to see what was in there. The next mornining he was operated on.

After surgery. Surgery went well. Our vet stated that he found many abnormal cell tissure and that he thought he got all the bad tissue. He explained that they usually do go by margins but that because his foot was so tiny he could not follow protocol as there was no more he could cut out. He assued me that in his 30 years of practicing he's never seen cancer in the foot pad and that it would more then likely come back clean and is probably some kind of infection.

A week after surgery. The biopsy came back. Our vet called and I could hear the tears in his voice as he told me that my baby had a stage III mass cell tumor in his foot pad. Mass III was the worse and he could not tell if it spread and he gave him about a year before the cancer came back. He explained again that he could not follow protocol with the margins due to his foot being so tiny so all we could do is hope that he got it all.

Within two months, Newman was back to licking that foot and the cancer came back in force. We brought Newman back to the vet and we decided to try something radical by removing his whole leg in hopes of curing him. Because the cancer was rare there were no studies or other dogs known with this cancer and therefor we did not know what the end result would be. Our vet contacted the University of PA as well as other known universities and they had never seen this cancer in the foot pad either. We decided that before we go through with this radical surgery that we would do some non-intrusive tests such as x ray - aspiration and catscan and if and only if they all came back clear then we would go ahead and have his leg amputated in hopes of saving him.

Pre-Testing. His Xray came back clear and his aspiration came back clean. Last was his catscan. We got a call that Thursday after the scan was done and it wasn't good. The catscan showed his lymph nodes enlarged and a mass on his liver. Our vet felt that it was probably a mass cell tumor on his liver. And so we made the heartbreaking decision to bring our boy into the office the following morning before they opened and to let our little guy go peacefully.

This is so hard for me to write and I'm crying as I type but my boy's cancer was so rare. So rare that even a well respected vet with 30 years experience and well known universities had never seen it. Newman was our first Yorkie and we got him from a small puppymill before we were educated about places like this. I know that cancer is cancer but I believe with all my heart that it was his bad breeding that caused this rare cancer and if I can spare just one person this heart ache of help just one person that may have a dog going through this then my story was worth telling.

Newman is what started me on the crusade to close puppymills, get rid of byb's and shut pet stores.

Elaine

[nikkinack]

Thanks for telling your story, sorry for your loss.

[bjh]

Ozzie'sperson, thanks for sharing you story. I am sorry for your loss. I hope your story will possibly help someone save their beloved pet with early detection.

[bjh]

jrsygal37, thank you for sharing your story, I know it was hard. I am so sorry for your loss. While I do believe that some tendencies toward cancer might be hereditary, just as they are in humans, I truly believe that over vaccination is one of the major causes or contributors.

[jrsygal37]

Kalina. In NJ if the dog has not had it's rabies and it bites someone, animal control will only quarantine 10 days at the owner's home. Atleast this is what I've been told. My son was bitten by a German Shephard who was not vaccinated and who was not licensed and by law the ER reported the bite to animal control. They were in contact with me to tell me that they would quarantine the dog to the owner's yard for 10 days, check back in 10 days and if the dog was still breathing the case would then be closed. They did not fine her for not having the dog vaccinated and they did not fine her for not having the dog licensed. Not sure what the laws are in other states.

Elaine

[kalina82]

Mast cell tumors are more common then you think. They can be any where on the body from foot pads to the tips of the ears. These types of tumors are most common in boxers but will appear in all other breeds as well. These tumors can be big or they can be small little circular red or black marks. I've seen them on many parts of the body. Ones of the pad paws are not as rare as you think. Elaine, I remember reading about poor newman when you were going through that troubled time with him. The next day at work i asked the surgeon if he'd seen MCT on the pads before and he said yes. He's been doing this for over 30 years as well, but in the surgical field, not general practice. i asked what could be done about it and he said either toe amputation if it was just on a digit or leg amputation if it was more spread out. I'm sorry the results of the CT scan showed that it had spread. MCT are a horrible cancer because it spreads like wildfire. When you hear those three letter a sense of dread overcomes you because you know even if they are removed and chemo is started you don't have much time left with you pet.

[bjh]

A dog that belonged to my daughters room mate bit someone in Houston a few months ago and the dog was impounded for 10 days. There was no fine but they did have to pay for the 10 days of boarding.

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by jrsygal37

Kalina. In NJ if the dog has not had it's rabies and it bites someone, animal control will only quarantine 10 days at the owner's home. Atleast this is what I've been told. My son was bitten by a German Shephard who was not vaccinated and who was not licensed and by law the ER reported the bite to animal control. They were in contact with me to tell me that they would quarantine the dog to the owner's yard for 10 days, check back in 10 days and if the dog was still breathing the case would then be closed. They did not fine her for not having the dog vaccinated and they did not fine her for not having the dog licensed. Not sure what the laws are in other states.

Elaine

hmm, i guess it depends on the case and individual situation. I worked at an animal shelter for 10 years and we got lots of bite cases in. They had to be quarantined for 10 days to however long it took. If there was a lawsuit involved that poor dog would sit with us until the case was closed, sometimes for months. We weren't allowed to take the dog out so it was put in a kennel with two sides so we could clean it up easily. very sad.

[nikkinack]

Originally Posted by kalina82

hmm, i guess it depends on the case and individual situation. I worked at an animal shelter for 10 years and we got lots of bite cases in. They had to be quarantined for 10 days to however long it took. If there was a lawsuit involved that poor dog would sit with us until the case was closed, sometimes for months. We weren't allowed to take the dog out so it was put in a kennel with two sides so we could clean it up easily. very sad.

This is how it works where I live.

[jrsygal37]

Originally Posted by kalina82

hmm, i guess it depends on the case and individual situation. I worked at an animal shelter for 10 years and we got lots of bite cases in. They had to be quarantined for 10 days to however long it took. If there was a lawsuit involved that poor dog would sit with us until the case was closed, sometimes for months. We weren't allowed to take the dog out so it was put in a kennel with two sides so we could clean it up easily. very sad.

Yeah, I was upset that they did not have him up to date on rabies or licensed but I was glad that they did not impound the dog. I was annoyed with the owners of the dog but I don't think the dog really tried to hurt my son who the damage would have been far worse. It was more of a love bite but because of his size the bite was far worse then if a Yorkie had nipped. The shephard punctured into my son's rib cage. He had been playing base tag with another boy - the boy that owned the dog and either the dog wanted to play or he thought Frank was going to hurt the boy because he was chasing him. Anyway, the dog jumped and lunged grabbing my son in the ribs. He was left with three puncture marks and badly bruised, but I don't think the dog was vicious just protective or playful - really don't know which. Just thankful my son was not hurt more severely.

Thanks Kalina for your note about Newman. Elaine

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by jrsygal37

Yeah, I was upset that they did not have him up to date on rabies or licensed but I was glad that they did not impound the dog. I was annoyed with the owners of the dog but I don't think the dog really tried to hurt my son who the damage would have been far worse. It was more of a love bite but because of his size the bite was far worse then if a Yorkie had nipped. The shephard punctured into my son's rib cage. He had been playing base tag with another boy - the boy that owned the dog and either the dog wanted to play or he thought Frank was going to hurt the boy because he was chasing him. Anyway, the dog jumped and lunged grabbing my son in the ribs. He was left with three puncture marks and badly bruised, but I don't think the dog was vicious just protective or playful - really don't know which. Just thankful my son was not hurt more severely.

Thanks Kalina for your note about Newman. Elaine

wow is your son now scared of that dog or big dogs in general? that must have scared him. i'd be a little freaked out if a dog bit my ribs when i was younger.

[tjdmom]

Originally Posted by kalina82

yes all vaccines should be given in the hind legs way below the hip so that if they get fibrosarcoma the leg can be removed with the cancer (tho chemo is still needed). If the vaccine is given in the neck and a sarcoma develops there is nothing you can do about it because you can't remove it. Next time they go to give it in the neck, ask them politely to give it in the lower thigh instead.

I did not know this! Thanksfor the info!

[autumn star]

I too lost my beloved Pug Dakota back in September to Mast Cell Tumors.
He first started w/what looked like a large pimple on the top of his head. Took him to my old vet who said it was nothing. Just a skin thing that was common in pugs. Took him back to the same vet office (saw another vet) 6 months later to be told it was nothing, not to worry about it. At this time he had one on the fold of his face as well.
Well back in January of 07, I took him to the vet for his yearly checkup to be told by that vet he was very worried about what he saw and why had I not brought him in sooner. You could only imagine the anger I was feeling when I heard this. He said straight out, I think this could be cancer and I want to do surgery right away!

Well I scooped him up and took him to a new vet the same day. He too, confirmed that he was worried it could be cancer. Dakota was scheduled for surgery the next day. His tumors started to get a cauliflower appearance. Once they started the procedure they discovered that not only did he have one on top of his head and his face but he also had one under his right front leg and two under the fur near his butt!

Within 5 days I was given a call that he had stage III Mast Cell tumors and it had spread to his Lymph Nodes. You can imagine my devastation.
Sadly he passed in September. Had he only been diagnosed correctly the first time we might be facing a different outcome and we would not of had to go through the sadness and suffering that we all did!

Thank you for this thread, I hope it can help someone!!!!

I am sorry to everyone that has lost a beloved pet to this disease as I know how hard it is!!!!

[bjh]

Originally Posted by autumn star

I too lost my beloved Pug Dakota back in

Thanks you so much for sharing your sad story. I am so sorry for your loss. How old was Dakota when he passed? I do hope that all the stories on this threat might help someone detect cancer early in their beloved pet.