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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Mammary tumours in dogs - in shock....

20 replies

howdidimissit · 20/11/2012 21:46

We have a working collie who is much loved and a fantastic worker - she is 12years and is just starting to slow down.

I have just gone to hose her down tonight cos she is filthy and had to fetch a calf out of the musk heap so you can imagine what mess she had got in!

Dp was holding her as she can be very a bit nippy and I was washing her belly off and I found a seriously HUGE mammary tumour Not only is it the size of a grapefruit but its ulcerated as well and it stinks

I can't believe we haven't noticed it before it got to this stage - I can only think its cos shes long haired and she lives outside (her choice). Believe me I'm beating myself up about this....

So I guess what I want to know is what will the vet tell me tomorrow - I will book her in first thing - she doesn't seem to be in any pain and is curled up in the straw in the calf pen where she always sleeps, shes eaten as normal and doesn't seem to have lost any weight. I'm assuming they will operate - is it successful or would we be better to pts now rather than put her through an op.

OP posts:

messtins · 20/11/2012 21:50

50-70% of mammary tumours are benign. They should Xray her chest (to lok for secondary masses in the lungs) before deciding to proceed with removal and they may offer you a fine needle aspirate to hopefully tell you if it's likely to be a benign mass or not. The problem with that is the wait for results (3-5 days) when it sounds like it's already large, necrotic and infected. I'd want it off and then sent for histology if the chest Xray is clear.
Wishing you (and her) all the best.

TaggieCampbellBlackFriday · 20/11/2012 21:57

Don't know about dogs but my cat had one removed a couple of weeks ago.

Fat, spoilt, lap cat and that was huge and getting sore when I found it. Don't know how we hadn't seen it before. And yes. I beat myself up soundly.

Original poster

howdidimissit · 20/11/2012 22:05

Its the fact that she spends all day, every day out on the farm with us - the lump has got to be growing for the last couple of months at least

messtins I think I will see what the result of the xray is tomorrow before we go further - our vet is lovely and very down to earth regarding treatment v the best thing for the animal and I will abide by what he suggests. tbh I'm not feeling very hopeful - it seems that the fact that it has ulcerated would point to it being malignant and its size doesn't bode well for her long term

Sorry to hear about your cat Taggie - how is she now?

OP posts:

TaggieCampbellBlackFriday · 20/11/2012 22:09

She's really fine. Had it removed plus another on her thumb. Spent 2 weeks in a lampshade collar sulking and now looks better than she has for years.
Vet said it might have spread but no way to tell and we're not going down masdive agressive treatment route. As long as she eats and purrs we'll keep going.

GoldenOrangeWhippoorwhill · 21/11/2012 23:13

You might not have missed it for as long as you think. The final mammary tumour that my girl had blew up in less than 36 hours. I was stunned, you could practically see it growing. :(

Hope things go well at the vets.

Whojamaflip · 22/11/2012 20:44

Well I brought her back home again

Monday is d-day - they are going to xray to see if its spread to her lungs, if not then they are going to take the lump off. Shes on heavy duty antibiotics to help with the infection in the lump as they need that cleared up before they operate.

So feeling a bit happier and I have her home for the weekend to spoil her

doggydaze · 22/11/2012 20:48

Oh I do hope everything works out for you, fingers crossed

doglover · 22/11/2012 20:58

Fingers crossed for you all. x

GoldenOrangeWhippoorwhill · 23/11/2012 12:40

Good luck.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 25/11/2012 23:29

You don't have to have her operated on.
My beloved spaniel developed mammary tumours. She was 11. The vet investigated and said they were cancerous and would need removing and she should be spayed at the same time. This was the same vet who advised against spaying her at 10, because it was a big op for an old dog, requiring extra fluids and monitoring. (Yes, I now know I should have spayed her young, I didn't then)
I went away and researched the procedure. It involves stripping out all the teats on the affected side, (she had them on both) cage rest and a lamp shade. There was also a chance they would recur.
Given the details, the opinion of a friend who put her dog through this and vowed never to do it again, the fact that she wasn't a young dog and she was totally devoted to me and hated to be caged or confined where she couldn't reach me, I said NO.
She was my best friend. She loved me more than anyone. She wouldn't have been able to understand why I was putting her through the pain of the op, and then punishing her in a cage. I took her home, and we had another 2 years together. Her tumours grew, but she stayed her beloved happy self until nearly the end. When the end came, the vet we saw looked at her investigating his surgery and asked me in bewilderment why I wanted her PTS. When I showed him the tumours he agreed with me. She died in my arms, whilst I whispered all her favourite words in her ear.
I would make the same decision again.

hellymelly · 25/11/2012 23:35

Good luck for tomorrow op, I hope all news is good news.

RyleDup · 25/11/2012 23:38

Agree with saggy here. I don't think I'd put my 12 year old collie x retriever through an op. Sorry to hear about your dog though, hopefully the antibiotics will bring down the infection for now.

Whojamaflip · 25/11/2012 23:53

Thanks guys - she has been thoroughly spoilt this weekend . Shes also decided she likes this tablet lark as it means she has been fed pheasant all weekend!

It is amazing how the ulceration has improved - the inflammation has died down and there is no longer the foul rotting smell [boak]. But there is still a HUGE hole in the tumour which if we don't have the lump removed, then I will never be able to keep it clean (live on a farm) so couldn't justify bringing her home iyswim.

tbh we were of the opinion that as long as the lump hadn't turned nasty we wouldn't put her through surgery - its just now that its an open wound that we have to do something.

She still happy - desperate to go out on the farm with us, eating well, is still at her working weight and if you didn't see what was on her belly you wouldn't think anything was wrong. Doesn't appear to be in pain or distressed.

So as I see it - if her lungs are clear we need to decide whether to operate - either we do and give her a chance of another year or so (I know shes an old girl so won't be around for ever) or we have to make the decision to let her go - I cannot justify bringing her home as she is with the knowledge she will end up with infection after infection due to the mud pit we call home. But I don't feel shes ready to go........

In a way I nearly hope it is malignant and has spread to her lungs - it will pretty much make the decision for me

RyleDup · 25/11/2012 23:57

Oh crikey. Look, will she need to be knocked right out for the op, or is it possible to do it under a local? Its the anaesthetics that are the biggest risk for older dogs. Is it likely to be something very straight forward?

SecretNutellaFix · 25/11/2012 23:57

That's what our old girl had and they grew so quickly we had to let her go six months after diagnosis. She was so weak we had to hold her water bowl and she kept rallying and worsening for weeks. I still have a weep 2 years later.

Border collie aged 12, wicked and clever. No other dog like her.

Could she be retired to be a house dog and keep the place as clean as possible for her? I am so sorry you are facing this horrible situation.

RyleDup · 25/11/2012 23:59

It is hard though, especially when its not expected. One of my dogs got sick one friday, by the monday I had lost her. I feel your pain, its bloody hard.

Whojamaflip · 26/11/2012 00:02

I really don't know - its one of the questions I have for the vet tomorrow - afaik she will have to be sedated for the x ray anyway - it may be that they will just keep her under and do it there and then. I have to have her down at the surgery for 8.30 tomorrow with the intention of her staying for the day.

The lump itself seems quite loose on her belly - you can move it round and it only seems to be attached to the muscle wall by a small stalk which I'm assuming means it might not be very deeply rooted? So it might not be a hugely involved op?

Whojamaflip · 26/11/2012 00:07

She would be absolutely miserable as a house dog unfortunately - she adores dh and all she wants to do is go with him - her fav place is sitting on the tractor with him watching for rabbits out of the window when they are doing the field work - I think I would prefer her to keepdoing what she loves doping even if its only for a couple of months than watch her pine and try and follow dh out the door every day

Just realised I name changed at the start of this thread and then used my usual one - I was just so shocked at finding her in the state I did that I nc'd in case I got a flaming for neglecting her. Thank you all for being so understanding....

SecretNutellaFix · 26/11/2012 00:27

She sounds like a delight. Mine used to like scaring the postie with her woof - she sounded like a rottie. He was a family friend so should have been used to it :)

You don't need to make a decision tonight, wait until you speak to your vet.

Whojamaflip · 26/11/2012 21:21

She's home

Took her in this morning and she really didn't want to go out the back at the vets, keep looking back and trying to pull her lead away from the nurse.

Managed to leave ringing until after lunch with difficulty.

Her lung xrays appeared clear and although she has some minor lumps and bumps elsewhere, the vet said they weren't worth worrying about. They had knocked her out for the xray and they kept her under to operate. They took the lump off and the lump off the teat beside it. The lymph nodes looked inflamed but they put that down to the infection she's getting over.

She's home with pain relief and more antibiotics and dissolving stitches so we don't run the risk of her chewing a vet nurse!

Got to keep her under house arrest for about a week to keep the wound clean and take her back if we are worried.

Happy happy bunnny tonight

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