mast cell cancer...yet another of my precious animal companions....why?

trudy1

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Took my Oreo to the vet today because the lump she said was nothing a few weeks ago was growing.  I said my concern was mast cell cancer having just lost my little yorkie to this killer last year.  Trudy was my companion and buddy.  It started with her as a lump just like the sabacious cysts all yorkies get...but it wasn't.  I let it go too long?..and the shoulder area was all involved...they couldn't get it all..the rest of the story is too painful to recount here but I had to put her down after much suffering for both of us.

Now my Oreo...the vet said she couldn't believe it that the aspirate was full of mast cells...so surgery tomorrow.  I asked her what the prognosis was...50%, 80% what?  She said if it is encapulsated at least an 80% chance of a good recovery. This "thing" is only the size of a small pea now but has grown 40% in the last month!

I am facing the worst thoughts now but have to be positive.  If tomorrow she finds its' not encapsulated I fear I will have to tell her to put him down...I know what this cancer is like...terrible!

Some questions for those of you with experience in this:

1) Any thoughts as to why my little trudy and now Oreo both have/had mast cell cancer?...environment?, food?, frontline?

2) Any guesses based on experience as to prognosis for recovery?  if encapsulated?  if not encapsulated?

3) If she aspirated the cancer and it bled did not she "rupture" the capsule allowing the mast cells to spill over into the blood stream?

Poor Oreo...he doesn't seem to know and I can't tell him about tomorrow.....you can see Oreo's picture on my post...a sweet rescue that walked the 250 feet from the street where he was as a little kitten up the drive in a rain storm to our back deck

In a way I wish tomorrow wouldn't come

Geo
 

feralvr

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My dog, Wilbur, a JRT had a mast cell tumor on his upper front left leg when he was seven. Grade two High. Grade three is extremely poor and usually those dogs only have a few months at best. So, prognosis was grim for Wilbur. We did surgery and staging. The mast cells were not in his blood stream and the surgeon took large margins in which there were no cells around the margins. We were very lucky and he is my miracle baby :heart3: Also did not amputate. He is now 13 almost 14 yrs. old and has never had another mast cell tumor. He has many lumps though now but we leave them alone as there are too many to pick and choose as to which to test and remove. ALSO - I had a cat years ago, Winky, who had a mast cell tumor also on her back leg just above her hock. The size of a grape and growing fast. It was encapsulated and easy to move around. Vet at that time wanted to amputate. I said no. She was 13 at the time. Surgery was performed to remove the tumor. It glided right out and as it was encapsulated. Vet did aspirate too and I never thought about that releasing the mast cells into the bloodstream. Not sure if that would happen or not :dk: She never had another problem and lived till she was 19 yrs. old. I will pray for you Oreo and am sorry. Mast cell in dogs is more prevalent than cats and seems to be more deadly. I hope that Oreo's case is easily treated. I think you caught it early too. Keep us posted. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes: for Oreo.
 
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