Please help...not another mast cell cancer

[trudy1]

Ok, here’s the background. In the past 10 years I’ve lost 3 fur babies to mast cell cancer. My precious yorkie trudy and two of my rescue cats kitty boy and Oreo.

My little dolly, the last rescue from my wife’s family’s barn , developed a small lump on the back of her neck. Took her to our vet, fearing the worse, and she said it’s not attached and probably a cyst. Just keep an eye on it. After about 4 months it had grown from about a match head to a large pea. I went back and told her I wanted it removed, again expressing my fear. She reassured me about the mast cell. She couldn’t schedule the removal for two months so I went to my alternate vet to have it removed. She squeezed it and the lump exuded a little pus, no blood. She also said not mast cell cancer and that it was an infected follicle. She removed it but with very large, about two inch incision. All this time, since the lump was discovered, dolly has never shown any interest in it.

Three days after the surgery she tore open one stitch and part of the incision so on went the collar. Now we are two weeks post surgery, we removed the stitches and the incision appears healed. But...if I remove the collar she scratches it all the time so I’m afraid she might reopen it. Called the vet to see if anything looked odd in the cyst when it was removed and she again reassured me it didn’t look cancerous.

I’m going crazy because my other babies acted the same way after surgery the itching and desire to scratch never went away, even a month after. The mast cell tumors when irritated release massive amounts of histamine causing unbearable itching.

Finally to my question: at two weeks post surgery should I be worried about her wanting to scratch the area? The scar looks normal but so did my other babies. Am I just getting ahead of the normal healing process? Or should I be worried.

Anyone with experience please help...I’m just beside myself....maybe just an old mans worry but I can’t help it. Through three mast cell cancers on three animals and no vet seems to even be interested in a possible related cause.

A couple of pictures

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I can't offer much assistance other than to say a couple of things. 1.) scratching on any wound/incision is pretty normal, as well as some time past the suture removal - regardless of what is behind it. 2.) if the vet did a needle aspiration of the tissue/fluid, that should have confirmed/ruled out cancer. And, it is helpful for an antihistamine to be administered during aspiration or surgical removal. Whether or not that was done at the time, it is also beneficial to continue with this treatment for many weeks following surgery, along with antibiotics - and, pain meds if needed. If your baby is not on antihistamines and antibiotics, ask your vet why not.

I also want to add a few more things. I understand your concern because of your past history, but I would think if it were cancerous you would start to see growth again. So, watch out for that in particular. In the meantime, try using a chamomile tea solution to help soothe the area. Buy standard grocery store chamomile tea bags (they are almost always German - you don't want English, nor any additives/flavorings), brew a bag in water, cool the liquid and apply it to the area with a cotton ball or soft cloth - multiple times a day if possible. The tea has both healing and soothing properties (anti-fungal and anti-bacterial as well).

Although I imagine you have already seen this article, or probably something similar, I wanted to offer to you just in case it might help you at all. Mast Cell Tumors in Cats

I just wanted to acknowledge your post and hope that other members can come along and offer better support and assistance than I can. Please stay in touch with us.

 

[trudy1]

I did ask for aspiration with my other kids but since both vets said it’s not cancer I didn’t...error, probably. She was given a full round of antibiotics. I’m applying liquid Benadryl to the scar...seems to calm her down. She hates the collar. I’ll look the tea but I have to remember it’s sw Missouri. A cold beer and a twist of Red Man would be easier! Yes, I’ve read a lot about mast cell in cats...nobody seems sure of the cause. They know what it is but that’s about all.
Thank you for your prompt response.

Dolly says thanks as well.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You should easily find the tea bags in the coffee/tea aisle of your local grocery store, although that, in and of itself, can be difficult in these days. HOWEVER, the teas tend to remain well-stocked. You should be able to find it, even there! If not, it can easily be ordered online!

Itching is a normal part of healing, so that's actually not a bad thing. The fluid was examined, and no signs of cancer found. Even if there had been pre-cancerous cells, those would have been spotted, and you would have been told. But of course you are frantic! You love your cat, and have gone through this twice before, but with different results.

Feel free to come here and talk about whatever you are concerned with. We may not have definitive answers, but we ARE WITH YOU!

 

[trudy1]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Unfortunately I don’t believe any fluid was examined post surgery. The vets comment to me was that “nothing looked like cancer”. Guess, all too often, we relinquish control to doctors, vets and md, and when you do it doesn’t always bode well. I should have insisted on an aspirant, as I always have before. But before I was dealing with growths that were suspicious, both to me and the vet. Fast growing and the babies wouldn’t leave the area alone.

So now I’m in a wait and see situation. We are just 2 weeks out from the surgery. Watching her want to scratch the site just brings back old memories of my babies who fell victim to mast cell cancer. It was just terrible. My little yorkie went for over a month with this wound from the surgery that would not heal. Toward the end when I tried to give her some comfort by gently washing the area the whole thing just sluffed off leaving an open sore! My poor cat rescues, kitty boy and Oreo, both hated the cone but wore them for weeks. The areas seemed to heal and then another would pop up right by it. It’s a terrible disease!

Hopefully my dolly is just being dolly and given another week will ignore the area....hoping....

Anyway, thank you for the concern and kind response

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Please let us know! We'll be here to either rejoice or cry with you, either way.

 

[trudy1]

Some great news! Dolly finally quit scratching the scar and seems to have settled down. Wow, maybe no mast cell this time!
Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts.

Only members of the “cat family” like this forum can really offer comfort and understanding at times like these.

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[Mamanyt1953]

YES! YES! YES!

 

[Oysterbay]

When the dust settles and you're interested in getting to the bottom of this pattern in your kitties, would you be interested in looking into holistic and environmental health? Have these cases all occurred at the same residence? Have there been any changes in the neighborhood, say new industrial or commercial or utility activity that would impact water/air/atmospheric quality?

And more easily within your control, are you feeding whole or close-to-whole foods, treating with holistic remedies and filtering their water. Good luck to you and your kitties, from me and Chairman Meow, my twelve year old girl cat.