goldens Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 A couple of weeks ago we noticed what appeared to be a tiny blister on Honey's left leg to the side of her knee. It did actually look and feel lke a blister half full of fluid. I togt her into the vet the next day and he checked it out and said for me to bring her in and he would "zap" it off. So I took her in a few days later, he removed it and sent it off for a pathology report. The reprt came back Grade 2 mast cell tumor. So, it was back in last Thursday and he did surgery on that leg and removed a large aread to make sure he got clean edges--which of course we wil not know for sure til report comes back, but he is sure we got it early and he got a clean margin. I got to be in the operating room and watch the surgery. It was facinating. She had the tub down her throat that went into two, one for gas and one for oxygen. Then there was the heart monitor hooked to her chest and the blood pressure monitor hooked to her back leg. He cut out an area about an inch or more on all sides of the original incision--which was small-- and went down to the muscle. After it was removed, he cauterized it and then ut in abut 10 stitches. She had halluciantions when she was coming around and I had to sit and hold her head for about an hour til she was over them. I have been with several ofmy dogs righ afer surgery and she is the only who has ever had hallucinations and she had them after her dental/fatty tumor removal last Aug. They say some dogs have them so bad they actually have to be held down to keep them from ripping stitches out. It is scarey to see. On of the nurses on my golden retriever forum said that children also have the same reaction and parents never know. I am hoping and praying that it comes back clean margin. Goldens are so prone to cancer, omethinglike 67% get one form or another of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly_Louise Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Sending best wishes that all comes back clear and Honey lives a long healthy life with you! Let us know how she goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Good luck with it... MCT grade 2 can act like a grade 1 or a grade 3 - it varies from dog to dog. Our Ollie was dxd with grade 2 MCT in October 2005 and given 12-18 months. He had a couple of the tumours removed but unfortunately it was already in his lymph system and there were multiple tumour sites and we did not get clear margins on the removal of the tumours. So we have been fighting this for over 3 years now and on 2 years longer than they thought we would. He is currently in remission after having chemo and being treated holistically (and still is treated holistically). Ollie has his own thread all about MCT in the palliative care section above the general health threads. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions about this disease and treatments available, I am more than happy to help out and answer any questions you have.. Wishing you all the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldens Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Good luck with it...MCT grade 2 can act like a grade 1 or a grade 3 - it varies from dog to dog. Our Ollie was dxd with grade 2 MCT in October 2005 and given 12-18 months. He had a couple of the tumours removed but unfortunately it was already in his lymph system and there were multiple tumour sites and we did not get clear margins on the removal of the tumours. So we have been fighting this for over 3 years now and on 2 years longer than they thought we would. He is currently in remission after having chemo and being treated holistically (and still is treated holistically). Ollie has his own thread all about MCT in the palliative care section above the general health threads. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions about this disease and treatments available, I am more than happy to help out and answer any questions you have.. Wishing you all the best Thank you so much. I lostmy golen retriever, KayCee to gastrointestinal stromal tumor May 25, 2008, so Honey bing it with cacer in less than a year has really shaken me. The ting is, everything I read says 55=67% of all golden retrievers develop cancer. I belong to smaller golden forums and one pretty large one. On the large, three weeks ago we 4 new comers whose dogs had just been diagnosed with cancer. Mak had just turned 2, small lump came up on side they took him right in--cancer had started on rib and was already in lungs and liver. They let him go Monday last week. That same week, Maarten , 4 year old golden, bone cancer in wrist, Tanner, 12 year old therapy golden, cancer in back of mouth already in nodes in neck, and 4 month old golden puppy, lump came up over the eye, wasa grade 2 MCT Last Friday we 2 more new comers--one with lymphoma, the other with brain tumor. It is really depressing thinkin of all the wonderful dogs being diagnosed with cancer and more and more of us are starting to believe a lot of the problem is over vaccination.....and that includes my vet. He has gone to vaxevr 3eas, nottal atra 7 (unles terehapens to be an outbreak of something) except for law required rabies. When you think of the amount of vax the dogs get--and I think they get more ehre than down there--on top of flea/tick conrol, heartworm prevention, and then so many have allergies and end up getting injetions for that, well that is a lot of drugs to be pumping into their bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 (edited) Bone cancers are very different to MCT. Bone cancers are usually the more aggressive cancers from what I have read. MCT is a funny cancer - the tumours can be very reactive and spread or they may just sit in a couple of spots and not do much (the latter is what has happened to us, thankfully). Would you consider holistic treatment to compliment the coventional vet care? I believe that is why Ollie is still with us. Dogsbesotted had a lovely old Maremma (Lucinda) who was dxd with MCT grade 3 and told to take her home and make the most of the next few months - Lucinda lived a further 6 years. Lucinda was only treated holistically. Moopers boy, Jack, was a grade 3 and the tumour was removed with clear margins - he is doing really well. There are more positive stories than ones that end in a short time, so hang in there - we will all help as much as we can with information. I really think that lots of love, a positive attitude and using both types of treatment help so much. Diet plays a big factor in how well cancer dogs do - try to get as much of the carbs in his diet out. Carbs are not good for cancer dogs. Ollies diet is mainly meat (chicken, turkey, roo, steak & kidney, tuna) and he has some pumpkin or sweet potato to just coat the meat. He also has cottage cheese with flax oil every couple of days as a treat. He still gets doggy choc drops to take his plethora of tablets (he takes pills 3 times a day) and he is happy to take them as long as he gets a good treat. I also give him a bit of fruit now and then when I have a bit. It is the grains and fillers in commercial foods that need to be removed. Thinking of you ETA: I agree with the vax discussion - Ollie is only vaccinated every 2 years. Edited May 12, 2009 by Staffyluv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldens Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Honey has b een on Taste Of The Wild food for a year now. It is grainless. It come in 3 formyulas and she prefers the High Prairie which is buffalo and deer, fruist and veggies, etc, and is becomigvery popular ovrhere One formula is Wetlands and is duck, pheasant, etc, and one is Pacific Stream--orsomething similar tothat and is salmon. However, I do give hr canned salmon or mackeral a couple of times a week, or fresh caught fish if I have luck fishing. She ss on fish oil and vitamin E and EsterC, mik thistle and cranberry capsuls I just learned of Essiac Tea and am going to order some of it. My vet has her on Benadryltables to help fight the histamine given off by MCTs. I lost my 12 1/2 year old Irish Setter, Boots to bone cancer back on July 7, 1997. He started limping on the Friday and we thought his arthritis was acting up, By Monday when we could get him to the vet he was dragging thatleg. It was such an aggressive kind that my vet said we coupld amputate THAT DAY and hope it had not spreadl wait a couple of days and he would probably not be able to get up or want to eat and then release him, or do nothing and let him go on his own----which of course Rickey knew I would NEVER do. Because of his age and having arthritis, we decided to give him a coupl of good days doing what he loved most--going fishing with me. Wll, long story shrt, he learned a bunny hop, he put on weight, he swam, he cahsed crabgs in shallow water, even pulled fish off my stringer a couple of times. I took him in 2-3 times each week for my vet to look at him, weight him (he didn't charge me) and each time he would say "Well, we don't have to do i yet. I had that old man exactly 10 weeks, 10 fun filled weeks of goinG fishing with me every single day. We never regreted no amputating o doing drastic measures. A younger dog, we would have dealth with it differently, tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labsrule Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 So sorry to hear about Honey's MCT and lots of best wishes for a positive outcome on her results and recovery from surgery. I will be thinking about you and sending lots of healing vibes Honey's way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbesotted Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 as Staffyluv has said... MCTs are tricky but it is also possile for honey to live a long and happy life after diagnosis. I do feel that complementary/holistic therapy is a powerful aid to quality of life. Good luck withy Honey cheers helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Kelpies Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Hi goldens, I'm so sorry to hear your news and I'm sending all my best wishes and healing thoughts to you and Honey. I'm sure you've been doing lots of research and have checked out plenty of websites but please take a look at these. They were so helpful to me when my two dogs were dignosed with cancer. I'm sure labsrule will agree with me. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CanineCancer/ http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/cance...age=Jun2004.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldens Posted May 17, 2009 Author Share Posted May 17, 2009 I have already joined the yahoo rou, and also told another mast cell tumor victim owner about ti and she has joined also with her dog Bailey. We met onDogser when I posted about Honey and she replied her dog had the surger 2 months ago and is having problem.s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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