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Ginger Has A Mast Cell Tumour


Poppy's mum
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What is it with this spate of mast cell tumours? I was shocked 2 weeks ago to find a large, loose-ish soft-ish lump hanging on the back of one of Ginger's legs, hidden by her coat. Straight to the vet. Lab report said mast cell tumour. It was removed 2 days later. Unfortunately it was in the soft tissue and a lot of muscle had to be removed.

I know what a shock it must have been for the others to find these tumours appearing out of nowhere. I thought it was just another simple lump. The lab report on the tumour came back Grade 1, to my great relief but no clean margins, I guess because of where it was in the soft tissue and the amount that had to be removed.

Ginger is 9, silky terrier cross maybe chi (my best guess). She has always thought she was a mini-Border Collie, smart, active, unstoppable. I was sure she'd live to 20.

She has bounced back amazingly well, I'm trying hard to enforce the "no running, no jumping" rule, she bangs in and out of the dog door in her Elizabethan collar...stitches out Friday, then fingers crossed.

I feel so guilty I didn't notice it earlier.

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Hope she will be ok. Gr 1 gives hope. One of mine has a mct off at 2, died at 10. And don't feel bad, I took her to the vet about a lump on her neck which was growing really fast, and when I was there, I mentioned a warty looking thing on her stomach which had never grown at all and had been there for months.

Lump on her neck was an insect bite, the warty looking thing was a mast cell tumour!! I was just lucky, I think.

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Have a read of Ollie's thread on mast cell cancer..

He was grade 2 no clear margins with multiple tumour sites..

The first time they got no clear margins they went back and removed more tissue and muscle from his rump (the site of the biggest tumour) and still were not successful in getting clear margins.

He had chemo and was holistically treated and lived an extra 6 years (after being given 12-18 months if he had chemo)..

I know of a few grade 3 dogs who lived many years, with and without surgery...

Diet has loads to do with cancer patients and how they do...

A good holistic vet is important as they can check blood tests etc and give supplements to help support the dogs immune system..

Anti histamines are important with MCT as the tumours release histamine when they are active. Ollie used to take a whole polaramine tablet each day and rarely had a histamine release..

Good luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ginger is doing well - lively as a cricket.

Vet has suggested starting her on Palladia.

Any thoughts?

I have read about various side-effects and the necessity for ongoing testing (liver damage etc)

The side effects are noted because they can happen.. From what I have read about it (no experience with it because it came out much later than we could have used it), they don't seem to happen much...

Good luck with it and please keep us updated, I for one will be very interested to hear about your treatment..

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  • 3 weeks later...

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