2nd Mast Cell Tumor in as many weeks...

[Apollo1025]

Update from the test results

I spoke with the Vet this morning on Apollo's test results.

The lymph nodes came back with no Mast Cells found!

The tumor itself had clean margins, and was graded a 2. But she said that it should be a grade 1. I'm not sure what it was but something about the cells that was better than a usual grade 2.

She also took a 2nd sample from the surrounding deep tissue and had sent that off. That sample came back with a few miscellaneous cells, but it also had clean margins.

As of last night he has started coughing like he has something in his throat or that he needs to throw up but can't. From everything I've read it sounds like kennel cough. We took in a foster on Sunday and he has supposedly been vaccinated against kennel cough, but who knows if he brought it with him.

He also has two masses at the top of his incision that may need to be drained. So we're headed back to the Vet this afternoon. Wish us luck!

 

[Slobber Baby]

Good Luck!! appicon to Apollo!! Slobbery kisses to the new baby! Keep us posted!

Laura

 

[Apollo1025]

Thanks Laura!

We just got back from the Vet and she recommended us seeing an oncologist for Apollo even though they've gotten clean margins. We'd all hate to not exhause all efforts and then have something happen. We're next looking at an abdominal ultrasound and bone marrow aspiration if we decide to go further.

The masses at the top of his incision are scar tissue, she did aspirate and felt confident that they weren't to be worried about. We still will need to watch for fluid buildup as it continues to heal as they took quite a large mass.

AND - on top of it all, he does have kennel cough. They're pretty sure he DIDN'T get it from the foster, Katahdin, since he's only been here for 3 days and it normally takes 10-14. He's got meds for cough supression and strict orders to stay away from the foster for 7-10 days. That should be a fun one to figure out!!

 

[Mama_Zookeeper]

My boston Mia just went through 2 surgeries to remove a total of 5 mast cell tumors & chemo at the advice of a vet oncologist. It has been a wild ride to say the least. All her mast cell tumors were grade 1 with clean margins at the biopsy's. Due to the quantity & short time it took for them all to appear we went the chemo route.

http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67664&highlight=mast+cell

This is the thread from Mia's experience. We are still doing the daily benedryl, tagmant, adding oil to her diet (we alternate with virgin olive oil & Grizzly Salmon Oil). She is still eating raw & has not gained any of her weight back. Her scars are healing up fairly well. Her right side looks as though the hair may not completely grow back, but the scar is not very visible. Good Luck with your baby Apollo, we are all sending out healing vibes & lots of kisses! lovicon

Dora
P.S. Mia the boston says extra treat ie:cookies or banana's make healing go faster :p

 

[Princeton]

I am sure it will be fine. Prince my boy had had a total of 4 cancer ops 3 mast cell tumours and another type. For the first one my vet recommend we took him to the oncologist, I can't even remember why I took him to the vet on this day and they removed the first 3 with the first one he also had chemo. He was a mess and I said that I would never again make him suffer with another operation but another lump appeared and we kept getting it checked every 3 months (at his regular checkups for cancer!) just to make sure it wasn't cancerous then all of a sudden it grew to the size of a tennis ball in about 3 days we took him back to the vet who was still convinced it was fatty tissue cyst she wanted to remove it cause of the size to which we agreed. His back and sides were shaved to his arms which is still growing back 3 months later, but it came back another cancer which the margins weren't quite reached but the vet said not to stress about it - he has the most awful scars but is still a loving and beautiful - aged but beautiful furbaby!

Our thoughts are with you and your family during this time but oncologists are marvellous and they are trained to pick up cancers early.

 

[RonaldMM]

Neuticles?

Hope Apollo is doing fine. Does he have the neuticles implants? Did they cause this problem?

 

[kaylakobemom]

I hope Apollo is doing well. A week ago my 4 year old male, Kobe, had his 2nd mast cell tumor removal. His first surgery was right after his 3rd birthday and it was on the inner tip of his ear ... it looked like a little cyst or a bug bite. I took him to the vet and they did the asprit and it came back mast cells. He had the tip of his ear removed and the day before his surgery I felt a lump on his ribcage and they removed that too. Luckily, that one came back non-malignant. About a month ago, I noticed a large growth in Kobe's other ear and he would scratch at it every once in a while and my female boxer was obsessed with licking it. I took him to the vet and they did the asprit again and came back another mast cell tumor. Like I said, last week he had surgery to remove his whole ear. The first tumor came back a grade 1, but this one came back a grade 2. The vet is real concerned since the grade got worse and it was his 2nd tumor in about a years time. He talked to the oncologist and they feel by looking at the test results we're gonna let him just be and do no further treatments. The vet told me it's pretty much inevitable that he's going to get more tumors and eventually it's going to spread. It's so important for boxer owners to take your dog to the vet as soon as you see or feel a lump because after going through all this and finding out how boxers are the #1 breed for mast cell tumors. I'm just hoping my female isn't going to have to go through the same ... she's only 2.

 

[Lola's mum]

Sending love & licks to Apollo & you. Hope he's ok, poor boy.
Reading posts like this make the hairs on my arms stand on end.

 

[msjosi]

Well what can I say, but that I understand what you are going through and I wish Apollo a speedy recovery. Unfortunately the day before are vacation ended, I answered my vet's call with the results from Josi's bioposies/aspirations from a couple of weeks ago. I truly didn't think anything about it since she has had so many benign ones removed in the past and we just made it through a very devasting dx of boxer cardiomyopathy, but three of the cysts came back mast cell grade 2 with a low miopic rate. I am just crushed because Josi has had a really tough year with her TPLO, heart, and now this....my vet has faxed nc state university for another consultation so I guess we will be headed back there sooner than I thought for a mapping so they can determine the next step. Because the vet didn't think any of the cysts looked suspect and they didn't put her to sleep for the surgery b/c of her heart, all three of the cysts came back with dirty margins so they will have to go back in there. Hate to say "hi again" to you'll on this sad note, but I must admit I have been looking forward to getting home from the beach after I found out the news to get BWs support

 

[jenn77]

Unless I'm wrong, the dates from Apollo's story are from last year - August of 2005! I do hope he is ok and has made it this far. But it doesn't look like this is a new post - again, unless I am misinterpreting something.