Histiocytoma.... what to do to help?

[joeys mom]

My poor guy Chance has had a histiocytoma on his back for several weeks now. I took him to the vet about 4 weeks ago when it was much smaller, about the size of a small raisin. I was pretty sure that it was a hysito but wanted to make sure....Dr. Checked it and confirmed that it was and said let’s wait and let it hopefully go away on its own.... My first boxer Joey had 2 histiocytomas, so I have dealt with them before. The first one he had (on tail) went away on its own after about 6 weeks or so. The second (Front lower leg) had to be removed. It was a horrible ordeal....Surgery involved, Long story... :( so now I don't know what to do with Chance. After the Dr. shaved the hair and checked it, it grew to about 3 times its original size and has formed a scab where they aspirated it. :( I try to keep Neosporin on it to help it heal and so it isn't so dry but when I put the Neosporin on it Chance can smell it and he goes crazy try to get at it. He cannot reach it thankfully but it is driving him crazy trying too. It is driving us a bit crazy watching him run in circles sometimes for 15-20 min. at a time. Any suggestions on what I should do, how long should I wait before having it removed? How big is too big? I REALLY don't want put him through surgery IF I don't have to but know that is a big possibility and don't want to wait to ling and let it get too big. What can I do to help him from going crazy trying to get at it other than Neosporin. I did try a topical anesthetic thinking maybe if it were numb it wouldn't bother him as much and it didn't help, that's what makes me think he is "smelling it Sorry so long, here is a pic to give you an idea on the placement and size.

 

[Roge]

Mama knows best !!! Sometimes you just know it either is or it's not going to happen .. It does look a tad on the nasty side , I'd give it another week or two and if there's no improvement I'd have it removed .. But in saying that I have no experience with this , go with your gut feeling ..

 

[Linda/NJ]

Our first boxer had one on her leg, we had it removed, it has been a while not sure how big it was. When it was removed it never came back. Now Lily I had one behind her leg, like back of ankle, it would bleed when they rubbed it for grooming. It came off a few times, but it was tiny little thing. It is gone for now. What did you vet say? I know what you mean, how big is too big? Shame the location it is, sure obvious. How about something like calamine lotion to dry it up?

 

[joeys mom]

What did you vet say? I know what you mean, how big is too big?

He said just keep an eye on it and to keep Neosporin on it.... he agrees with me on only surgically removing it as the last option. I think maybe it has stopped growing, or at least I am hoping anyway. I feel so bad for Chance cause he so badly wants to lick it and cant. I have worried that he will pull a muscle trying to reach it. I am going to give it 2 more weeks than we will go back to the Dr. to check it again if it hasn't started getting smaller. I just feel so bad for Chance when he is trying to lick it. I am worried that he will pull/strain a muscle.

Shame the location it is, sure obvious.

Yeah it couldn't be any more obvious unless it were on his face BUT the good thing is that he CANT lick it

 

[mistydwilson]

Easton has one on the side of his face beside his eye. It just popped up all of a sudden one day (about the size of the eraser on an old-school pencil) and it scared me. We took him to the vet that weekend and she did a needle aspirate and said it was a histiocytoma and to just leave it alone. His scabbed over after the test too and he could reach it to scratch it. It has just started to go down in the last week, and we took him to the vet almost 6 weeks ago. But his didn't get any bigger.

If it is completely scabbed over, could you use Polysporin instead of Neosporin? It's used to keep scabs soft but doesn't have the antibacterial properties of Neosporin. And it doesn't smell as strong as Neosporin. Maybe Chance wouldn't be able to smell it?

 

[Linda/NJ]

Yes it is good he can't get to it. I hope it goes away soon.

 

[joeys mom]

If it is completely scabbed over, could you use Polysporin instead of Neosporin? It's used to keep scabs soft but doesn't have the antibacterial properties of Neosporin. And it doesn't smell as strong as Neosporin. Maybe Chance wouldn't be able to smell it?

Hmmm I have never heard of polysporin but I am definitely going to find some tomorrow and give it a try!
Thank you! I hope Easton's continues to go down

 

[Independence]

With it being that size it may take a few more weeks to start looking better. I think if it's not bleed or bothering him too much I would let it be.

 

[BoxerDevotee]

My poor guy Chance has had a histiocytoma on his back for several weeks now. I took him to the vet about 4 weeks ago when it was much smaller, about the size of a small raisin. I was pretty sure that it was a hysito but wanted to make sure....Dr. Checked it and confirmed that it was and said let’s wait and let it hopefully go away on its own.... My first boxer Joey had 2 histiocytomas, so I have dealt with them before. The first one he had (on tail) went away on its own after about 6 weeks or so. The second (Front lower leg) had to be removed. It was a horrible ordeal....Surgery involved, Long story... :( so now I don't know what to do with Chance. After the Dr. shaved the hair and checked it, it grew to about 3 times its original size and has formed a scab where they aspirated it. :( I try to keep Neosporin on it to help it heal and so it isn't so dry but when I put the Neosporin on it Chance can smell it and he goes crazy try to get at it. He cannot reach it thankfully but it is driving him crazy trying too. It is driving us a bit crazy watching him run in circles sometimes for 15-20 min. at a time. Any suggestions on what I should do, how long should I wait before having it removed? How big is too big? I REALLY don't want put him through surgery IF I don't have to but know that is a big possibility and don't want to wait to ling and let it get too big. What can I do to help him from going crazy trying to get at it other than Neosporin. I did try a topical anesthetic thinking maybe if it were numb it wouldn't bother him as much and it didn't help, that's what makes me think he is "smelling it Sorry so long, here is a pic to give you an idea on the placement and size.

My Bertie had a histiocytoma on his right ear flap a few years ago. The vet thought it might go away, but it didn't. It continued to grow at an alarming rate, and whenever Bertie scratched, it would bleed, so I had it removed. My vet did a really neat job and Bertie was back to normal in no time at all.The 'wait and see' approach did not work and I regretted not having plumped for surgery earlier - it would have saved Bertie a lot of discomfort. My advice would be to grasp the nettle and have it removed as soon as possible (provided Chance is fit enough). The longer you wait, the bigger the histio. is likely to become, which will make for more challenging surgery and a longer recovery.

 

[joeys mom]

Well this is where we are .... It it has not shown any signs of growing , in comparison it is about the size of a dime, so we have waited and kept an eye on it and it looks as if it is starting to, I don't know if I should say "dry up" or "die" but this is what it looks like.... I haven't been putting anything ( Neosporin or polysporin) on it in a while because whenever I did that is when it would make him go crazy.