Dog Mast Cell Tumors
My dog was just recently diagnosed with three mast cell tumors. The vet said she recommends getting them removed. Does anyone have any past experience with these? Is it harmful to let them be?
2 Answers
I'm hesitant to post this because it's not a story with a happy ending. There's lots of information out there about mast cell tumors, so you've probably already read plenty of terrible things. Anyway, you asked and I have experienced it, so here's a short version of our story.
At age 14 our dog got a cyst on her shoulder. We had it removed and it came back as a mast cell tumor within a few months. We had the tumor removed with the understanding that it was a temporary comfort thing and would give us some time to play with her as a healthy dog. We had to put her down within a couple of months of the surgery, but we did get one last really fun month with her. Looking back, I don't regret a day with her but I'm not convinced surgery was the right thing.
I hope you're lucky and your pup's tumors are the least aggressive.
When I worked as a Vet Tech we unfortunately dealt with alot of Mast Cell Tumors that were malignant. I would err on the side of caution and definately have them removed. Has your vet done a needle biopsy or anything?