Results are bad...but good...

Got the call from the vet today with Stella's pathology results.  The pigmented skin tag on Stella's paw, the one the oncologist was somewhat worried about, was nothing; just a skin tag.  The one on the back of her right hind leg, the one BOTH our regular vet and oncologist was certain was nothing turned out to be Mast Cell Tumor #3.  The pathology report however stated that the tumor was Grade 1 and had clean margins, which means it was fully excised and there are no residual cancer cells in the area.

So there's nothing more to do with this tumor but I somehow feel so sad, so uneasy.  A third one?  Really?  We pointed out the lump on Stella's right hind leg in August, a little more than a year post treatments.  At the time it was thought to be nothing but in hindsight we now know that she developed another MCT in one year or just over a year after the discovery of MCT #2.  MCT #2 had been discovered around a year after the removal of MCT #1.  Is this a pattern?

The oncologist said there is no pattern.  MCT's pop up "just because".  There is no "likelihood" one way or the other.  Asked Dr. F if there was any sort of drug therapy to start as a preventative - we already knew the answer, as I was sure we asked this before....."no, there is nothing you can do to try to prevent this from recurring and/or progressing".

So it's as it has always been - we have to keep a close eye on Baby Girl and whenever we feel or see ANY little thing we are to report it right away.  The oncologist said it does not have to mean surgery each time; we can start with a biopsy or needle aspiration.

Stella and Betty get a bath in our bathtub every 2 to 3 weeks and that is the time we really scrutinize her skin and body.  This is how we found the lump on her hind leg.  We're doing the best we can, I only wish there was something else we could do.  But she remains a happy spoiled little girl so that will have to do for now.

Stitches will be removed next week.....

Helpful Suggestion

I forgot to mention in my last post and probably in previous posts that whenever Stella (or our other pets) has any kind of procedure where she will be anesthetized we always ask the vet (if our regular vet is the one performing the procedure, not a specialist) to go ahead and clean and/or scale Stella's teeth.  This is what we did today with Stella's skin tag(s) surgery and with past procedures she has had at the regular vet's office. 

You may as well kill two birds with one stone and then your pet won't need additional anesthesia at some other point.  This of course will make your bill higher but, if your dog has teeth like ours do, they're going to need to have them done periodically.  So the bill will come anyway but you can save your pet from another anesthesia dose.  Having pets under anesthesia, especially brachycephalic dogs (those with pushed in faces), can be dangerous so the less times the better.

Incidentally, if you have a Pug you KNOW how hard it can be to cut their nails.  This would be my Baby Girl's ONE flaw!!  We always ask the vet and the techs to do this at any visit but, again, if they're going under anesthesia anyway we always ask them to throw in a pet-i-cure....ha ha.



Oh, and one more thing, did I ever mention how we care for Stella & Betty's teeth?  We use a product called PetzLife.  It is a gel that is rubbed on their teeth; we apply it with our finger while wearing a rubber glove.  The gel also encourages them to lick their teeth more which aids in the cleaning.  We have been using this product for about 2 years now and have been very happy with the results - it has slowed the tartar build-up a lot.  It comes in mint flavor which would be pleasant for us (to smell) and a salmon oil flavor which of course dogs would prefer.  We buy the salmon oil flavor; smells like minty salmon - sounds gross, I know, but the smell surprisingly does not linger on their breath or end up on their bedding or toys. 

Anyhoo, just thought I'd mention it.

*We are not affiliated with PetzLife or their products in any way nor have we been paid or asked to review the product(s).  We were never offered free samples or contacted by the PetzLife company at any time.  Product mentioned above was purchased with our own money and the expressed statements are our own unbiased and unpaid personal opinion.

Skin Tag(s) Surgery

Stella had the surgery this morning to remove the skin tags mentioned in my last post.  Originally our vet thought she would do the procedures under sedation but changed her mind and opted for general anesthesia as the bump on the back of Stella's hind leg would take a bit longer and she didn't want Stella to have any discomfort. 

Surgery went fine and Stella came home with a few pink stitches on her paw and leg.  Both skin tags were sent out to pathology and we should have the results early next week.  The stitches will be removed in about 10 days.

Skin tags?

Stella had another 6 month check up with the oncologist today - it has been almost 21 months since she finished radiation therapy.  Everything has been "same old same old" with her except that we noticed a small black skin tag (about the size of a sesame seed) on her left front paw.  We asked our regular vet about it back in October when we were in her office for our other Pug, Betty's, abdominal surgery.  Our vet looked at it and said it was "just a skin tag".  Since we were having a check up with the oncologist we thought we'd point it out to her.  The oncologist agrees that it is a skin tag but she does not like that it is pigmented.  She told us that 80% of the time skin tags are benign but given that it is pigmented and Stella has a cancer history we should have it removed.  On a side note, Stella's first mast cell tumor was also black but did not look anything like this skin tag.
 

 
 
On August 1, 2012 I blogged about a fleshy little bump that Stella had on the back of her right hind leg.  The oncologist stated at that time the she believed this to be in the skin tag family and we would watch it for now but she was not too concerned.  At our visit today we told the oncologist that the appearance of the bump had changed somewhat; it was a firm bump in August but now it is slightly bigger and softer and has also shriveled up like a raisin.  Dr. F. is still not too concerned about it and says it may have been cystic and ruptured but since Stella will be under anesthesia anyway we should have it removed as well.
 

 

August 2012

 

 

 



 

February 2013

 

We are opting to have the procedure(s) done with our regular vet which the oncologist is fine with.

So we're off to get the usual pre-op bloodwork and Stella will have her surgery on Thursday (2/28).

Betty

I thought the waiting was going to kill us.  The pathologist's report for Betty's mass stated it was "pre-cancerous" and was fully excised, with clean margins and with no sign of spreading.  Thank goodness!

 

Such a good girl, getting her stitches checked...

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile...

Stella's "sister", Betty (our other Pug adopted from a puppy mill 2 years ago), had surgery today for removal of a mass along her mammary chains.  Vet stated it looked "nasty" and is concerned it is cancerous; Mammary Gland Tumor (breast cancer).  Once again we play a round of the waiting game; Pathologist's report is due next week.

This can't possibly be happening again.....

Boodwork Results

Completely normal :)