Hi again! So recently we move been giving Lucius regular baths to help his itching which I take him to a grooming salon where I work for and give him a good groom while he's there . And while drying him with a doggy hair dryer yesterday I noticed a black lump no bigger than a very small pea on his back end . I originally thought it might be a skin tag but it's not the right shape or colour for one as he's got two skin tags on his lip which he got when he was three. He's going to be five in April. I'm a little concerned as to what it might be. Not sure if this picture will show up but hopefully it will not sure how to send pictures on my phone.
Hi Go the bottom of the home page and look at technical help for photo posting. The rule of thumb seems be be to watch any new lump for a month and if it doesn’t clear get it checked out at the vets. Obviously if it starts to get bigger go sooner. Post a photo if you can.
Will be keeping an eye on it over the next week or so to see if it gets any bigger but might do a trip to the vet just in case
I think it’s worth going for peace of mind. They can do a quick needle aspiration(if Lucius will stay still...mine won’t) Let us know how you get on.
Lucius is very good at the vet, the only place he behaves! Will definitely let you know he he gets on
So we took him to the vet today as the lump had started bleeding which was a bit worrying . He also has a skin infection which keeps recurring as he seems to have some sort of allergy to something. The vet has given us some meds in the hope it clears up the skin problem. As regards to the lump the vet is hoping it's just a skin tag that has gotten irritated due to the skin problems and should hopefully clear up in two weeks. If it doesn't then he's going to do some tests just to rule out skin cancer /melanoma. He has said it is unlikely as he's still quite young but doesn't want to rule it out. So we will keep an eye on it in two weeks and of it's still there it will be tested on.
Thanks for reporting back. Without wanting to alarm you further if you look at my post on Mast Cell Tumour Diagnosis you can see what we have been dealing with. The reason I mention it now is I have just come back from a follow up dermatologist appointment. I have been trying to get to the bottom of Toby’s allergy and although his symptoms aren’t severe I know that a lot of dogs that get Mast Cell cancer are allergic dogs. However I was told today that being allergic doesn’t cause MCTs. In Toby’s case and being so young it is likely to be genetic. First step was to address fungal issues with foot baths and medication. That is now no longer present but the scratching around his head is. Next step is an elimination diet using an Anallergenic dog food not Hypoallergenic. He drew a very complicated picture on a wipe board to show the difference. If the scratching stops in the next 8 weeks he will be introduced to different proteins to get a reaction and eliminate the culprit. Final step if that fails is to look at environmental factors. Most likely allergy will be dust mites(there are options then going forward) Sorry for the ramble but during the consultation he mentioned two drugs that dogs with MCT shouldn’t have and one of those is Apoquel. I don’t remember the other. Toby was on Apoquel as a young pup. I am hoping that given the fact you don’t know what the lump is the vet hasn’t given you that. As I say this hopefully won’t alarm you too much but I have learnt a lot over the last few months and there are things I wish I knew back then. Keep us posted.
Thank you for all the information! The vet thinks it is unlikely a MCT because he is so young. As for the Apoquel he is on it at the moment, dont think this will be a permenant thing though as he's hoping to give it in small amounts for a short period. Any other medication might react with the stuff he is already on (inflacam, nutraquin and cefaseptin). I did a bit of research on apoquel as soon as I read this message, and I see how dogs can get MCT and other cancers from it, especially lymphoma. So I am worried about using it but at the moment we have very few options left. As he is on the inflacam for potentially the rest of his life (hoping to take him off it in the summer months) this could also cause potential issues such as his stomach flare ups can be worsened by his inflacam he is on. Will keep an eye on him but will stop the Apoquel if it causes any problems. He was on Dermanolon but this can thin his skin and cause more problems, and has since stopped working for him. Thank you for your advice. Dont worry about alarming me I'd rather know everything so I can help him out as much as possible.
They are more commonly found in dogs around 8+ Toby has been very unlucky as he was only 18months when diagnosed. I will keep everything crossed you manage to avoid this. Have you looked at his diet?
Lucius is so far on a raw diet (Natural Instinct) and only eats chicken, chicken and salmon, duck and turkey as these are the only meats he can have without being ill. He has a wheat allergy and is also allergic to beef. We have to be careful what we feed him as it can set off an allergic reaction which can be fatal if not treated immediatly as he can quickly become dehydrated and had to be on a drip overnight the last time this happened. Lucius has been very unlucky his whole life: Food allergies, eyesight problems (suspected PRA but nothing diagnosed properly), now his skin irritation and the lump on his leg. As well as anxiety which he is getting over slowly. Hopefully he will be lucky this time.
Ah bless him. What a horrible start for him and you! Toby is on raw too so I’m a bit reluctant to change him back to do this elimination diet. However it’s only for a few weeks so I’ll give it a go. He can’t eat raw chicken or beef but is ok with Duck Turkey and Salmon. Toby is also anxious around people he doesn’t know. You don’t get to stroke him unless you are best mates! He backs away so quickly. He is also on constant alert to noises outside. He has a bark to give you a heart attack! However he is so lovable you just have to do your best for them. Hoping you will be on a winning streak with this one.
Lucius is the same with people ! He used to lunge at people from across the street and bark ( ive had people tell me he sounds like a German shepherd or a mastiff ) and after some vigorous training in and around towns and busy areas he seems to have gotten past that phase. I can now take him into a room full of strangers and know he won't lunge at anyone. Greeting people is still 50/50 sometimes he's fine and other times he won't stop barking but will eventually say hello. I've recently starting working in a pet shop and he goes down there as regularly as I can take him and he now gets on with everyone there and is slowly realising people aren't there to hurt him. Now to stop him from barking for more cuddles !
