Hi all… hoping for some advice. Our 11 year old lab is on his second journey with mast cell tumor. His first has 6 years ago, on his hip. Now, he has 2 confirmed tumor. On on his chest, and the other on his prepuce (groin area). That one has grown rapidly in the last 6 weeks, and he has to wear a cone because it’s so itchy and he keeps licking. Our vet put him on Benadryl to help take down the histamines. We’ve also learned he’s developed a significant heart murmur in the last 6 months. So now I’m left with … what to do? The tumor on his prepuce needs to come off asap. The vet is obviously worried about it inhibiting his ability to go pee. We would also take off the other tumor at that time BUT, the heart murmur means he is not a good candidate for anesthetic. And, we are conscious of the cost. All of this adds up quickly, and to what end? A big recovery, (the prepuce tumour removal is likely to be a more complicated removal than the chest one), for him to be 11, and with a heart murmur. Am I putting him through more trauma than he needs? Or is it worth it?
I really feel for you. Balancing proportionate treatment, quality outcomes and cost is really a hard call. I think you probably will have to be guided by your vet. Just wanted to add I had a newfoundland who was born with a significant heart murmur. She had one anesthetic to be spayed and lived till nearly 13. I think the issue for you is the complexity of the surgery and then supporting it to heal. I hope your vet can support this difficult decision making, maybe ask him/her what they would do if it was their dog. Best wishes.
Hi I am sorry you are going through this again. My dog’s journey with MCT is well documented on here but he was only 18months old at the time. Do you know what grade the tumours are?Has the vet ruled out the heart murmur being connected to internal spread of the MCTs? I think I would want to know the answer to those question before considering surgery. Lymph nodes could be tested? There is also a new treatment called Stelfonta which avoids surgery but is only suitable for certain sizes/ locations. If you have a good relationship with your vet I would be guided by them. All the best going forward.
I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. Has your vet given you any more information since you posted here? I agree with J.D and Edp - I would be guided by the vet - and I would ask them a lot of questions about what your dog's experience is likely to be, and the chances of loss of life/loss of quality of life (including pain), with surgery and without. I hope they're able to help you make a decision that feels right for you and your Lab. x
