CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: makenna on December 10, 2024, 03:20:54 PM
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Has anyone dealt with this? My cocker had a lump near his nipple, I was told to watch it but it started to bleed so had it removed and tested. It came back as a sweat gland Adenocarcinoma. They don’t think it has spread and they got good margins, so my instructions are basically to just watch and have him checked if any new ones pop up.
Obviously, I’m still in panic mode. My guy is 10. I know there is no real way to tell what the prognosis is, it could come back soon or not for a long time. I’ve read a lot about anal gland carcinomas, which isn’t what he had, but am now wondering if it is possible for him to be at greater risk for that since had had one on his abdomen, and that would be something that is harder for me to monitor (and I think has a worse prognosis as well).
I plan to ask my vet some questions when he gets his staples out, but I’m just panicky at the moment and not thinking clearly. I’m not sure how much my vet knows, he’s obviously not an oncologist though I do trust him, but maybe an oncologist would be overkill.
Has anyone had experience with this that could give some insight?
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No replies yet, but I figured I would update. I went back to the vet to get his staples out today and asked my vet a ton of questions (I also have read all the research there is on this, which isn't much). I felt him over and made a list of his lumps and bumps and had the vet check them. I also had them express his anal glands because I wanted to be sure that there wasn't anything back there. They did find a lump in his rectum but not the anal glands, which is good; we are going to go back in a month to see if it grows at all and if it does they will remove it.
Otherwise, I asked him specifically what to keep an eye out for and he made me feel a bit better. Anxiety is still high, especially with the other lump (honestly, if they'd asked me today I probably would have just removed it so I could proceed to panic or feel more relieved) but hopefully all will turn out well.
There isn't much data on this kind of thing at all, but based on what there is it seems like he really has the best case scenario. It tends to happen to older dogs apparently, and most of the dogs that were reviewed in one of the main studies were either still alive or had passed from other old-age things. As long as I keep on top of things he should be okay (cross fingers, knock on wood, and all of that - because I'm sure it's still something I will fret over).
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Makenna - You've certainly acquired a lot of knowledge, pretty much as I did when my lovely girl Nina was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. It's such a worrying time and the panic does us no good at all! I'm sure you have your man for many years yet. Take care and stay vigilant! xx
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Sorry not to have any advice but I do understand how you feel. Although we‘re being constantly warned about consulting Dr.Google, I do think it pays to do some research, you learn what signs to look for, and it certainly helps when discussing with the vet.
All the best.
Xx
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Thank you both. The not knowing for sure, and not having much research on it, definitely put me on edge. Talking to my vet helped though, and hopefully I’ll feel better yet when they reexamine the other bump. Knowing me, if it hasn’t grown I’ll probably still ask them if I can come back in a few months later and have it checked yet again, ha.
I know at some point difficult decisions will have to be made, but hopefully not for a few years at least. For now I’ll just stay as vigilant as possible and take things as they come (easier said than done, but that’s the goal).
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I wanted to update again.
My original vet left town, before he was able to recheck his other lump which was probably a good thing. We switched vets entirely - I found a fear free vet who also does at home euthanasia, which while a bit morbid would be something I?d prefer to do when the time came. She felt it and said it was in his anal gland. We monitored for a month and she then referred us to the vet school - it hadn?t grown at all but she couldn?t confidently say what it was.
He is there today getting his anal gland removed. They did tests yesterday and confirmed to to be cancer, but it is still very small and hasn?t spread from what they can see. So they are removing it altogether.
I?m trying not to google too much for my own anxiety - the vets seem pretty optimistic that we caught it and the right time and all should be well. I?ve read other things where it?s been caught early and cancer popped up somewhere else anyway. Since it?s reared its head twice in the span of a few months, I suppose that doesn?t bode well but I?m not a vet. I?ll just do what I can for him.
He has been such a brave boy and they were gushing over how cute he is. He?s a good pup.
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I?m really sorry to read about your boy. Catching lumps early is the best you can do I think.
My six year old wcs had enlarged lymph nodes throughout her body and a lump in her neck in February. I went into a complete panic so know what you are going through. It appears in Kukri?s case it was an infection in her saliva gland, 3 weeks antibiotics has helped but her neck lymph nodes are still larger than they should be and white blood cell count very low.
Kukri has a bucket list - we are off to Scotland next week.
Hope your boy makes a good recovery x
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Thank you. The recovery has had ups and downs but he seems to be doing better I think.
I agree, it?s a rotten thing but we caught it as early as possible. I guess my anxiety was working in my favor there. I?m just waiting to get the results of all the tests back, next week maybe. He?s had enlarged lymph nodes that were tested before, and the surgeon didn?t think they were concerning, it was just a precaution.
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our gemma (she was 11) had a mammary cancer removed. early removal ( circumstances had us remove lump before we knew what it was), really good clearance but biopsy showed it was the worst aggressive kind. scans and x-rays showed up no internal spread. exactly 12 months later she was rushed to the emergency vet where x-ray showed she was riddled with cancer. all major organs and probably her brain aswell. we had no idea that she was so poorly , she never gave us a clue. Saddest day of our life. my point is once a cancer diagnosis, let them live a full life because they dont tell or show you they are ill. Believe me the cancer does go to the back of your mind, rushing Gemma to the vet, cancer reoccurrence did not enter my mind
much love x
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Thank you, and I?m sorry for the loss of your Gemma. It?s such a hard thing, they are all so special.
I will try to take things one day at a time. He turns 11 on Monday and I?ve got some goodies planned for that; he also has to go back into the vet that day so I have to make up for that. I should get the pathology results this week sometime, hopefully they are positive but we will deal with what comes. I?ve already determined that we won?t do any chemo or radiation (he hates the vet, I think the stress would be awful) so I?ll need to be sure to stick to that if it is recommended. I want to do anything to keep him around but quality of life is more important.
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I got an update with the pathology. They said it was "best case" scenario for this kind of thing - it was still small, they confirmed it hasn't spread, and they removed all of it with the gland. She said we could follow up with oncology as I know sometimes they do precautionary chemo with this kind of thing, but I always said I wouldn't put him through radiation or chemo so I won't do that. She recommended rectal exams every 3-4 months and ultrasounds every 6 or so months, but I'm going to talk to my regular vet about that. I know it could (and likely will) come back at some point, but it doesn't seem worthwhile to catch it via ultrasound if chemo or radiation is the only treatment option anyway, since I won't do that. So we may just hope for the best and as much time as we can.
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Just an update, we haven't really been formally monitoring because I don't think he could handle another surgery and I don't want to pursue chemo. He had his annual check today, though, and the did a check of the area. He has another mass that has grown and is about 1.5 centimeters. She's not sure if it is benign or a cancer regrowth.
She is going to contact the vet school to see what they'd suggest here. She knows I don't want to do surgery, but she says because of the location she's not sure they'd be able to access it surgically anyway. He's had some stomach issues recently and this may be contributing.
So...we will see. :-\
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That's concerning and I really hope it is nothing to do with the original issue. Please keep us posted.
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Thanks, I shall. I am still waiting to hear back from the vet school, but it's a holiday week so it may not be until Friday or so.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to matter if it's related to the original issue or not. My vet said if it was regrowth of the cancer, it would of course metastasize at some point. But even if it is benign, it would likely continue to grow and eventually cause a blockage. If the vet school can easily remove it, that would be the best bet. But it just seems like it's a matter of time either way. :'(
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Just checking in to see if there was an news.
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We had an appointment with the vet school Monday to check the lump in his rectum, plus another he had on his paw and another on the back of his neck.
Good news, the paw and neck lumps were benign. The one on his neck was a cyst that drained completely when they went to aspirate it.
Bad news, the vet was pretty sure the lump in his rectum was a recurrence of the anal gland cancer, so they did X-Rays and an abdominal ultrasound. Good news there was that the X-Ray of his lungs was totally clear. Bad news was that they found a couple of enlarged lymph nodes on the ultrasound. Worst news, they also found a large mass on his spleen.
Yesterday, he underwent surgery to remove his spleen, and while they were in there they also removed the lymph nodes and the rectal mass. I was so sure I didn't want to pursue additional surgery, but the alternative was that the mass could rupture unexpectedly and that would obviously be very painful and fatal. I am out of town this weekend and my mom is watching him, she said she couldn't bear to be worried all weekend that something could happen while I was away, so we did the surgery to buy a bit more time. Apparently the mass ruptured as soon as they took it out, so it was much needed.
Now, we just wait to see what the results of the spleen mass are. If it is cancerous, he could have a few months left before it pops up somewhere else. If it is benign, then he could have much longer as all of the visible cancer will have now been removed and we should have a bit before the anal gland cancer pops up somewhere else (and it's much slower moving). The vet said it was 50/50 if it was cancerous or benign. I'm hoping that the odds of a single dog having three separate types of cancer is low, but what do I know?
I get to bring him home tonight, he's been doing well and has been so incredibly brave. I'm grateful to the surgical vet as well as the intern we've been working with, they've been absolutely amazing.
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keeping fingers very tightly crossed for you and hoping the results are good!
:luv: :luv:
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Thinking of you and hoping for the best :luv:
:bigarmhug: :bigarmhug:
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Thank you both. :003:
It's been a rough recovery so far, we barely slept last night. He acts like he needs to go to the bathroom but struggles with it, and can't move around very easily without being in pain. I'm waiting on a call from the vet to see if there is some other pain medication I can give him between the times when the one he is currently taking starts to wear off.
She said about a week before we'll have the results. My luck, I'll get them when I'm out of town and have to cope without dragging the whole trip down. But regardless, I'm hoping this was the best option for him I just really hope he starts feeling better because it is so hard to see him like this and not be able to explain to him what's going on. :'(
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Poor lad, it's so stressful if you can't be there with him. You must be unable to think of anything else. Just hope he makes a swift recovery and has many more years ahead :bigarmhug: :bigarmhug:
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Thinking of you are your boy. Sending lots of love and positive thoughts from UK
Me and Harry
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Sending positive thoughts for Harry an hope that he is doing better now. :luv:
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Thank you all.
Recovery was difficult, but is getting better. He had some urinary incontinentence that seemed to have been caused by one of his medications but I think that is improving. He also had some weird poo habits (going frequently and in small amounts) but I believe that was due to the codeine and has stopped now since he's off it.
I received a call back from the vet this morning, and really don't have much of an answer I guess. The lymph nodes they removed were confirmed as spread of his anal gland cancer, but we already knew that. The spleen mass itself was largely consistent with a hematoma, which is good, but had some "suspicious" cells that they weren't sure about. I've done a lot of reading and it seems they could either be benign cells that reproduce and can mimic cancerous cells, or they could just be straight up cancer cells.
They are encouraging me to meet with the oncology department, which I may do. I'm not sure if I'd have him do chemo, as it seems like the prognosis isn't much longer with chemo if it really is a bad cancer. But I may get some more answers from them, so may meet with them for just that.
It's hard because either way you slice it, my dog does have cancer and will continue to, and eventually it is going to take him from me. :'( I guess it's just a matter of when and how. Maybe the oncologist can provide some insight in that area.
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I really feel for you and do hope the oncologist can give you the reassurance you need to help you decide the way forward, but you know your dog best, follow your heart and trust your own instincts, they?re your best guide.
Wishing you all the best. X
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I am so sorry to read your update and the choices, however I feel the research you have done will clear up some question and the onccologist others.
We had a diffent dilema with my boy Oliver, he was thirten at the time, it was in his throat and in a place were removal wasn't an option. The vet suggested to let him go - while he was still with her after exploraty surgery, my husband said no he wanted to bring him home and see how it went. He was with us over 2 years. Happy years where he still enjoyed his walks and meals ( boy did he love his food) and we cherised the time. We expected less so were blessed.
Whatever you decide the fact is that your boy is one lucky dog to be loved so much, sending positive thoughts to you.
J
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Thank you both. I do hope we get more time.
It's funny, he was such a troubled young dog but has really blossomed into the most amazing pup. I am so proud of him and just love him so much.
I think ultimately I just want to make sure he's happy and that his end is as peaceful as possible.
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When the vet was suggesting that the cause of Dylan's fits was a brain tumour, we did the research, and found that surgery is not well advanced and is risky, and that radiotherapy and chemo only gave about four extra months, and they probably wouldn't be happy ones. So we decided to just treat the seizures with medication and take it from there. So we don't knowmifmit's epilepsy or a tumour, but he's happy and himself at the moment, and I wouldn't want to put him through chemo for very little gain, so see where you are coming from too. Lots of love to both of you :bigarmhug:💐💖
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It's so difficult to know what to do. If you get all the information you can decide from there. You will make the right choice, I have no doubt about that.
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Thank you all.
He's back at the vet school today. They are going to do another ultrasound to see if there are any remaining enlarged lymph nodes, which will affect the type of chemo we do if we end up going that route. I'm still undecided in that area.
However, she did assure me that the mass on his spleen wasn't the super scary cancer and that they aren't worried about that right now. So that at least was a weight off my shoulders.
They also told me repeatedly that he was very cute and the vet even called him precious. :luv:
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Thank you all.
He's back at the vet school today. They are going to do another ultrasound to see if there are any remaining enlarged lymph nodes, which will affect the type of chemo we do if we end up going that route. I'm still undecided in that area.
However, she did assure me that the mass on his spleen wasn't the super scary cancer and that they aren't worried about that right now. So that at least was a weight off my shoulders.
They also told me repeatedly that he was very cute and the vet even called him precious. :luv:
Well, cute is a given ;) I hope your next appointment goes well.
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Thank you. :021: He doesn't really like strangers, so I'm always tickled when people comment on him being nice or sweet.
Coming off the anesthesia was really hard for him post-ultrasound, so I think I'm not going to pursue chemotherapy for him. I may talk with my vet next month when he goes in, but I'm just worried that all of the visits + the potential for side effects wouldn't be worth it, as I'm not really sure they can tell us that it will truly give him more, good quality time. It's really hard for me to just sit back and not intervene but I just have a gut feeling this is in his best interest. :'(
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Deciding to not intervene will be incredibly difficult. The vet may be able to give you some guidance. You should go with your gut, you know him best and you will make the right choice for him. Of that I am sure.
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Agree entirely with ejp. Throughout our dog?s lives we have to make so many decisions on their behalf and its rarely easy, especially when you?re being offered other opinions but no one knows your dog better than you, you know deep down what?s best for him, so follow your gut.
Sending good wishes :luv:
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our Gemma had a super scary mammary cancer. we removed the offending titty before we knew it was cancerous ( due to upcoming holiday and not wanting to wait ) Her scans and x-rays showed no further growths and vital organs clear. Chemotherapy was not deemed necessary . Unfortunately cancer took her exactly 12 months later with no symptoms or warnings. its unbelievable but true, our Gemma gave us nothing to suspect what was going inside. she woke up one sunday morning with a look you knew instantly that something was up. a hour later she was put to sleep with full body cancer . Its hard to decide what to do as far as treatment goes . But it looks like you will have time to enjoy and make more memories . We did not get that time, and it hurts .Not to have had the opportunity to be told take her home and love her for the next however long has caused us the greatest pain and regrets.
the mass on the spleen not super scary would concern me despite the vet saying different. They are like doctors, you go with 2 problems but they only deal with one and its the one they ignore that just sits there festering.
Thinking of you and your pup, they rely on us to make important decisions for them and they are happy to go forward with our decisions because they know we know best and despite it breaks our hearts they love us for it