I have written to you about Lukes problem recently, we have now found another lump at the top of his leg where it joins the neck,
it seems mobile but is the size of a 1p piece
the mobile vet we had in checked it and said,
it could be a gland and only a needle biopsy would tell whats going on,but as they would not be able to do anything if it was nasty, and to be ignorant and see how things might plan out may be our best option,is there nothing we can do?
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 18th, 2007 at 02:16 PM
Hi there, I disagree, I believe that any mobile growth should be removed and biopsied. It may be benign, it may be malignant, but the only way you know is to do some testing to find out. You may need to do further testing if it does turn out to be a malignant mass, but there may be things that can be done for certain types of malignancies. I think you should definitely take Luke to see a different vet who may be more amenable to working up these growths as it seems that is what you would like to do! Best of luck!
Charles says:
December 18th, 2007 at 04:53 PM
We had him checked out at our vets this afternoon,he confirmed it was a gland that was up near his neck and said it is most likely having had a tumour removed from his toe 10 weeks ago that it is a secondry tumour that may go to his lungs or liver and kidneys,we are very upset at his findings and its now just wait and see, he could not tell us how long he has got,I only wish we new,but at the moment he is as bright as a button.
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 18th, 2007 at 06:40 PM
I am very sorry to hear about it, hopefully Luke remains happy and comfortable for as long as you have him around. Enjoy your time with him, especially while he is happy and bright! All the best.
Charles says:
December 18th, 2007 at 06:50 PM
Thank you so much for your support,needless to say we are devastated,have you any idea how long he could go on for ?
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 18th, 2007 at 07:25 PM
To be honest, I would need to have a biopsy to tell you what kind of cancer it was in order to answer you properly. Like i said, without that information we still do not know what is going on for sure. However, if it is a nasty type of cancer, it can vary - you will know he is starting to feel poorly when his appetite starts to wane and his activity level decreases. I hope it doesnt happen for a long long time.
Charles says:
December 18th, 2007 at 07:40 PM
Thank you,the vet did not take any type of biopsy,he seems to think it must be malignant after the episode of his toe tumour 10 weeks ago. Regards, Charles
Charles says:
December 19th, 2007 at 12:09 PM
I wonder if you could explain to make it easier for me to understand, this swollen gland at the top of his leg,the one of which he had the toe removed. what does that signifies, is that the tumour or does that confirm he has a tumour,or does it mean he will eventually get a tumour ? sorry for all the questions its just that I would like to know where we are going. Regards, Charles
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 19th, 2007 at 01:00 PM
No problem - if this growth at the top of his leg is in fact a gland, what that means is that it is a lymph node. If a lymph node at that site gets so swollen that you can actually feel it, it means that the node is extremely overly active. Because of the fact that he had a tumor on his toe on that leg, the odds are that the tumor has spread up to the lymph node and is in fact inside the lymph node itself...which means that it may have spread beyond just that leg. Does this make it a bit more clear to you?
Charles says:
December 19th, 2007 at 01:37 PM
Thanks Brian, Sop what you are saying is that could have already started to attack elswhere,like lungs etc.? do you think he will be ok going away for xamas and back on the 27th Dec. he still is bright and eating all his food. Sorry to keep worrying you, Kind Regards, Charles
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 19th, 2007 at 01:51 PM
That is what I am saying, yes, IF in fact it is a lymph node that is involved. I obviously can not confirm that to be true without examining Luke myself, but this seems to be what your vet believes it to be. He should be fine to go away for a few days as long as his appetite and activity level remains good - these sort of situations usually deteriorate quite slowly in my experience.
Charles says:
December 19th, 2007 at 07:32 PM
Would a course of steroids not help ? only a friend I meet with their dog say's it has a tumour on the front of his head and the vet put him on steroids but now he is off them and still seems active. Kind regards, Charles
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 19th, 2007 at 10:59 PM
A course of steroids might help, depending on what is actually going on. Again, we have no diagnosis of what this lump is, we are going on your vet's presumption. I would ask your vet about the steroid issue, seeing as he is the only person who can prescribe it for you! My personal interest would lie in taking a needle biopsy first.
Charles says:
December 28th, 2007 at 06:59 PM
Took Luke today to the vets for his monthly allergy injection,he still seems ok ,he is always ready for his food and is quite bright,the vet says he thinks the gland has got slightly larger since he last saw him,would you think that it is possible for him to go on for a few more months because he says its inevitable that it will spread to somewhere else. ? Kind Regatds Charles. PS we took him away for xmas and he was fine.
Experienced Advisor Brian Spar says:
December 28th, 2007 at 08:11 PM
Anything is possible Charles, however it would be impossible for me to give you a prognosis without a diagnosis. As long as he is clinically doing fine, I anticipate he will do ok for a while. Once his appetite goes, he starts acting lethargic, etc, at that point I would consider his quality of life as suffering. All the best.
Charles says:
January 02nd, 2008 at 03:04 PM
I have now noticed that Luke has about 5 small,about the size of a large pea swellings on the leg that had the toe removed in October also one the size of a pea on his rib cage,could you tell me what these mean,and is he perhaps nearing the end ? Kind Regards, Charles
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