Strange Spot On My Greyhound

[Guest siamant18]

Hello,

 

I am very new to this forum which has been recommended by my friend Mel (Scullysmum). We have recently discovered a strange spot on the thigh of my greyhound. I did not take it too seriously at first, as I thought it was simple spot. I did take Jupp to the vet though, when Mel mentioned the spot as well, as I panicked a bit having lost my beloved greyhound Carlson to Cushings Disease four months ago. The vet did not know what the spot was and has described antibiotics, which have had little effect so far. The vet suggested cutting the spot out in order to find out what it is, but I am not keen on the idea as it freaks me out seeing another of my beloved hounds needing surgery. I wonder if I post a photo of the "spot" if anyone has any idea, or experiences of a similar nature as to what this "spot" is.

 

I would be grateful about any suggestions!

 

Thanks!

 

Ben

 

 

PS: The photos are not very clear but it is a spot no larger than one cm.

 

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n69/sia...18/IMG_0070.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n69/sia...18/IMG_0073.jpg

[turbotaina]

How long has he had it? Has it changed in appearance? Could it be a bug bite?

[scullysmum]

I hope Ben doesn't mind me butting in on this....but I first noticed it about a week ago, I think Ben was aware of it a bit longer. At first it looked just like a bare patch of skin (like he had grazed himself) but recently it has become a little redened and slightly raised. Jupp doesn't seem to be bothered by it. When I saw it had become redened it reminded me of a ringworm patch, but I think that ringworm is terribly itchy and Jupp is not scratching it at all.

[marion]

I think it could be a fungus...Soldi got one of a similar appearance several years ago...it started in summer after

putting water on her nearly daily at a spring in the countryside because of the heat. I cured it with 2-3 applications

of fresh lemon juice daily within a week. I didn't take her to any vet...

[Guest metgirl23]

One of mine has something like that.. I cant rem name but it was a non-cancerous growth. Vet said they prob would go away but if it got larger then it would have to be removed. His is on his chest right where his ribs connect . Its in a spot that gets rubbed a lot when he spinx's so I been keeping a eye on it.. It was red and raised then it has been getting smaller over the last few weeks.. When I noticed it was about size of dime or smaller now its barely there . Hope you puuies goes away too

 

Is it solid or gushy . does it leak any fluid.. The one on Stormy is more like a raised mole but pretty smooth.. It is red in color.. Has your dog been messing with it.. Mine cant reach where his is to lick..

The name the vet called it was hemo-something something cyst.. Since I was more worried about his liver values at the time I didnt write it down. If I find the name I will email you..

[silverfish]

The pics are far too blurry even to make a wild guess at what it is .. but from the description I wonder about ringworm or mange. It could also be a staph type skin infection, and if it is, the antibiotics from the vet should help..

 

We don't really get many bugs in the Uk that bite and leave ugly marks on dogs, though there are horse flies and ticks, of course. If there was a tick there that was pulled off and left its mouthparts in, that could result in a sore place which usually will get infected. Not suggesting that you pulled a tick off, but your dog might have done it himself.

 

Not all ringworm or mange itches, by the way. If it were me, I'd use the antibiotic cream just as directed by the vet and take him back if it hasn't gone away when you've finished it.

 

Dogs can get a wide variety of skin growths. Most seem pretty harmless, but some are dangerous. If it starts to grow and look more like a tiny tumour - please DO have it removed. It's a simple enough op while the tumour is small and may save his life by preventing it from spreading. Jim had a basal cell carcinoma on a toe when we hadn't had him long. We had it removed and it never did grow back or spread in more than ten years. If we'd left it, it almost certainly would have done.

[Guest siamant18]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will try and get some better pictures tomorrow and continue to give him his antibiotic tablets as prescribed. I will of course keep an eye on it and consult the vet if any further changes appear. I onlt want the best for my darlings.

[Guest siamant18]

Yesterday, I took another photo of hte "spot", this is as good as I can get it. After three days it has not changed in size but seems less red.

 

Any more suggestions truly welcome!

 

 

 

Sorry about size of picture but I thought this time maybe it's better big. I promise I will work on resizing from now on!

 

Thank you Ben

[scullysmum]

You say it hasn't got any larger but has it become slightly more raised? (it looks like it to me)....it is starting to look a bit like a Histiocytoma...which is the one thing that up until seeing the new picture I would have said it was not....don't panic though, if it is a Histiocytoma they are benign and go away on their own eventually. I will have to see if I can get to see it "in the flesh" sometime again soon.

[Guest mleg2001]

A needle aspiration to check for sure what it is may ve the best way to go , if it is a mast cell type of tumor they can be slow growing, if you hold off waiting for change you could end up in big trouble, And some mast cell tumors look very much like Histiocytomas

 

 

 

First picture is a mast cell tumor

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is a Histiocytoma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I posted some facts I learned in another post about mast cell tumors, so copied here

 

Mast cell tumors can also be found in internal organs, prognosis is poor, but on/under the skin if caught early at a grade one only 1 cm of skin tissue surrounding needs to be removed and cure rate with surgery is almost 100%, grade 2 requires and over 3cm(over and inch all the way around) of surrounding tissue needs to be removed, not every area of the body will allow for 3cm of tissue to be removed, at grade 2 there is a 20% chance of re-occurance with aggressive sugery, at grade 3 only 10% of dogs will be alive 1 year later

 

 

 

Most mast cell tumors are slow growing waiting to see if a unusual lump will change if one of the worst things you can do, so many people have lost their lives to something that would have been easily survivable simple because they waited too long to get it checked out. either because of fear or because they waited to see if it would change. I had surgery on May 18, 1982 to remove a cancerous tumour on my ovary, because it was caught early I was able to continue to raise my then 2 year old son to adulthood and am now enjoying life as a grandmother, .

[Guest siamant18]

I must admit the more I read the replies, the less I like the sound of it. I had a good look at the spot this morning, again and although the centre of it is very small it seems to have a tiny red "branches" under the fur surrounding it. As the antibotics have made no difference at all, I will be going back to the vet for some more advice on Monday or Tuesday.

 

I hope this turns out as a worry over nothing!

 

Ben

[Greytlady94]

I would definitely want to have this identified right away. There are "spots" that are harmless and others that can be deadly. I would ask the vet to do a needle aspiration biopsy and send it for diagnosis. My Teddy has a "spot" that came up on one of his toes and he is going in Tuesday to have it removed and sent to the lab for analysis and diagnosis. If it turns out to be bad we will amputate the toe.

[Batmom]

I'd probably just take it off. I'm not a big advocate of aspirating small things unless they're in a spot where it's hard to do surgery. My vet here will often remove small things under local anaesthetic, if the dog is calm. You might need help with a dog if it's on the leg as the whole leg will be numb for awhile if they hit the nerve. But it's easier on the dog's system than general anaesthetic.

 

Best luck with your pup.

[Guest Lori]

I'd advocate removing it too. That way if it's nothing, no worries, but if it is "something", it's gone, at least most of it. Many prayers for you and Jupp.

[Guest LancePearson]

I'd advocate removing it too. That way if it's nothing, no worries, but if it is "something", it's gone, at least most of it. Many prayers for you and Jupp.

 

Kate has a similar to the last photo bump on her tummy which after two weeks of vet and our treatment as a bug bite isn't responding and she will have surgically removed next Wednesday. It's 1.2 cm and about 1/8" high, reddish, not attached below the skin to the rib cage and sort of fleshy in the mass. Vet thinks it might be one of the benign hemiocytomas I think he called it. They'll do a biopsy after to know for sure.

 

Just being proactive to prevent worse as we've taken good care of her to date. We hope it's relatively routine. I have photos of it but not on this computer.

 

Lance, Kate....the speedy one.