Strange Growth On Tiny's Skin?

[GreytNut]

I checked Tiny's growth today and was horrified. Before it was aspirated it looked like a tick. Now that it's been partially-deflated and the area around it has been cleaned/trimmed so that it's easy to see, it's obvious what it is. It's a nasty black evil-looking thing that's now oozing a vile black fluid. There's no question that it's cancer. Tiny keeps trying to tear it off, so I have had to muzzle him. It's not that I'd mind seeing the thing go, but that I seriously doubt he'd achieve "clean margins" and the risk of infection would be ridiculously high. So we'll leave it to the professionals, OK buddy?

 

The vet's office called to tell me the Pekingese lived and is going to be OK. All of her puppies died.

[Guest vahoundlover]

Sending Tiny good thoughts and prayers. I'm sorry about the puppies Glad mom is going to be OK tho.

[linda]

Sending good luck to Tiny! Having been through this myself recently, while some can be removed with a local, by the time they're talking about "clean margins" they may well be talking about something deep enough to need a centimeter or so on around and maybe as deep. My melanoma that looked about the same diameter resulted in 8 inches of zig zag scar and 39 staples. I'm sure his will be much simpler and Tiny will be just fine, but he might appreciate the general anaesthesia! The main thing is to get it taken care of, it's a serious form of cancer.

 

Linda

[Guest IHeartDogs]

*fingers and paws crossed for Tiny*

 

Bless you and your husband for helping that Pekingese out, so kind of you to do that.

[Guest Smiley]

I will be keeping Tiny in my thoughts and prayers. I'm so happy you caught this early! And what a lovely, humane gesture you made to the Pekingese family-wow!

[ahicks51]

I discussed this with a vet tech with extensive zoo experience a couple of years back; although the reports of utility in management of melanoma are pretty sketchy (and are all from horses, not dogs), a product called XXTERRA works very well on sarcoma. It's bloodroot + zinc, prescription only.

 

Of course, surgical removal is THE way to go when it's this size. I mention it here in case anyone might need it in the future for sarcoma or other skin cancer.

[jamngrey]

prayers that all will be fine. Kudos to you for helping the couple

[GreytNut]

Sending good luck to Tiny! Having been through this myself recently, while some can be removed with a local, by the time they're talking about "clean margins" they may well be talking about something deep enough to need a centimeter or so on around and maybe as deep. My melanoma that looked about the same diameter resulted in 8 inches of zig zag scar and 39 staples. I'm sure his will be much simpler and Tiny will be just fine, but he might appreciate the general anaesthesia! The main thing is to get it taken care of, it's a serious form of cancer.

 

Linda

 

That's about the size the vet said his scar would be. She said I'll be shocked by how large it is when the growth itself is so little, but that it's necessary to make sure no cancerous tissue is missed and left behind to regrow.

 

I hope you're doing well after your treatment!

[Guest sriddle13]

Looks like a blood blister. Turbo had one on his neck that we at first thought was a tick. It did rupture, and bled a good bit. Then it reformed and was like a continuous scab. I contacted my vet about it and we decided to do a wait and see. About a week later, I was able to clean off the remaining scab, and it has not recurred

 

That being said, if it changes at all, becomes angry looking or changes in size, I'd get to a vet.

 

Probably a blood blister.

 

The way this newbie found out about them was that I tried to take it off like a tick. I put some alcohol on it to knock the critter out and release the legs, then pulled with a tweezer. No tick, it sort of went to pieces in the tweezers, and he bled some from the hole it left behind. Then I worried I ripped off a nipple (it was in that region). I counted and all nipples were accounted for so I showed the Vet. He said not to worry. Pete has had a few since then, they show up and go away. But of course, talk to your own Vet too.

 

Carol, I nearly took one of Turbo's nipples off once, thinking it was a tick

 

I had a client tell me they tried to take a nipple off too. I don't think the dog was too happy

[Guest sriddle13]

The other thing to keep in mind is that melanomas can be benign and it can be hard to tell from cytology if it is malignant. Your vet is doing the right thing by just getting it off, but there is still the potential that it isn't cancerous.