HEALTH MATTERS – Small Tumour
At the end of 2023 I took my Bolognese Emi to our veterinary clinic. We tend to see different vets during our visits. Emi is 5 years old. Fortunately, thus far our visits to the vet were related to general check-ups, vaccinations and on one occasion for a tummy wash after pinching and eating chocolate off the table (naughty boy!). I think its fair to say that he is not keen on our vet visits.
This time it was related to his skin. I noticed some brown, almost scabby dots/patches mostly on his tummy but some also on his back. It was quite hard for the vet to examine him as he was wriggly. Whilst trying to hold him and point out the dots, I also noticed another skin abnormality a soft lump. Whilst the vet was not concerned about the brown spots, she just gave us a shampoo to use twice a week, she did say to keep an eye on that small lump but concluded that it was too small to take a sample at that time.
We keep Emi’s hair long but trim it here and there, including tummy area which certainly helped in spotting the lump. We had another check up coming up in a couple of months’ time during which the other vet recommended a dental clean for him and use that sedation time to take sample from the lump. The results came back in 2 days and sadly it was positive for mast tumour cells. The result was suggesting a lower grade of tumour however histopathology was required to provide more definitive information. Surgery was needed ASAP as this type of cancer spreads rapidly. Those days were rather worrying and very emotional. Emi has undergone the operation within 10 days and the vet had confirmed via ultrasound that they managed to remove all cells. Emi was very brave and healed nicely. The histopathology results confirmed a low-grade tumour therefore no further treatment was needed.
Three months later the operated area became sore with discharge. We were all really worried and admittedly was hard to stay positive. Fortunately the infection got cleared up after an antibiotic course. Presently Emi is doing well and as mentioned previously, he has been such a brave boy and got through this tough experience admirably.
Perhaps a few recommendation based on this experience: (1) regular checks are important, (2) it is always best to consult with your vet if you have any doubts and notice any changes – do not delay.
