Lump was trichoblastoma

zaksmum

My dog Lucy had a lump removed last week and the results are back that it was a trichoblastoma...a type of cancer but benign.

The word cancer has worried me though.

Has anyone heard of this or experienced it with their dogs?

meritaten

if the word 'benign' also appears - then its nothing to worry about! its just a lump! my first dog anni had a 'benign tumour'. we found it when she was nine. vet gave us a choice of leaving it or having it removed. we chose to have it removed. unfortunately, she reacted to the anaesthetic and although she recovered she had grand mal seizures after that. she was on medication, but still had fits every day. she lived until she was twelve. I often wish we hadn't had the surgery, but, we (including the vet) weren't to know what would transpire. and honestly she did have a good life in her later years.
Benign means exactly that - it isn't harmful. at present. you need to discuss with the vet whether it could cause future problems, whether treatment is needed now or whether its safely left alone.

moggymutt

Benign tumours only really cause problems if they are in the way of things, or pressing on certain internal parts of the body.

zaksmum

Thanks meritaten and moggymutt.

The vet said it isn't the type of cancer that will spread to other areas of Lucy's body so that's reassuring.

It may grow back so will need to be removed again if it does.

But you're right..."Benign" was the word I seized on!

Just grateful for that at least.

Paradigm

My boy had something similar when he was 2yo (ish). It was a benign tumour on his elbow & was removed. He's 7yo next month & it hasn't returned... it most likely you will see the same.

Just a point though, my dog was insured & they paid promptly but.... on renewal they had added a clause which excluded cover for any form of cancer!
I couldn't switch either as the pets medical history has to be declared & most (if not all) insurance co's will automatically exclude cancer cover.

moggymutt

My horses benign tumours and growths finally did catch up with him, about 25 years later!
As you said, benign is the word to seize on.

zaksmum

Paradigm wrote: »

My boy had something similar when he was 2yo (ish). It was a benign tumour on his elbow & was removed. He's 7yo next month & it hasn't returned... it most likely you will see the same.

Just a point though, my dog was insured & they paid promptly but.... on renewal they had added a clause which excluded cover for any form of cancer!
I couldn't switch either as the pets medical history has to be declared & most (if not all) insurance co's will automatically exclude cancer cover.

That doesn't surprise me about the insurance company. I have Lucy insured with Marks & Spencer so probably they might do the same.

Paradigm

zaksmum wrote: »

That doesn't surprise me about the insurance company. I have Lucy insured with Marks & Spencer so probably they might do the same.

You might be lucky

I just dug out my lads records & his was Histiocytoma, one of the most common & least dangerous forms of cancer... they still pulled cover, gits!

zaksmum

Paradigm wrote: »

You might be lucky

I just dug out my lads records & his was Histiocytoma, one of the most common & least dangerous forms of cancer... they still pulled cover, gits!

They don't believe in taking any chances they might have to pay out, do they?

My last dog had to be castrated at the age of 10 due to a testicular tumour.

The insurance company, Direct Line, sent a renewal notice showing an impossibly massive increase in his premium. So I switched to M&S who agreed to insure him for less than a third of the Direct Line quote.

Of course, any pre existing conditions were excluded.

His last illness turned out to also be cancer after every test and scan you could imagine, and a four day stay at the vet's, so the bill ran into thousands.

M&S paid out because it wasn't in the same area of his body as the previous cancer so they said it didn't qualify as a pre existing condition. That was in 2008 though so no doubt things have changed.