Mast Cell Tumor Surgery and Benadryl
ByThe mast cell tumor is very common in the Pug, Boxer, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shar-Pei and other breeds. This tumor most commonly occurs in the skin as a raised, inflamed nodule or mass. Sometimes it is found internally in the liver or spleen.
The cells that make up this tumor are called mast cells. There are some unusual aspects of these cells that should be paid attention to.
First, they secrete a substance called histamine, which most have heard of in the word “antihistamine”. Histamine is released in the body during allergic reactions and it causes some nasty things. First, histamine causes inflammation, which is no fun for anyone. Redness, swelling, pain… all parts of inflammation. If you squeeze a mast cell tumor, many will create a red, swollen effect due to the histamine that gets liberated.
Histamine can cause serious harm to the body when released in larger amounts. When a dog experiences massive histamine liberation, her blood pressure can drop through the floor, causing life-threatening shock. No blood pressure, no blood getting to vitals like the brain and kidneys. Bad news.
Imagine if you were to do surgery on a mast cell tumor loaded with histamine. This is more than just squeezing it, folks. We are talking scalpel action, along with some pulling to free up the mast cell tumor. Imagine the amount of histamine that could be released.
So, it is wise to make sure your vet is on the ball. Since doing surgery on some mast cell tumors can result in shock, make sure you double check that your dog gets an injection of Benadryl before surgery. This can block the effects of massive histamine release. Also allow your vet to place an IV catheter and deliver IV fluids or meds during the procedure to keep the pressure up.
Dog cancers are all different. Each tumor in dogs behaves differently and needs it’s own special treatment.
Stay tuned!
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
33 Comments
February 26th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
My dog is having surgery tomorrow tomorrow and I am going to give him a benadryl tablet 1 hour before surgery. Is that enough?
February 28th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I have an 11 year old black lab that was diagnosed with Mast Cell tumors about 3 years ago. He has had several removed and the vet did not give him a good prognosis. He has been on prednisone, dosing him with approx 80 mg per week and has been doing ok considering. Lately, he is getting very lethargic and unresponsive. Should I also dose him with benadryl? I can’t tell if he is in pain and don’t know how long I should let this go before I consider putting him down. I am looking for any input to make his last years worth living but don’t want him to live with constant pain and misery.
March 7th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Mark,
you should check out the post on pain control, life quality, and other dog lovers comments on those posts. Consider benadryl, doxycyline, cimetidine, metacam, possibly gabapentin, and others meds with your vet.
Best
DrD
March 9th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Hi Dr. D!
I want to buy your book, but my husband is not a believer. You see our 4 year old female Boxer, Layla, was diagnosed almost 3 months ago with Stage 3 mast cell tumors in her lymph nodes. We’ve already spent thousands of dollars…
We had one infected lymph node removed almost 3 months ago and during that time it spread to the lymph node right next to her colon. The doctor said they could not operate due to the location. She also sprouted two tumors on her nose.
She was on IV chemo/prednisone treatments for her first 2 weeks, then her WBC were too low and she had to take time off. During 2 weeks with no treatment, the tumors on her nose started getting bigger again. The oncology vet said that she wanted to try a pill form of chemo because she was not seeing the best results from the IV form. Layla still seems to be in good spirits though.
We are soo scared we are going to lose our baby! We are newlyweds, recently out of college so we do not have a large income and are getting discouraged about whether or not chemo treatment is the best treatment for Layla. The oncology vet, does not seem to ever have time to sit down and talk about functional supplements and of course she is the only one around.
We have changed her diet to EVO Chicken kibble with 3 pumps of fish oil mixed with water; a daily multi-vitamin; K9 Immuno-modulation therapy by Aloha Medicinals; and Benadryl 3 times a day. I think she has been eating better than I have lately…But I am still not sure that we are doing everything we can.
Questions to you:
I want to try a vet who is more in to functional supplements. Do you think this is a good step to stop chemo and try supplements? or both?
If I could persuade my husband into buying your book, does your book cover specific stage 3 mast cell tumor treatments?
Dr. D, I wish I had all the money in the world so I could bring her to see you! From watching your video, you seem to have more compassion for animals then most vets.
Thanks for being you!
Katie from Tulsa, OK
March 9th, 2009 at 7:13 am
I have been using neoplasene since aug.1,2007have removed 14 plus tumors,just doing the best that I can,main thing is good QOL.
March 22nd, 2009 at 4:04 am
my bullmastiff has grade3 mast cell, only on the side of the body. Do you think I should bdo a bood test before a margin surgery and let it spread while opening him again?
very confused.
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Jamie,
you need to get a recommendation from your vet about your particular dog. One needs to assess whether the cancer has spread before doing surgery. This is done with blood testing, urine testing, X-rays, ultrasound, lymph node aspirates, and possibly bone marrow testing and buffy coat smears. These are all ways to help see if it has already spread. If not, most grade 3 mast cell tumors should be removed and other ways of battling the cancer should be instituted. You can read more about this in the e-book- see
http://dogcancersurvival.com
Best,
Dr D
April 15th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Dear Dr D,
About 1 month ago my ridgeback hound/mix who is 10 years old was diagnosed with grade 3 mast cell tumor. I had them removed. And I recently took her to an oncologist who took a buffy coat blood test…it came back negative (good news!!). My dog has had a rough life with lots of knee and hip problems and I really dont want her to go through anymore pain. I am aware that theres only a 6 month life span if she does not get any chemo treatments. But, if I were to get her chemo treatments what is the expectant life span afterwards? Is it worth all the stress for her??
Thanks Dr. D!
April 15th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Katrina, this is a complicated question with a long answer…I will answer in the webinar:
http://www.mydogvet.com
D
May 7th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Dear Dr. Dressler,
My dog is going in for surgery on Tuesday for his mast cell tumor removal. I am aware that he had this tumor for a couple of years, but could not afford surgery… but I got referred to Care Credit and now I’m doing everything I can to make sure he’s ok. My dog is the same as always, always hyper and happy. The vet took X-Rays and there are no tumors present inside. He only has the one tumor on the outside by his belly.
So my question is, even though he has lived with this tumor for a couple of years and was doing great, will things change after surgery? I’m very concerned that after removing his one tumor, it will cause more tumors to grow. I’m very anxious.
Thank you.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Vie,
usually removal of a tumor does not increase the odds of other tumors, at least generally. At least the scales usually tip in the direction of benefit for surgical removal.
Hope it turns out well. Make sure your trust of your vet is solid before the procedure.
D
May 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
My puppy (Yoda)is 8.5months old. A male yorkie cross with a mini schnauzer has a mass off his right kidney.We are still waiting for the biopsy but am wondering if anyone has any experience with nephroblastoma? This is what the vet thinks it may be.
any help is well valued.
lauran
May 19th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Hello,
My 9 year old cocker spaniel had a surgery on Saturday,mast tumor 1, on her neck.
They did blood test and urine test first before the surgery. Surgery went fine, but the shaved area around removed tumor was very itchy and dog was scratching near stitching area a lot, I was able to stop her most of the time, but she ended up getting some stitches out and the vet had stapled one area 2 days later. Vet did not want to cover area with anything/ she said it would not heal , even i asked over and over. Dog started to scratch after that even more. Now staple is gone and most of the stitches…
What could be done to protect that area?
May 20th, 2009 at 5:55 am
X-rays appeared to show a mass on my dogs spleen. My vet operated on her this morning for its removal but after opening her up found no mass anywhere, and bloodwork is unremarkable. how unusual is this? Please help. confused, Will
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 pm
I wrote on may 12th, since then the biopsy came back and the pathologist is not 100% of what kind of tumor it is. We have had a blood and urine sample done and Yoda is doing great, nothing has spread. Surgery is in 2days and the vet is confident that he will live to at least 12yrs old, apperantley this tumor is contained to one area and will not grow back. His will lose the right kidney, but his kidney function is normal. We are very happy that our puppy can be saved!
May 30th, 2009 at 5:29 am
The mass has been removed it was the size of a cantelope. He is only a small dog. The vet couldnt belive the size of it! He is going great, the pathology report thinks its nephroblastoma, but they say this is an unusal case, for some reason no one can pin point this tumor? We have been told that there is 50% chance that it can spread to distant areas, but also a 50% chance that it hasnt. We are going to put him on neoplaisine as a percautin, has any one used this?
June 6th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
does anyone have an idea where i can purchase the new Cancer treatment drug for dogs (Palladia)
June 12th, 2009 at 6:31 am
Dear Dr. Dressler,
On May 2, I took my 10 yr. old lab mix to the vet for his regular check up. As the vet was checking him he found a lump in his rear that he called anal gland cancer and informed me that he needed and operation to remove it. The operation was scheduled and the vet informed me that he felt that it was successful and looked like a good out look. He sent the mass that was as big as a plum out and it was the type of cancer that he called it. My dog came home and he was fine and was his old self for a few days and I noticed that he was having trouble going up and down the stairs. The vet informed me that perhaps I should see a cancer specialist and we did. The vet did many test on my dog and concluded after she sent the biopsy out that the cancer had spread to the liver. She also added that perhaps it had spread elsewhere also. She informed that perhaps we could try chemo but felt that it might not work. The vet gave us what she perceived what might happen and informed me that we would eventually have to put him down. (devastating) I took my dog home and have proceed to make him as comfortable as possible.The vet gave us meds for my dog to take. My dog was alert, eating, barking and doing dog stuff. About a week ago I noticed that his hind legs were shaking and he dragged them. The next day he could not walk at all and has not walked since. I called the cancer vet and asked if the pain meds could do this and she informed me that she did not think so. The meds that he is taking are tramadol twice a day and Deramxx 25mg. I am in the process of taking him to a neurologist. In the mean time I have purchased a harness for his hind legs so that he can go out side and walk with our assistance. I am desperate to help him and as long as he is alert and not in pain I will not put him down. If you have any ideas I will try anything you suggest.
Thank you, from all of the postings I see that you are very knowledgeable and have compassion and understanding of the love that a human can have for a pet.
Sincerely,
Hanks, mom.
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:11 am
Can a Vet remove a Mast Cell Tumor on a testicle, but not neuter the dog?
October 4th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Dr. D,
Tonight we found a mass the size of a plum on Oreo’s chest. He is a 14 year old male English Cocker Spaniel. He is partially deaf in one ear and pretty much blind in both eyes due to cataracts. He came into our home and family approximately five years ago from a relative in pretty good health. Whatever this is does not appear to be diminishing his appetite at all, and his behaviors are normal, except that he has been unusually “whiney.” We do not have funds available for extensive treatments, but we do not just want to “put him down.”
Do you have any recommendations?
October 28th, 2009 at 11:09 am
My 6 y/o male Doberman had a cough so the vet took a chest xray, it shows three large masses in or around the lungs. My boy has been eating and active. The vet and I were both taken by suprise at the results of the xray. My question is where do I go from here? The cough is from the growth pressing on his treachea. I’ve ordered K-9 immunity Critical care. what can I do for his diet?
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Dear Jesa,
I am sorry to hear about this. Your veterinarian should be giving you some information (referral to an oncologist, getting a diagnosis on the masses and so on.) You need to establish what this is. Some ways of doing this are getting a wash of the lungs to see if the cells can be identified in the wash. Another is using the ultrasound to guide a needle into the growths possibly. Different tumors, different treatments. You should be educating yourself about the whole cancer picture, which is too much for a single blog post, I am sorry. I would suggest you get a copy of the e-book I wrote, take some time, and read it. Sadly there are no quick and easy answers that do your question justice. As far as diet goes, consider a slow transition to nd food (prescription), or a low carb, high protein, moderate fat diet with minimal preservatives and colorants. See the blog post on mast cell tumor diets as well and histamine.
Best,
D
November 8th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Hello,
I’ve read a lot about Palladia, but not much about Masivet. Do you have any information on this drug? I know it’s only available in Europe.
We have an 11-year old Ridgeback who has had MCT for almost four years. He’s had 4 surgeries and 3-4 rounds of chemo (Vinblastine). He has many tumors – fatty and mast cell – which have been holding steady on Prednisilone and Denamarin (liver support) for nearly a year. But, in the last 3 weeks or so new bumps have been emerging and old ones are coming back. I will call our oncologist here in Portland tomorrow, but I wondered if you had any insight into Masivet.
He gets Evo, grain-free, salmon oil, lots of chicken and eggs, lots of exercise (swimming is his favorite) and is in good spirits and generally full of beans. I’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible… Anything else you recommend giving him? I tried K-9 Immunity for a while, but it almost seemed to activate the tumors. We went to a holistic vet too for some time, incorporating a variety of tinctures, homeopathics and acupuncture. That didn’t seem to help.
Thanks for any advice!
November 19th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hello,
I think Masivet is only commercially available in Europe for the moment. It is supposed to be mostly well tolerated and quite efficient on some cancers.
We shall see…
A.
December 7th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Hi, I’m writing from Italy. I confirm you that Masivet is available in Europe. My 4 yrs old cat has been living with mast cell tumor for a year now (and he was operated twice: the first time it was just a lump on the skin; the second time a lymph node was involved and if I hadn’t gone back to my old good veterinarian he wouldn’t probably be here anymore). I discussed with my vet the opportunity to use Masivet for my cat but he said that, at least in cats (anyway, it must be pointed out that Masivet hasn’t been approved yet for the treatment of cats) it’s not free from collateral effects (anaemia, vomiting, etc) as commonly stated. So, for now, I prefer to go on with palliative treatments and proper feeding.
Greetings to you all.
S.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:22 am
My 9 year old Lab ( Lilly) was recently diagnosed with 2 mast cell cancers, one on her chest grade 2 and one on her muzzle (grade unknown).
To cut a long story short she was to have the chest surgery redone to take a bigger margin and in my mind very radical surgery on her face. However on the day of the surgery bloods came back showing mast cells in the blood and spleen, however the vet could not confirm if this was bad news but he suspected distant spread of the disease. I always said if any tests proved the cancer had spread we would not perform surgery.
We have taken the option of giving Lily Masivet, she will be the first dog in Scotland on the drug and we pray that it will help in some way. As I write we are waiting on the drug arriving from Paris. Does anyone have experience of Masivet?
This festive period has been full of tears on this dreadful news.
January 6th, 2010 at 7:40 am
My dog Nikki has been on Masivet for a couple of weeks now with no side effects yet. She has been on vinblastine and CCNU and prednicare for a few months but the mast cell tumor on her side kept growing back. I think Masivet is her last chance but I have been reading about Palladia and wondering if that is a better drug; does anyone know? There is now evidence of mast cell tumors in her liver too so am praying this will work. Any info would be great.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Dear Dr. Dressler,
My 11 year old lab Tucker has had 3 surgeries in the last 6 months to remove mast cell tumors around his tail and anal area. These were given a grade II rating. After the last surgery he developed perianal hepatoid gland adenoma. The oncologist said chemotherapy would not help this part of his condition and didnt think radiation would either. Is there anything that can be done to help with this? He is eating great and happy, playing, going to the bathroom fine, etc., but the tumors on his rear are bothersome to him. I do have him on Benadryl per my vets recommendation. I think the tumors have stayed the same size or even got smaller but are still uncomfortable for him. I’m feeding him a grain free kibble plus meat and extra veggies. He’s my best buddy and I’d do anything to help him. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
January 9th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Dear Sharon,
I am inferring no more surgery, right?
One consideration would be Neoplasene:
http://www.dogcancerblog.com/neoplasene-as-a-dog-cancer-treatment/
Bring this info to your vet and you can discuss the best plan for Tucker.
Hope this helps,
Dr D
January 9th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Dear Stuart and Kirsten,
I am sorry to hear this and the timing could not be worse.
I have had some very good results with Masivet, either as remission or as stopping progression. My two cents!
Dr D
January 19th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Dr Dressler
Thanks for you reply.
I wish to give you an update. Lil has now been on Masivet for one week now and the results that we can see look very positive. The tumor on her muzzle has lost a lot of it`s size and is close to dissapearing to the naked eye. So far she she has had no adverse reactions to the drug and she is on a heavy dose. We vist the vet tomorrow and hope they confirm this is good news.
If the tumor on her muzzle is shrinking, should any distant spread ( blood/ spleen)have similar results?
We live in hope.
Stuart, Kirsten and a woof from Lil.
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Dear Stuat, Kristen, and Lil,
If I were to guess, I believe the answer is yes.
Best
Dr D
February 27th, 2010 at 1:36 am
8 weeks on and Lil is doing great. The tumor on her muzzel is not visible. The vets are very pleased, and so are we.
Who knows what the future hold though?
Stuart