Mast Cell Tumor Surgery and Benadryl
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: December 12th, 2018
The 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
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
hi i have a 4yr old red nose pit bull who very suddenly developed a large mass on his shoulder about a month ago. at first we thought that he had injured it when he stumbled on the steps the vet gave him some meds seemed to work for a while then it got bigger and he wasnt walking on his leg so i tok him back thinking now maybe someone had hurt him cause the vet still didnt think it was a tumor or anything did xray showed nothing did a slide saw no cells. it started going down somewhat then lastweek all came back bigger and badder then did a bio but that didnt even show it is a mast cell which is what they are thinking it is now they have said that maybe a sonagram would show more . i want to do all i can for him cause he is my baby my problem is i may be losing my job in the next few weeks ,is there any kind of dog program out there that could be of some sort of help any information would be wonderful thank you
Dr. D:
my 10 yr old Schnauzer Simon had a grade 2 mast cell tumor removed from his foot 2 weeks ago. My vet operated on it the first time and removed as much of the tumor as he could and realized it was wrapped around his toe (on his back foot). After the biopsy came back as a grade 2, a second surgery was done to remove the toe. It was a successful surgery with clean margins and no signs it has spread. His bloodwork also came back ok. Today, I discovered some sort of growth under his tail above his anus. What could this possibly be? Could it be another mast cell tumor? His appetite has been off and his stools are soft and runny. He was fine up until the first surgery and just hoping that the stress and meds have his digestive track off balance. He has been on chicken and rice for the past 3 weeks along with Flagyl (he has taken this for over 2 yrs for colitis), Amoxitabs which he finished a few days ago, Baytril which he is on for another couple of days. They also have him on a Probiotic paste. He has eaten ID the past 2 days, but not thrilled about it. He has had issues with his stomach off and on the past couple of yrs and was diagnosed with colitis or IBD. My main concern is this other growth I am seeing… he is intact also. Any input would be appreciated.
thanks,
Teressa Abbott
Dr. D:
Our 15 1/2-year-old poodle, who is otherwise healthy, has a pea-sized mast cell tumor on the upper fatty portion of his right ear. We are advised to remove half his ear. He takes Atopica for previous skin allergies. His blood work is amazingly good. He eats and sleeps well and appears to be in no discomfort.
An ultrasound of his abdomen reveals no other tumors are present. Tomorrow we will receive lump node results, which the doctors feel will be negative also. He has visited both an oncologist and a surgeon.
I contacted Dr. Ahn who will allow our dog into the Masivet compassionate care program. My decision is are we best to do the surgery or fo with the Masivet only? Is partial pinnectomy inhumane for a 15-year-old? If we elect for surgery, the surgeon gives benadryl only at the time of the surgery. Should this therapy be started sooner?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Lynn
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly Dr. Dressler.
I realize you cant give advice specific to my dog but I was wondering if you know of anyone using Masivet in conjunction with Lomustine/CCNU. Ive tried using the web and my access to databases to find anything but Im turning up nothing. Im trying to be a good advocate for Max’s health and of course with such an aggressive type of tumor recurring twice, being as aggressive as his health will allow might be the best option if there is some benefit to be gained.
Stuart and Kristen,
Great to hear about your success with Masivet. I have a 6 year old siberian husky who has been battling MCT for better part of the last year his is also on his muzzle. Long story short he had surgery in November and margins came back clean but tumor was Graded III. We put off chemo because margins were clean as were his lymph nodes and mitotic index came back very low. Unfortunately his tumor returned in the exact same spot and in February we started vinblastine which seemed to be destroying the cancer that is until a week ago when he went from no visible tumor to a huge growth in a matter of days. Ive scheduled removal of this second tumor and his lymph node for monday and we are going to start Lomustine protocol. I am wondering how you gained access to the Masivet? I really dont like the chances Max has statistically with just surgery and lomustine and radiation unfortunately is not an option.
Any advice for getting Masivet for my baby and if so approximately how much would his treatment cost?
Dear Scott,
Have your veterinarian or oncologist contact Dr. Albert Ahn at AB Sciences in New Jersey to see whether your Husky can qualify for pre-FDA approval use of masitinib through the compassionate use program.
Best,
Dr D
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
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.
Dear Stuat, Kristen, and Lil,
If I were to guess, I believe the answer is yes.
🙂
Best
Dr D
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!
Dear Sharon,
I am inferring no more surgery, right?
One consideration would be Neoplasene:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/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
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.
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.
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