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.
Second Dr. Sue…
Best
Dr D
DR D, My 7 yr old Boxer has been diagnoised with MCT ,she was scheduled for surgery this morning , I found one more spot on her leg .the first was found in the chest and he did a needle aspiration and it was positive in both sites . after dropping her off ,the vet called me and said bloodwork was great , but since she had 2 places now that it is spreading and he did not think surgery would help and actually make it spread worse by opening the sites , .do you think i need to get a second opinion ? please help me .
Yes, I think a second opinion is never wrong. You need to clarify whether the tumor has spread, for example to a lymph node, or are there multiple MCT in the skin? This is not considered a spread but multiple primaries. While MCT are treatable, it is not a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. So seek out a medical oncologist, get more info and get specific recommendations for your dog’s situation. Then you can make a good decision!
You can check out http://www.acvim.org to find a specialist by you.
Good luck!
Dr Sue
Hi cassandra ,The Boxer you found still has about 4-5 yrs left .. sometimes the tumors are just fatty .. if you feel you cannot keep him please call your local Boxer rescue ,please do not take him to a Shelter they will put him to sleep .please see if you can find any rescue locally to help you .. good luck ..i have 3 Boxers and they are lovers ..
i found a 9 year old boxer he is very old and loves to sleep and has 3 tumors , i want to keep him but my mom said it would to much money for us. if he is that old would it be worth giving it a try with the vet to get him healthy agian ?
our dog has a 2cm mast cell tumor near her sternum. we don’t have access to any testing facilities, so surgery is the only option. she is 12.5 yrs old, has a history of nuerological problems, immune difficiency(demedex), & liver problems. considering the risks & discomfort to her associated with surgical removal, & the uncertainty of the stage of the tumor, given her age & history, how does the risk of this procedure compare to the probable benefits to her in terms of comfort, quality & longevity of life.
Dear Chris,
you really need to speak with the surgeon on this one. I am sorry but I would need many more specifics and also hands on the dog to make a call as all cancers and different in given dogs. Having said that, I have no hesitation about removing tumors surgically in dogs of this age, but again, you need to talk with the one doing the surgery…sorry.
Dr D
My 15 year old golden retriever/lab has a small mast cell tumor on the underside of her ear flap. It was diagnosed as a “well differentiated mast cell tumor” but was not given a “stage.” Should I have her ear flap removed at 15? My vet suggested to first do an ultrasound to see if she has any tumors anywhere else. I’m starting by putting her on Benedryl.
Dear Fran,
you should have a consult with an oncologist, or perhaps your vet should for clarification on the path report. Many pathology services that are used have consultations free of charge. Most of the time we remove mast cell tumors in dogs with wide margins. I feel the recommendation for the metastasis check is good (including also chest X-rays with blood and urine testing along with the ultrasound) as your first step. After that, you need to decide what your treatment priorities are for your dog:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/what-is-treatment-plan-analysis/
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/but-cancer-treatment-at-my-dogs-age/
I hope this helps
Dr D
Howdy Dr. D,
My 6 yr old lab recently had a stage 1 mct removed w/ clear margins. Being stage1, should he be taking Apocaps and starting the cancer diet?
Can you tell me how you incorporate Halo dry into the diet- do you use Halo then add the veggies,oatmeal,calcium,fish oil and any of the optionals- or do you cook the meat, liver too and add Halo along w/ the above items. I guess my question is does Halo replace the meat and liver ? Also, can you give me ballpark serving size for a 75 lb lab? One more question, should this diet be served to non cancer dog?
Dear Barb,
the main question is whether this was a wide excision or not. Clear margins do not give us that much info if the excision was not wide. If it was, almost all the grade 1 MCT will not recur (are cured). The Halo food replaces the entire recipe, not just the meat. if you are doing half cancer diet and half Halo, use half of what the bag indicates. Halo is fine for dogs without cancer, but the cancer diet is for dogs with cancer only. Apocaps are fine (under veterinary supervision). I would use half the labeled dose if this tumor was removed with a wide excision.
Best,
Dr D
My 12 year old Toy poodle/Bichon has a mast tumor in the area of the anal gland .The vet found it while my dog was getting expressed for the first time by a vet. He said hes not positive if it’s the one that spreads..and recommended i go to this other hospital..My dog did have i think a small seizure when he was sorta twitching and his hands shaking and trying to walk all at the same thing type of motion. It scared me but my mother massaged him and he’s better. He’s okay now. But Is this surgery worth doing? Will his bowels be damaged during this surgery making him to use the bathroom everywhere and uncomfortable ? I don’t want him to suffer however i dont want to lose my buddy that i love..What should i do? Is this surgery successful what are the odds ? Someone help me decide on what to do I’m very confused….thanks.
surgery insulin plan b-low motion
Dear Dr D
Thank you so much for yoru website and blog. I will be purchasing your ebook.
Wanted your advice or any thoughts on our situation.
Our 5 year old golden retriever was diagnosed with mast cell cancer– stage 2. The cancerous growth is on his upper lip and is quite large– extending to his nose. The dr’s that looked at him said the the risk/reward case was not there to do a surgery because of the location and the possibilty that his nose would have to be removed, as they have to cut 2-3cm each way. Pretty much said that chemo or radation will be pallivtive– just by some time. The mast cell is also infecting his local lymph node. So no surgery is possible.
I can tell that our dog is uncomfortable– still eating but only a little and still walking although he sleeps most of the day and is going for shorter walks.
I was not given a time of how long he will live, as I just got the results on Friday.
The reading I have done so far on oral cancerous growths is not too positive. I dont think that we will do chemo/radioation therapy– even the surgeon that was telling us didnt sound too enthusatic about it.
I have seen some supposed natural products for sale online– any thoughts on any of these? is there anything that we can give him to make him more comfortable? Any drugs that are specfic to this type of treatement?
What is your experience with oral cancerous growths– mast cells etc..
Currently we are just giving him benaydryl as that was recomonded to keep the swelling down. Im not looking for a miracle cure but the only other thing that was said by the vet is to possible try presdone(not sure of spelling) but the side effects do seem harsh.