One of my dogs had a mammary tumour removed a year ago , the vet was great and said she got all the tumour away but it was a lot worse than she expected when she opened her up. Her recovery took quite a while but she was spayed at the same time so we had 2 wound to heal and expected it to take time. She after a few months began to look really good and was and even now is really happy and enjoying life.
However over the last few days a lump has grown again and it's growing fast . The head vet who we seen at a follow up appointment did tell us that he would not of recommended the operation as it was not 'if' it will return , it's a case of 'when' it will return. Well he was right and it's back :( , we are absolutely gutted :( , our poor girl is only 3 1/2 , just a baby still.  
What would you do in this position ? I'm thinking of keeping her comfortable as can be , as I'm not sure I want to put her through another major operation , we were told it was and aggressive tumour. Or would you remove this tumour and hope no more grew , that is if the vet would agree .

I have been through similar with two bitches. The 1st I had a full strip done (both sides) a huge operation and I was distraught at the pain and discomfort I had caused my special girl. It took her a long time to recover and by then the cancer had moved elsewhere in her chest cavity. She was put to sleep in my arms and I vowed not to put any dog through that again. I rescued an elderly lurcher a while ago, she had small lumps on several teats. I discussed it with the vet and we decided it was best to leave them. She enjoyed a very happy couple of years before the tumours became a problem, then she was put to sleep. I have absolutely no regrets about the second case and huge regrets about the first.

I'm sorry I can't be more positive for you, but I do sympathise :-(

Thanks for your honesty chaumsong , it's real experiences that I'd rather hear so I can make the 'right' decision :(
Can't believe it when I've checked her this morning there is another lump grown overnight , I can't believe my poor girls luck :(
I do hope we get a couple of years but have got an awful feeling this won't be the case.

I am so sorry. what a devestating thing to happen.
Having been in similar position in past I decided to go for treat any symptoms provided treatment causes no distress and let my dog go when time came.  Its quality of life not quantity of life that matters and better to have them for a shorter happier time then slightly longer and uncomfortable.

A friend of mine has a female who had her first tumours removed at 5yrs old and her second at 13yrs old, 3yrs later she is still going strong.

Maybe some tumours are more agressive than others.

Hi Rhodach , did your friends girls tumours appear to grow very quickly?

Im so sorry for you and your girl.
We had one of our girls with a  mammary tumour at 8yrs old and it was also very aggressive, my vet did take it away in hope of getting most of it...but it just would not heal and she had to have it stiched up twice but it just kept opening up where the wound was unfortunatly...so we had to make that decission to end her suffering.
Your girlie is only young so giving her another chance with an opp maybe a good option.

I also lost our golden of 3yrs old 18months ago of bone cancer, so know how you are feeling right now.

Im hoping for the best for you all.

Hi Rhodach , did your friends girls tumours appear to grow very quickly?

She said the second time they did,I didn't see her pre surgery so can't comment on the extent of the lumps but the scar post surgery was huge for a small dog, she was coping very well at only a few days after the op, she was surprised that they recurred after so many years but may not have been related to the first one.

I agree as your girl is only young I would consider more surgery depending on what the vet said the outcome/prognosis was likely to be. Did you get the tumours analysed last time to see what type they were and how agressive if they were malignant?

Thanks Goldie and Rhodach , she is just too young to lose but we had the tumours analysed last time and they were malignent and aggressive , I guess that's why the head vet said it would definitely return. I don't think he will want to operate if I see him , I'm sure if I was to see Sally my regular vet who performed her last operation that she would agree to another operation if it were to keep me happy , but I'm trying to think about keeping my dog happy , and what is best , I just don't know :(  . I haven't booked a vets appointment yet as I think I'll get flustered and maybe not make the right choice.
Her last operation was awful she had two drainage tubes which poured out for ages and it just wouldn't heal , although her spay scar did. Eventually some stitches appeared which should've dissolved but sort of grew outwards ( I can't explain properly ) but it was awful for her , once I removed them she got ease and healed in a couple of days , but this was months later.

Hi Cani1

I've no experience of mammary tumours but last yeat my Sussex had an aggressive Grade 3 mast cell tumour removed along with 2 other growths which turned out to be a Grade 1 and a benign. The Grade 1 and 3 tumours had to be operated on twice and it was major surgery including drains. She was also given a 3 month course of chemotherapy. Would that be an option for your poor girl on top of the surgery to remove this latest tumour? At such a young age I think I'd want to give it a go if it was possible. Dogs do seem to tolerate things well and Winnie was remarkably stoic throughout. Nearly a year on you wouldn't know she'd had anything done.

Hi Pedlee

I don't know if chemo would be an option for her mammary tumours but it's not a road I think I'll ever go down after seeing how a friends dog suffered , and in the end didn't work . We have talked for hours about what to do and have decided to keep her comfortable and let her enjoy what time she has , but in no way will I ever let her suffer . My husband is even more gutted than me and that's saying something , when he looks at her he is 'filling up' she is his big princess and she knows it!
I often wonder why , why I keep dogs to go through the pain of losing them , I am still raw after losing my 13 year old shar-pei in February , but at least he had a good innings. Just hoping our girl can have as long as possible now :( .

We are going through the same thing with our girl just now but she is 9.  I feel for you with your girlie being so young.  We also decided not to operate as hers appeared almost overnight and  solid and the size of a good pea.  Within a month, she grew 3 more, 2 on the same track but one on the other side.  This also happened to our last spaniel and she lived 4 years more in perfect health with no pain.  I just feel that if it's going to get her, I would rather her time with us was pain and stress free but then, my decision was easier as she is older and had a full, happy life with a round belly.  She is starting to show her age a bit now but she doesn't seem to be in pain, enjoying her walks and eating properly so we are still OK.
My thoughts are with you.

Dear Cani1

So sorry to hear of girls troubles.

We've only ever had one girl with a mammary tumour so I'm no great expert on the subject. 

Her tumour appeared quickly, when we found it the size was about the size of a petit pois pea.  We took the option of having it removed ASAP and the tissue around (not a full mammary strip).  The tumour came away with good clear margins, there were no other tumours to be found and chest X-Ray was clear.

Despite being 11+ years old she was in great shape, blood test before op confirmed she was a good anaesthetic risk.

Although a small op. compared to what your girl had, our girl was in excellent shape afterwards.  Far better than she was following a dental 12 months previous.  I certainly didn't regret the action I took as the procedure was a none event as far as she was concerned, honestly she was as fit as a flea when I brought her home!

We balanced the pros and cons, for us the decision to remove the tumour was based on the hope we'd caught it in time and it would either be a cure or certainly give our old girl a further lease of life (a good quality life).

Eight months later a further small pea appeared.  Took her straight to vets assuming that as she was still in great shape and excellent health they'd remove that one too but on closer examination, the inguinal lymph glands were swollen.  This confirmed the cancer had spread.  We opted not to operate. 

She stayed with us for five months, was VERY fit, and well until about 2 hrs before she was PTS this week.  At that stage she went down hill, it was all quite sudden and we knew to keep her longer would be the wrong thing to do.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, will be thinking of you.  Just wanted to say that in our limited experience, our decision to remove the tumour gave us and our girl a further 13 months of good quality time together.

Thank you cracar and Chris , I wish her lump was just pea size I think I'd operate if it was but it wasn't there for what I could see just over a week ago , now it fills out my whole hand and the other one isn't far behind , it's growing so quick and I can feel it thinning out up into her insides , I just know it has spread rapidly. She's still her happy loving self and although she didn't eat much yesterday and had me worried :( , she has wolfed down her breakfast so that made me happy at least :) .

I don't have any help to give, but I've been following this thread, and feel for you.

{{{{  HUGS  }}}}

It's just not fair is it, my thoughts are with you and your girl. I went through a similar thing when I lost my first bitch to cancer when she was 6, it's a horrible thing to have to go through.

Hi Cani1, back in the '80's the family border collie had a mamary tumour it was very small and we had it removed. it returned 4 years later and again 6 years later when she was 14 years old.
Between operations she had a very happy active life and was never ill untill the last mamary tumour appeared.

Have you thought of a second opinon?

Best wishes

Oh sorry to hear that Cani1, really sorry.

Loosing our girl this week to cancer has been (is) horrid, so I understand your worries.  I think you should perhaps book an appointment with your favourite vet, have a good chat about the options, and take things from there.  We all want to do the right thing by our beloved dogs but deciding what is right when you are all of a fluster is so hard.  Thinking of you x

Having lost my old boy last month to cancer (still hurting)  I can understand the turmoil you are going through,

My only advice to you is  to ask yourself two questions, 1)  will the cancer come back again (speak to vet) and 2)   if you choose to operate , who are you doing it for,  you need to find out  , if you take the decision to operate how long would it give her, 12mths, or 2/3 yrs,  you will then have to decide will the recovery be worth it to her , in quality and longevity of life, or is it better to just keep her comfortable and cherish the time you have left.

A  decision none of us like to make, I know when we got the news, we looked at our  boy and asked our selves   the whys , what iffs, and whats best for him, (he was a lot older than your girl though)  we all agreed (vet included)  that we would keep him comfortable and pain free for as long as he had ,  from diagnosis to  him passing was 5 wks,   the hardest  AND best 5 weeks of of lives,  I am sure what ever decision you make will be the right one for you and your girl.

Good luck.

Sorry to hear you lost your boy last month jackbox , I lost my 13 year old boy last month , it's so hard , I really don't want to lose 2 in a short space of time.
We are going to see our favourite vet this week and talk it through with her , I'll update thread with any decisions we make.

Chris , I'm sorry you lost your girl , it's heartbreaking , I lost my old boy last month :(
Going to vets this week so will update later in week.
Thanks for being caring.

One of my girls had a mammary tumour removed just over a year ago.  The first vet I saw wanted to do a total mammary strip which I thought a bit extreme so asked to see my usual vet.  He suggested removing the lump and spaying her at the same time.

His prognosis - if any further lumps develop and quickly then the likeliehood is that it has spread, if no further lumps develop then you should be reasonably safe.  Although obviously no two cases are identical.

My girl has been fortunate - well over a year later and she is clear .  She is now 10 years old and I wonder if I would put her through major surgery again....  you never know until it actually happens though and you get your vets opinion.

Your girl is so young and tumours growing so fast, I hope you have faith in your vet and he guides you through whatever you decide to do.

Thought I'd give an update on Fern , we had her at the vets tonight , and had a long chat with our preferred vet who did her last tumour operation.
We have decided after being guided by our vet who says this is what she would do if it were her dog to have  chest xrays , if they are clear and it has not spread to her lungs or liver then she will have a full mammary strip operation.
If however it has spread to her lungs etc to any great extent we are going to let her sleep away :( , I can't stop the tears just thinking about it , even hubby was crying in the vets tonight , which made me worse then the receptionist started. The op is booked for next friday 15th as Sally wants to do the op herself and it is her only day in surgery , please pray for our girl , I really feel she is going to need them.

I am crying myself, knowing how I would be torn apart if it was one of mine.

Cani1 I am sending positive vibes for your girl.  I do know what it's like to have total trust in just one vet, so I am glad that you have discussed options with the vet that you prefer.

I am willing Fern to beat this.

{{{{  HUGS  }}}}

Thanks for the update Cani1, have been thinking of you and Fern.

For what it's worth, I think you have come to a logical and sensible decision. 

Chest X-Rays are a good step forward, so is an ultrasound of the liver (I believe it's easier to see tumours in the liver by ultrasound).  My vet tells me that most types of mammary tumour (if the have metastasised) go to the lungs/liver. 

I'm sure your vet will also palpate the lymph glands.  Again, if the tumour has metastasised the nearest lymph glands are the ones most likely affected.  With my girl, her cancer was the second from last mammary gland (the commonest area is gland 4 & 5 i.e. nearer the tail end); therefore, the inguinal lymph node on the same side was enlarged.

Praying for good news for you, having been where you are now so recently I understand a little of the upset and worry you are facing at the moment.

My thoughts and prayers are with you both at this tough time. Stay strong.  xx

Thinking about you and Fern,will say a prayer for you both.

Sheila. xx

It sounds as though you have a brilliant vet and practice.  I think you're doing exactly the right thing.

I'll be thinking and praying for her as well as you and your hubby...

You know, neither you or Fern should be going through this! I agree that you are taking the sensible option, however I do hope and pray that after the 15th you will be coming back on the board with good news. I will be praying for you both.
There was someone in our breed whose bitch had a full mammary strip on both sides and she did very well and was still with her until about 12 or 13 years of age (think she was about 8 when she had it done).
Everything crossed.

So sorry to hear your news, will be thinking of you all on the 15th. Best wishes.

I Am feeling for you all on reading this and hoping and praying everything works out for Fern,Yourself, Hubby.

All of here at home will be thinking of you Fern and wishing you well x

Fern went in to have her xray and possible op this morning. Just had a call from my vet , chest looks all clear so the operation is going ahead :) woo hoo , our girl has a chance :) . Just need to keep everything crossed that she is fine after the mammary strips.
I'll give an update on her later if I get time , she will need a lot of nursing. Poor thing was on my knee in the vets , well as much of her that she could fit on , as she isn't exactly one of the smallest dogues .

Will keep fingers crossed it all goes well and she will be back home with you soon x

That's one hurdle over, hopefully the op & recovery will run smoothly.(Can't wait til she's back home.) x

Hope all goes well with the Op and recovery

Thinking of fern today and hope all goes well for you all.

Just rang the vets , the nurse said they are just waking her up now , but they are keeping her in overnight as the operation was a big one. They need to keep her pain under control and monitor her. I really wanted to speak to my vet but she was busy , the nurse is leaving a message for her to call me . I was expecting to have her back tonight , but she's in the best place , I know. Going to ask if I can go and see how she is later , because I'm never going to settle if not.

Does your vet have someone that stays overnight, I know a lot don't? If not I'd prefer to have her back to keep a close eye on her.

Glad the operation went OK and fingers (and paws) crossed for a speedy recovery.

Yes , my vets have a nurse stays there and a night shift vet ( who also does call outs ) , so I suppose she's in the best place , I was all prepared to be nursing her myself tonight.

Does your vet have someone that stays overnight, I know a lot don't? Surely this can't be allowed ?

We are lucky our vet has even taken one of our cats home with him over the weekend to look after her.

She is in the best place and hoepfully after a good nights sleep she will be looking forward to seeing you !

Had a phone call from the vets , my vet has gone home now so it was another that rang , Fern is bleeding really heavily and they wanted permission to take her back to theatre . I am soo worried , I could be physically sick :( . They are going to ring as soon as she's out of theatre .
Please keep everything crossed for our big girl.

Oh no I do hope she is going to be ok

Keeping everything crossed that she is OK

The vet has called and said she has managed to stop the bleeding , lots of small bleeds and one large one now repaired :) .
She is going to call first thing in the morning and hopefully we'll get her home in the morning. The vet said her scars are really nasty looking as the tumours were large but due to her being so fit she should cope okay. She is to be crate rested and only 5 minute wee walks due to needing to keep pressure off scars.
I know it's good news but I still have a tummy like a washing machine.

Hope she has a good night, not surprised how your tummy feels. Thinking of you both and all the best for getting her home tomorrow.

Thinking of you at this time and hoping Fern has a good night and will be ready to see you in the morning.

Oh bless you. What an emotional turmoil you've been through today :(

I bet you are mentally exhausted but will likely struggle to sleep until she's back home with you tomorrow and you can see her for yourself.

Stock up on some nice boiled chicken...fresh bedding and let the pampering begin :)

Your right colliecrew , hubby is off to shops for a couple of chickens as soon as we get her home and settled. I just need to see her and then I'll be fine , whatever state her wounds are I'll deal with it , I'm stocked up with epsom salts and hibiscrub to keep her clean.

I just wanted to post healing thoughts for your girl.  I know you won't be able to sleep tonight, and all you want is to have your girl with you.

Warmest wishes coming your way. 

Jean

Hope there is some better news today, sending healing thoughts :)

We have her home :) :) :) :) :)

She is doing really well , and ran from the back of the vets into the room to see us. I'm happy that she seems so bright , but a little disappointed at the same time as the nurse explained they couldn't perform full strips on either side due to there not being enough skin . She said if they did the skin wouldn't meet. So we just have to hope that it never ever returns . She couldn't wait to get home and get a wee , she must of been holding it in all that time . Hubby went to a**a for 2 cooked chickens he has boned 1 already and she has just wolfed the whole lot down. I think she is going to enjoy being spoiled :)