aniangel

moirat, i'm sorry to hear about your ruby. i am a veterinary oncology nurse and if i can be of any assistance i am happy to help & please feel free to PM me. you can also check out www.vetoncologyconsults.com this is the website of 2 of the 5 specialist oncologists in australia. the site is very helpful and has sound advice. i don't know enough about your dog or the location of the tumor, but if there is lymph node and splenic involvement, that can only be determined by biopsy and ultrasound. its also best to get the tumor out and get histopath results so exactly what you are dealing with - unfortunately that may mean amputation from what i have understood from your post, but maybe not. there are different grades of mast cell tumors and they all have different prognostic factors and treatment modalities, but firstly DON'T PANIC. mast cell tumors are the most common skin cancers we see in dogs. surgery + chemo may be an option, so could radiation treatment, but all is determined by the grade of the tumor and that can only be determined by biopsy. please check out the above website, it is full of good information and they will happily consult with your veterinarian if need be. best of luck

The initial incident definately sounds like an acute anaphylaxis (possibly due to allergic) reaction - including the going blue, weakness & head tilt. If the dog was going to have a reaction to the Benedryl, it would have had a reaction to the initial antihistimine given to it at the vet's. I wonder if the wet paw was thoroghly examined? under magnification? if there was a stinger left in and it shifted to a sensitive spot, it could have caused a pain response in the second incidence, which totally explains the dogs reactions as you described (and not to offend, but also especially if the dog isn't the bravest soul). Also some itchy bites stay itchy for days and benedryl doesn't always handle the itch/pain if it is intense. Even in myself I had a spider bite that made me nearly chop off my own leg while i used antihistimines, until i got on a combo of antihistimines, pain killers and steroid cream for it. In the second instance, did the dog go blue as well or just the hiding, shivering, lethargy? was the lethargy as bad as the rightsided weakness in the first incident or just an exhausted type of lethargy & weakness? As for the hypoglycaemia, you can certainly ask the vet to do a glucose curve to try and determine diabetes. Otherwise low blood glucose usually occurs in tiny breeds and neonates when they haven't eaten enough, gotten too cold, sick from disease etc. Seizures associated with low blood sugar are usually a grand mal with full on twitching and paddling. If your friend's dog is 6months old, eats well, medium sized and never had a problem before, hypoglycaemia seems v. unlikely unless there is a disease process going on, even in this instance. I'd say double check that paw.... best of luck,

so sorry to hear about the diagnosis silverblue - was keeping my fingers crossed for the pup....happy to help with any info if you think you all need some.

i'm sorry to hear about your puppy silverblue and if you need any advice once the histopath results are back i can certainly help you decipher. i am a veterinary oncology nurse working with antony moore and angela frimberger in NSW, both of whom are world renowned veterinary medical oncologists. there are only 5 oncologists and 1 internal medicine specialist with special interest in oncology in australia. i'm not sure what state you are in but i can also help you with names for referral, etc if you need it. just remember that not all cancers need chemo, but some definately do. depending on the tumor type, surgery may well be a cure. and if chemo is needed, the goal in veterinary oncology is quality of life for your pet and yourself! chemotherapy in pets is not as severe as it is in humans for many reasons. i have never heard of selenium as a treatment of cancer in pets, but depending on its mechanisms it may assist with boosting the immune system etc and give additional support - i would get veterinary advice about it. if you need any futher info, please feel free to PM me and you can also check out some great information at www.vetoncologyconsults.com best of luck, will keep fingers and toes crossed! lynne

i can tell you from a vet nurses experience a hot spot is a localised bacterial skin infection. dogs with allergies and thick coats are prone to them especially when it is hot, humid & damp outside. sometimes you can't even see them until they get to the point of ulceration and puss cuz of the dog's coat & it is the dog that makes it get to that point by scratching at it and introducing more bacteria. best thing to do is to clip the hair away from the spot, scrub it with antibacterial wash & if it is really pussy the dog will need a short course of antibiotics, possibly some antihistamines or anti-inflammatories too. if you catch it early enough you can clip or snip the hair away, wash it with some antibacterial liquid handsoap or a mild salt + water solution. rinse thoroughly and pat dry and then TRY to stop the dog from licking/scratching. if it is a small early hot spot that is just pink and not ulcerated i think the nappy rash powder could help, but don't let the dog lick at it! but if it is pussy and infected please take your dog to the vet! they can rapidly grow and spread and be uncomfortable for the poor pooch! Lynne