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What To Do?


tlc
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Hi Guys, Just wanting some advice on a medical dilemma with Cooper, He has a "thing" on his face, the vet described it as a kind of like a wart but it has a blood supply as it has got veins running through it. It has been a while ago since we seen the vet and at the time she suggested just to keep an eye on it and leave it be if it isn't worrying him, which it isn't at all, he doesn't even paw at it. I have to be careful when I bath him and brush his face but other than that he seems fine about it. When I bathed him tonight I noticed it seems quite a bit bigger, probably not quite double the size it was when I first took him to the vets about it.

What I am wondering has anyone else had one of these on their dog and did you get it removed and what was involved. I will definatley be guided by the vets advice next time we go and if they think it should come off then it will, I just don't want him to have to have surgery unnecessarily. But at the same time I don't want it to get ripped off by him or one of the other dogs either especially if I am not here at the time.

He also has a fatty cyst under his arm which has gotten bigger so if he did get the thing off his face they would probably do the lump under his arm at the same time.

The side of his face usually looks like this

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So the thing is totally unseen in normal circumstances

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this is whats under the fur, he is just out of the bath in these shots.

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Is it growing?

You don't have a lot of skin and flesh to spare on a dog's face. It's not small and IMO I'd be having it removed before it got any bigger. The risk with such things isn't that they'll get damaged but that delay will make a minor procedure into something more substantial.

Lily my Toy Poodle had one come up at the corner of her eye. I had it removed and it was sliced and diced and it turned out to be some kind of benign tumour but it was growing.

Edited by Haredown Whippets
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That doesn't look a friendly 'thing' ....and if it has grown, then biopsy/removal sooner rather than later , is my opinion...I'd probably also suggest you maybe take him to Werribee or somewhere where there is more chance of someone having come across this before ...

Dear Cooper- he looks SO cool in those Sunnies :) :)

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Oooh it looks strange! I'd probably be having it removed now too before it had the opportunity to get any bigger, get knocked or develop into something else.

Perhaps a 2nd opinion is in order too? Hopefully it's nothing. :crossfingers:

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Yes it is definatley bigger now than it was to begin with, so it is growing but not at a huge rate. It is kind of in a tear drop shape so the base of it is attached in only a tiny area if that makes sense. The piece thats attached to his face is not as big as the whole thing.

He does look pretty cool in the sunnies, he wears them well! :laugh:

Pers, the vet seemed quite familiar with these things but the thing is my normal vets (husband and wife) have both left the clinic and I have to start off with a new vet, so I might make an appointment and pop in and see what they say, might be good getting a second opinion anyway.

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Ha Moosey we were posting at the same time! I was a bit indecisive before this thread but I have made up my mind now, vets it is as soon as I can get an appointment!

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Good Idea, his teeth do need a clean, even though he has bones and I brush his teeth on occasion. he is 6 next month and has never had his teeth cleaned by the vet. He can have the works, poor fella won't be a happy camper after this little expedition. I will no doubt work myself into a frenzy as I know how much he despises the vets and does not do well waking up in a strange place. The last time he had a procedure done they had to get me to go and get him from the room where they go after surgery from the cage as they couldn't go near him to get him out. Now this is a dog who is as gentle and loving as you can get he just hates the vets. :(

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Definitely a good idea to get as much done as you can so he only has to go under GA once, poor fella. He'll be okay though and happy once he's back home. Keep us updated. :hug: :)

I sure will. Lacy and Bron need their yearly vacc so I'll book CJ in as well.

They look like sebaceous adenomas. Common in older cockers and poodles, they are benign.

Thanks that's good to know.

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A few years ago my old dog Harry had one similar to that dangly-bit on Cooper's face, it also had a a really thin piece where it attached. I asked one of the vets that came into our shop what to do...she took a look then said just gently tie a piece of cotton around it...firm, not tight, and every couple of days just tighten it a little. Well that worked, it didn't hurt him and it just fell off after a couple of weeks. It never re-grew.

I got the impression that she knew exactly what it was and that was the easiest way of removing it without surgery.

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It would be great if it was that easy and it would be soooo much better for Coop.

I just rang the clinic and we are booked in for 10.30 in the morning for a consult. The vet nurse I spoke to was fantastic, I explained a bit of Coops history and she said there is lots we can do to alleviate his fears and mine. They might be able to fit him in for the surgery this week.

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That's the thing that's bothering me the most that it has gotten bigger, the vet nurse said they may even be able to just snip and quarterize it. Not sure it will be that easy but I sure hope so. The lyphoma needs to be removed too as its doubled in size. I wish it was tomorrow already, I am so impatient! :laugh: I just want it all over and done with.

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Yep, A snip and cauterize would be the go...much less traumatic than trying to tie a piece of cotton around the stem of the lump while Cooper is trying to check out what you are fiddling around with on his face.

They may be able to do it with a local anaesthetic after they have given him a calming/light sedation injection as moosepup said.

Edited by Boronia
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It sure would be great if they just did that but the lump under his arm is quite sizey, around the size of a soft golf ball if that makes sense. So if they decide it needs taking out I'm sure it will have to be a GA.

I think ive decided if they can snip and quarterize the face thing and they say he can live with the lump under his arm for a bit longer I will go that way. If he has to have a GA for his face I'll get them to do the lump as well.

The lump under his arm has already been checked and a FNA done and they said it was a fatty cyst but it has gotten quite a bit bigger since I first noticed it.

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Our old dog Ren had a lypoma on his chest, near his belly. It was about golf ball sized and he had it til the day he was given his wings (for unrelated reasons). If its not causing him any discomfort it should be ok to leave it if he doesn't need a GA for his wart thingy. Obviously check with your vet though if it's gotten bigger and is concerning you.

When is his appt?

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Lily has six lipomas. All have been checked and while they are growing, the rate is slow.

They'll be staying put unless they become troublesome.

She also has a number of cysts on her skin. She's going to be one lumpy old dog. ;)

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