|
Whiskey's Enormous Mammary Tumour
Whiskey, an 11 yr old female
neutered Jack Russell was presented to us with an enormous mammary tumour
hanging between her back legs. She had no apparent discomfort and was well
in herself but the lump was beginning to drag on the floor and ulcerate.
She looked a bit embarrassed about it!
 
She'd had a plum-sized tumour removed from
the same place about 2 yrs previously
and had been neutered at the same time. She'd had
no recurrence until about 3 months ago when the present lump began to grow.
Whiskey was admitted for a general anaesthetic and prepared for surgery.
The tumour was well encapsulated and probably benign so surgical removal was
likely to be successful.
A - the skin ulceration over the tumour.
This type of surgery can be messy as the area has
a very large blood supply.
B - the tumour partially separated from the body and clamps
controlling haemorrhage.
 
A
B
 
C
D
C - the operation site after removal of the tumour but before
skin closure.
D - the completed operation with the wound closed using 40 skin
staples.
 
E
F
E - 2 weeks post surgery, healing well, no discomfort, Staples
were remove that day.
F - 6 weeks later - Whiskey is fully healed and the skin back
to normal.
LATER: We are sad to have to tell you that Whiskey
developed secondary lung tumours about a month after the last picture above.
She began to have breathing difficulties and a chest X-ray showed large
shadows in the lungs. She made no response to supportive treatment and we
had no choice but to put her to sleep.
So sad, after she had done so well in her recovery from the operation.
David H.
In bitches that are neutered before
their first season (i.e. at 5 - 6mo.) mammary tumours are almost unheard of.
Whiskey wasn't neutered until she was 9 yrs old which didn't prevent
the tumour
regrowth but could have prevented a mammary
cancer. In this case it didn't. Early neutering is the best
option always.
<top of
page> |
