[Mel]

So Sandy was spayed a little over two weeks ago. She was given the ok at 9 days that she could go back to normal activity. During the next week Sandy and Nova stayed with a sitter while we were out of town. We picked her back up on Friday and I looked at her stomach and everything looked good. Last night when I showed my daughter where her scar was I noticed several lumps on the side.

So today I had her rechecked and they said it’s not in her abdominal wall it’s mammary tumors. They mentioned it could be because she was spayed late which I think is baloney considering she had no tumors before the spay and now all of a sudden she has them. They said to keep an eye on it and come back if they are larger.


Has anyone had this right after a spay? I’m ready to take her to a different vet to get another opinion. It’s just seems really odd to me.

 

[Starvt]

Do you have a picture? How big and where exactly are they? Do they seem 'attached' in place or do they move a little? While it's true that I have seen mammary tumours after a late spay, the time frame seems odd and also that you didn't see anything only 2 days prior.

 

[Mel]

It’s possible I missed them in checking her two days ago. You can’t see them much but it’s almost like a straight line. One is bigger and round feeling than the others and you can see it slightly see in the picture. She did not have them at 9 days after surgery and I was keeping a very close eye on her stomach. The vet said she did have a little discharge/leakage from her nipple (not sure what that implies).


I just don’t get the timing of it. I get that they can get tumors but suddenly right after surgery when she hasn’t had any before?


Don’t mind her being a bit dirty..she hasn’t had a bath yet.

 

[Starvt]

Hmm, they certainly look like they are in the area of the mammary chain (which is where they develop). The fact that she had discharge can mean a few things (I'm assuming that was at the time of the spay?). We do often see discharge related to mammary tumours, so it's possible that they were already there but undetectable, and the body's inflammatory reaction to surgery caused them to grow faster. Another possibility is that she was producing some milk due to her hormone levels, and that you are feeling some mammary enlargement from that or a duct that was blocked due to the surgery.
Which is more likely depends on things like her age, when her last heat cycle was. But I think your vet is right in suggesting you wait and watch. If it's hormone related it should go down in a few months I would think. Mammary tumours are usually slow to metastasize, so waiting for a bit is typically not an issue. It would probably be a good idea to get a chest x-ray just to he sure at some point (recommended as part of pre-surgical screening for any tumor removal).

 

[Mel]

Thanks I guess I will wait a week a little before I have a recheck. I’m ultra paranoid right now as my horse just passed away last week . She was slightly older but it has me worried about everything now.

As far as the discharge she didn’t say if it was now or during the spay. I will check her in a few minutes to see. I didn’t get to talk to the doctor after the first visit only the tech. So they gave me her bloodwork but didn’t really say anything so I’m guessing that was all normal (looks to be with the bars anyways).

Will mammary cancer clue show up in her bloodwork?

 

[Starvt]

Unfortunately the only blood parameter that can indicate cancer is a high calcium level. That one isn't on most pre-surgical screening though, and it's far from accurate.

 

[Vita]

Mel, I'm just seeing this thread and it's pretty upsetting; I really like your girl Sandy. My mind would have all kinds of dark thoughts of why these little tumors developed right after a spay, mainly if the surgical tools were adequately sterilized. On the other hand, my rational side remembers there are a surprising number of human women who develop benign breast tumors or cancer a year or two after having a child.

I'm hoping her hormones are still settling down post-puppies and they are non-cancerous. If they're still there in another few months, I'd want them removed even if they're benign, and by a different vet.

God-willing, Sandy has another decade of life to live, and those things can grow and become cancerous years later. This happened to my cocker spaniel long ago and the vet had said don't worry, they don't need to be removed. Well I should have worried b/c three or four years later it was too late.

Keep us posted; you're in my prayers.

 

[Mel]

I’m at the same place. It’s so suspicious on the timing I have to wonder. I’m waiting until January and having a recheck by a different vet and then have them removed. I was not impressed when the vet didn’t bother to come and talk to me.
I’m definitely not waiting to have them removed. There is another vet that is recommended but I’m not sure if would be better to take her to the University of Florida or a local vet.

Just thinking I could loose my girl makes me feel so sick. I’m trying to just enjoy every moment with her (even playing with dye). She enjoyed it so much I just walked by the grooming table and she jumped right on it . Thank you for keeping her in your prayers.

 

[Vita]

By not waiting too long to have them removed, and they're so small and recent, I have a feeling she'll be just fine.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Could they be lipomas? I have developed lipomas at the site of two separate traumas over the years, and there's some research that suggests they could be linked.

Thinking good thoughts for your little girl.

 

[Mufar42]

Years ago I had a shih tzu that developed what looked like lumps after a spay. I think it was just drama with her as they went away on their own.

 

[Jbean]

Neither benign nor malignant tumors are going to form over the course of a day or two. Small fluid collections at the site of a surgery, OTOH, are extremely common and will usually resolve by themselves. At worst, a large collection of fluid may sometimes need to be drained either surgically or, more likely, with a needle. Subcutaneous stitches may also show through the skin as a line of small lumps. An actual tumor that became apparent within days of surgery was already present before the surgery.

 

[Mel]

Update: Went to the vet and have a date set for surgery next month. The lumps have gotten a bit bigger and she leaks. I wished I could get it done sooner but they are booked out until then. Sandy also has a hard small round spot on her shoulder. You can’t really feel it unless you are scratching or rubbing that area. The vet wasn’t concerned said we could just watch it but I am going to have it removed also. She does not seem to like me touching it though doesn’t make a big deal ..just moves away.



I am not sure but I think the tumors bother her though I’ve read they shouldn’t. She has been really touchy about being moved. If I am grooming her on the floor and I try to turn her around she tries to bite so I now just hold her mouth closed when I need to adjust her ( she doesn’t fight). She bit my husband when he tried to get her to move over in the bed. She snapped at my daughter when she reached to pet her once. Not sure what’s going on. Other than those cases she plays hard with Nova and acts like her normal self??‍♀.

 

[Rose n Poos]

Hope the removal will take care of her discomfort and that they are nothing of further concern. Sending positive thoughts!

 

[Vita]

I'm so sorry about her situation. A month from now is a long time given the progression, but I imagine you've explored if nearby vet surgeons have an earlier opening.

Is it possible you can find out which days the vet does surgeries? Surgical patients usually have an early morning deadline time to be there. If so you could call on those days to see if there has been a no-show in which you could bring her in.

If for example the vet does them on Tuesdays and Fridays and will usually say the dog has to be there by 8:30 am with no feeding or water after midnight.

On those days you'd have to not feed/water her after midnight, then call at 8:30 to see if there's a no show, and be prepared to race to the vet to take advantage of the opening. Or annoy them by calling just before closing time each day to see if there's been a cancellation. Of course, this depends on your work schedule responsibilities and how far away the vet is to get there quickly.

I've luck doing this multiple times over the years with doctor appointments where I'd otherwise have to wait one to three months for an appointment.

Whatever happens, I wish you enormous luck.

 

[Mel]

Vita that’s a great idea ! I will give them a call when they open.

 

[Skylar]

MWL, I’m so sorry too. I had hoped they would shrink and go away. Poor Sandy,