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Lumps all over body.

Species: Dog
Breed: Italian Grey hound
Age: 5-8 years
Hello,

I have a 6 year old italian grey hound. Before he was very very active and would always eat. I have taken him to the vet multiple times but they cannot seem to find what is wrong with him...I need help!

Symptoms:

Lumps (1-2inches) over his body, under his skin (about 10 total)
Slow movement & sleeping
Temp of 103
minimal eating & little drinking
crying in pain if picked up the wrong way
tested a partial positive for lyme disease (Was give doxycyline, after a week with no results- was taken off of the medication)
* This came about within a 2 week period *


The vet also tested for kidney failure, but came back negative. Should I have them test again? If not, what else could this be? If it is cancer, can it be treated? The vet does not want to test because she is afraid he is not strong enough to go under surgery. Is there any other food that will make him stronger and healther qucikly?

I am just lost and I am afraid I am going to wake up and he will be gone.




Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh I am sorry to hear that poor Pepino is having these problems.

Before I answer, I have a few questions for you that will help me to see if I can help you out:


  • Have any tests been done on the lumps? The type of test I am wondering about is a fine needle aspirate to determine what types of cells they are.

  • How big are the lumps and what do they look like?

  • How long has this been going on?

  • Has a full set of bloodwork been done? If so, do you know what abnormalities were present?



Hopefully I can help you with this case.
Thanks!
Dr. Marie.


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Customer reply:

Hello,

Thank you for answering!

A cytology was done. At the moment they are checking thyroid again, but don't know what they are questioning. overall didn't show anything that stands out.

The lumps are all over his mian body frame (none on his face, legs or tail), they are smaller at first then, flatter and harder.

About 3 weeks, 2 weeks with a vet.

The blood work was taken, doesn't show a virus, red and white cells seem to be fine.
Overall the vet doesn't see a "bullet" to point to. Antibiotics didn't seem to help, in fact they have been stopped to see if his appetite comes back.
Seems to be in some kind of pain, but can't find where it is coming from.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome! This sounds so frustrating! It would be great if you could find out what they saw on cytology of the lumps. I really think our answer is in finding out what the lumps are.

Your vet is the best judge of whether or not they can be biopsied, but most dogs will allow a biopsy with a local anesthetic, so you could ask your vet if this is a possibility at all.

Here are a few of the unusual things that could cause lumps on the body:


  • Mycobacteria such as nocardia.

  • A fungal infection.

  • Panniculitis (looks something like this:)

    panniculitis

  • Cutaneous lymphoma (looks something like this:)

    cutaneous lymphoma



By far the best thing that can be done next in my opinion is a biopsy. If you think it looks like any of the pictures above then let me know and I'll give you some more information.

Dr. Marie.



Customer reply:

Hello,

The lumps are more like someone took a small golf ball and placed them all over Pepino's body. Some are on his neck others are on his lungs. They have not caused a break in the skin. Does this sound like a tumor? I will contact my vet in the morning about a local surgery, which I think should work. But for the time... can you suggest any specific food and/or drink that I could give him? ( A chicken soup for dogs?)

Thank you again for all of your help!!


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome.

When you mention that some lumps are on his neck I am wondering if what you are describing are lymph nodes. If these are lymph nodes then this tells us that we are dealing with either some type of infection or unfortunately a cancer like lymphoma. Usually though a fine needle aspirate of a lymph node is really helpful in telling us whether this is cancer or not.

It's really hard for me to suggest a food without knowing his whole case. That's really something that you should ask your vet about. In most cases as long as we are feeding a good quality food that's about as good as we can do.

Be careful about some of the stuff that you read online about "miracle" foods and supplements. The key to Pepino's healing here is to figure out what is wrong first and then once we can treat that effectively he will start eating again.

I do have some faith in a supplement called Missing Link that helps with general overall health. However, no supplement on its own is the answer here.

You may also want to ask your vet about a medication called remeron which is an appetite stimulant that may help perk his appetite up a little until we can get some answers.


Dr. Marie.



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.