Your Pet, Your Pocket Book, and Cancer

As cancer rates rise at all time highs in the human world , so also can the same be said for the world of our four footed friends. We know that moles on our bodies, that change color, size or shape, could be a harbinger of dreaded cancer. When we notice a significant change we call and make a doctors appointment. There may follow extensive blood work, a biopsy, lab testing etc...Hopefully the results will come back termed as non malignant. What happens though when we are faced with just such a situation with our beloved companion pets?

My Boxer Shugah Ray is a gentle giant and a source of joy in my life. He is now almost 6 years old, and for three years had a very tiny mole on his back. The vet and I had never really worried about it during previous office visits. It was very small, round with a uniform border. This year though the mole suddenly changed . It had doubled in size when we went in for the first visit. With summer in full swing Our vet said give it a little more time, It was possible he was having a reaction to being bitten by an insect of some kind.

By his next appointment the treacherous mole had not only tripled in size, but had now been joined by two companions, one on each rear leg. It was quickly decided they should be removed . At the rate they were growing, left unchecked, There was a risk later as the areas grew larger and deeper that there would not be enough good skin left to pull the edges together. The vet was concerned this could cause a stretching and limitation in his hip motion. We set the date and the surgery was completed without complications.