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Date:   11 February, 2010  
Focus: Small animals - dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pig & rabbits.

Toa Payoh Vets Clinical Research
Making veterinary surgery alive
to a veterinary student studying in Australia
using real case studies and pictures

STILL ALIVE AND KICKING  
Surgery for the 2nd time:
Circum-anal tumours
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS.
Date:  11 February, 2010

 
  toapayohvets.com 
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129
Perineal tumours are best removed when they are small. Neuter the dog. Toa Payoh Vets One massive left perineal tumour removed. Old Shih Tzu. Toa Payoh Vets  
tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3057 - 3058. A large left perineal tumour in June 2009 was excised.  The owner did not return for neutering or check up. The first surgery was buying time for an old companion.

The circum-anal tumours grew bigger and
bigger till the dog screamed one night.
Euthanasia or no another surgery?

Left perineal tumour excised but recurs. Owner ignores it till now. Toa Payoh Vets  Perineal tumours. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets Perineal tumours. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets
tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3059. The perineal tumour recurs tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3060. The perineal tumour is larger  tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3061. The perineal tumour recurs
Perineal tumours being excised. Electro-incision. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets Perineal tumours being excised. Electro-incision. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets Perineal tumours being excised. Electro-incision. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets
tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3062. Are the tumours operable? Will euthanasia be the easy way out tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3063. Surgery was the alternative to euthanasia tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3064. The perineal tumour excision. Electro-surgery
Perineal tumours being excised. Electro-incision. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets Perineal tumours being excised. Electro-incision. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets Perineal tumours excised. Shih Tzu, 12 years. Toa Payoh Vets
tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3065. Various fatty cells and lumps near to anus and the rectum tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3066. Not possible to excise tumour in one piece. Bloody 

tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)3067.  24 hours after perineal surgery. Still alive & kicking

It was heart-breaking for me to see the old Shih Tzu with larger circum-anal tumours. "Why didn't you come for neutering and when the tumour started growing?" I asked the man in his late 30s. "Neutering would have removed the testosterone that helps the circum-anal tumours to grow. Also an anti-androgen injection and follow up 2 months later.  It would be much less expensive and less risky of anaesthetic death. But you didn't turn up."  The tumours look inoperable now.  

"I am not the one taking care of the dog," the man said. "The caregiver did not want any surgery as the dog was eating and behaving normally. Till last night when he suddenly cried as if in pain. The caregiver wanted euthanasia but my wife and I requested surgery."

This dog nearly died at the first surgery and therefore I did not perform the neutering at the same time. I advised neutering 2 weeks later but there was no response. 

I got the circum-anal tumours excised as much as possible (isoflurane gas only). I had to be careful not to rupture the rectum or destroy the anal sphincters. It was a lengthy surgery. The tumour cells appeared fatty in nature and were no longer in discrete encapsulated lumps as in previous surgery. No histopathology was done due to economical reasons. The vet fees had to be as low as possible.

2 days later, I neutered the dog (Domitor 0.5 ml IV, isoflurane gas top up, Antisedan 0.5 ml IV). Delmadinone acetate, an anti-androgen injection of 1.4 ml SC was given 2 days later. Painkillers and antibiotics were given daily. The circum anal wounds did not heal normally and stitches broke down. The old dog was eating normally.

Chinese New Year2010 falls on Valentine's Day. It would be in 4 days from today. I sent the gentle dog home to spend time with the family as the anal wounds would take more than 4 weeks to heal and he needed not stay at the Surgery.

This was the dog which a vet some years ago had said would not live longer than the circum-anal tumours and therefore advised no surgery.

Well, vets are not Gods. This dog is still alive and kicking. A client recently consulted me about his dog. He wore an orange T-shirt, bought from Bangkok. It had the words "Still alive and kicking" in front. I think this phrase is an appropriate title for this report. The dog was certainly much alive after 3 anaesthesias. Kicking? Well, I am sure if he were a horse, he would be kicking as he was an active senior citizen. 

I suspect he would live longer than any veterinary prognosis now that he was neutered. It is extremely hard to predict longevity in a dog with tumours. In this case, check up with the operating vet 1-2 monthly after surgery is advised.
  toapayohvets.com 
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129
tpvets_logo.jpg (2726 bytes)Toa Payoh Vets
Clinical Research
 

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