Veterinary Question

Factual Questions
1

This one is wandering in the grey area between GQ and IMHO, but I’m going to try GQ for starters. Mods please feel free to move as you see fit.

So I have a couple of friends with two dogs. One is an ~eight months-old lab mix ( possibly with Great Dane, maybe some sort of hound ). Several days ago he quite suddenly ( within the course of a day or two ) developed several growths on his lips and his throat. Pictures:

The first impulse on poking around the internet was to suspect the Canine Papilloma Virus. Common enough in young dogs, generally not a major problem. So my friends took him into their vet to get a professional opinion. He opined that there was an “80% chance it was CPV, 20% it was cancer.” He then suggested confirming that by doing a biopsy for “$550-900.” My friends were slightly perturbed by this response and although they are going to seek a second professional opinion, they thought it might be reasonable to solicit opinions elsewhere as well. So the questions are:

1.) 20% chance of cancer? Really? 1 in 5 young dogs ( puppies, really ) that suddenly develop growths like this simultaneously at multiple points on the head will have cancer? Maybe I’m just parading my ignorance, but this seems to me to be absurdly inflated. I would think that the whole presentation just screams viral outbreak. But correct my ignorance - is that 1 in 5 prediction reasonable?

2.) The billing and the reasons behind it. The actual histology is apparently around $150. No problem. What’s more troubling is the suggestion that the dog should be knocked out for one of the growths to be removed, with a possible overnight stay ( hence the price range ). Is that reasonable as well? My understanding is that anaesthesia is always best avoided if it can be, simply to avoid potential complications. Looking at those growths, with the one in the picture above being pretty typical, it would seem to me it should be easy enough to apply some sort of local numbing agent and just snip one off. Is this, too, also ignorant maundering on my part :)? Should dogs always be put under if such a growth is going to be removed?

The basic issue is that my friends are understandably a little reluctant to pay up to $900 for simple peace of mind. They’ve spent plenty of money dealing with other recurring vet issues with their young dogs and aren’t opposed to paying for treatment. But their vets whole demeanor on this one suggested to them ( and me ) perhaps a touch of cupidity on his part. A 1 in 5 chance of cancer seems a little like scare-mongering, putting the dog under for a biopsy seems a little excessive.

But maybe it’s not. Enlighten us!

  • Tamerlane
2

I’m a bump this because I just noticed a rather large one on my own dog’s lower lip. She has a vet appointment for this weekend (for an unrelated issue), but I am curious NOW.

3

When in doubt, spend the money. We were concerned about a dog’s sudden loss of color in the mouth tissues- very pale gums and inside of lips. We took him right away, on a Thursday, and we were right to do so- it was leukemia, and he waas gone by Saturday afternoon.

ETA- Brendan was a young dog also- under 3 years…

4

If your friends are in doubt about the vet’s treatment or charges, get a second opinion. I do know that keeping an animal overnight is standard procedure in a lot of places, simply to make sure the animal is fully recovered from the anesthesia before sending him home.

5

Huh. Weird to see this one reappear.

In any case it turned out to be papilloma afterall. They pretty much spontaneously disappeared about a week ago, all at once. Left a few pinkish dots behind. Freakily rapid seeming onset and then remission. Never did experience that with any of my dogs, but then again my friends are at a dog park 4-5 days a week and mine never had that level of exposure ( dog parks weren’t common when I was a youngster ).

  • Tamerlane