maria005

I am new to the site and am seeking input from people who have experienced maxillectomy for squamous cell carcinoma. I adopted Rusty two months ago. At the time, I noticed he had "bad teeth" and that he was sensitive to having his muzzle touched. I took him to the local vet and because he was newly adopted, she didn't force the oral exam. I worked on desensitizing him to touch and was able to see a mass on his gum over his 4th molar. I brought him back for a dental cleaning and told the vet about a mass I had seen. She took a biopsy while he was under anesthesia. The result came back negative for malignancy so she told me to go to a doggy dentist to have the tooth extracted. When I got in to see the doggy dentist, he took a look and said what he was seeing was not consistent with the vet report. He took x-rays and did a punch biopsy of the mass. The x-rays showed areas of bone degeneration. I got back the result of the biopsy and it showed a malignant squamous cell carcinoma. The doggy dentist suggested treating it by removing all the upper teeth and supporting bone structure on the upper left hand side of Rusty's mouth. I am looking for people who have had this done on their dog. I want to know if it was worth the pain and suffering the dog went through, how long the dog survived after surgery, and it's quality of life. The doggy dentist suggested Rusty may have "several years" but from what I have read, it may only be 5 months. Any advice or experiences you can relate would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to make a decision soon.