Maxillectomy for squamous cell carcinoma

maria005 · 04-16-2009, 01:30 PM

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.

Toni DiGiallonardo · 04-24-2009, 08:20 PM

Dear Maria
My Rusty had epitheliotropic lymphoma. He had tumors on his gums. I never had the tumors removed, some grew some went away, they popped up in different places like on his lip. I gave himsupplements for 2 years, K-9 immunity, fish oil vitamin D3 CQ10, E. Read all of the different posts people give great information. I had to let my Rusty go on Monday the 20th. The vet would give him prednisone in the last 2 months we did try a chemo drug called Elspar, but that was after trying every natural thing first. Good Luck and God Bless. Build your dogs immune system!

Toni

maria005 · 04-25-2009, 01:05 PM

Dear Toni, I am sorry to hear about your dog, Rusty. I lost my dog Sami a few weeks ago to progressive laryngeal paralysis. When Sami got so debilitated that he could not eat without choking, couldn't jump into the car to go for a ride, and could not breathe without laboring, I knew it was time to put him to sleep. The feeling that one gets on losing one's devoted, beloved friend and constant companion gives new meaning to the word "heartbreak". I had him for 12 of his 14 years and from day 1, he was my constant shadow. We got our Rusty in the hopes of relieving some of the pain we felt on losing Sami.

I had to make a decision about my Rusty without waiting for any input from others. Cancerous growths are best handled quickly. I thought of three different possibilities for him:
1) put him down now to avoid additional pain and suffering
2) put him on drugs to decrease the pain, put him on immunity supplements, and put him down when he gets too debilitated that he can't eat anymore because of the size of his tumor
3)remove the cancerous growth, put him on immunity supplements, and hope that the vet was able to get all the cancer. He would be in pain for awhile, but under control of drugs until he healed. He could eat on the other side.
The idea of doing surgery to remove half his mouth was horrible to me. But, considering the other options, I felt that the surgical option would give him the best chance for a full recovery and the best quality of life. The pain would be temporary until he healed--a week or two, hopefully-- not months in a drugged state. If it turns out that he can't eat or doesn't heal well, we could euthanize him then. I think the best time to put a dog on immunity supplements is before he has need of them. In my Rusty's case, I think the cancer would have won out over the supplements. The doggie dentist felt that my Rusty was a good candidate for tumor removal and squamous cell carcinoma doesn't spread quickly or return readily. From what I've read, epitheliotropic lymphoma tumors keep popping up all over and are difficult to contain surgically. You did what was best for your Rusty.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. Again, my deepest condolences on the loss of your Rusty.

Benpaws · 04-25-2009, 04:23 PM

Hi Maria,
You are really lucky to have had Rusty for 12 out of 14 years. We lost our Benny at the age of 6 to Mast Cell Tumour Cancer which we discovered in 2006 right before he turned 4. The vet we had ignored the lump and by the time it was removed in November, 2007, it was too late and the pathology report came back as a STAGE 2, margins unclean, tumour. He was in remission from Nov. 2007 until July 2008 when another tumour appeared. There was little hope given to us and instead of invading this little body further with surgery and skin grafts etc., we opted to build up his immune system as best we could and with much help from various sources, including Ted's marvelous book we had Benny 9 months longer than we could have hoped for. On April 2nd, 2009 we had an appointment with our vet in hopes that there was one more OPTION for Benny. The day was sunny and bright and Benny enjoyed cleaning off a marrow bone and hiding it in various places in his yard and digging it up until he was too tired to go further and just lay with his bone.I have a picture of Benny on his last day an hour and a half before he was "put to sleep." He chased a squirrel with difficulty and when he tried to relive himself the ugly tumour expanded and bled and oozed and he sat with his little ears back and looked at us for HELP. We cleaned his beard of mud and hugged him and threw the marrow bone away and took him to the vet with his head out the window and his beard blowing in the wind and the vet agreed that we were giving him the best and most humane gift we could.....he would leave this world with the same DIGNITY with which he entered it. Our hearts were breaking as we kissed his furry little head and told him what a difference he had made in his 6 years with us. We NEEDED him so much, but we KNEW he needed to be released until the terrible pain of the CANCER took his little life. He ate some biscuits the vet gave to him and then it was over and my heart has never been in such pain. We could have kept him with us for our own reasons, because he was the best little dog in the world ( Aren't they ALL!) He would never want us to suffer and we didn't want him to suffer. It was the most DIFFICULT decision we have ever made and my heart breaks every day thinking of all the "What if's." But this was our decision and you are right to GO WITH YOUR HEART and do what you feel is right for your Rusty and for you. There are just no right answers to this terrible disease which robs us of our precious pets. I hope you get the miracle we so wanted and did not get." Please keep us posted on how Rusty is doing. It is evident how very much you love him.

God Bless you as you travel this stressful road called " CANCER" with your pet.

Blessings,
Joanne (Benpaws)

maria005 · 04-27-2009, 09:41 AM

Dear Joanne, Your post brought tears to my eyes as I shared your pain. It brought back painful memories of my own and I wonder if the hurt will ever go away.

Rusty had his surgery last Tuesday to remove the top portion of his left maxilla. He stayed one night at the vet hospital and came home the next day. He looked surprisingly good physically. He had a narcotic pain killer patch stuck to his side (fentenyl, I think) for three days. I had to feed him watered down canned dog food which he lapped up for three days and nights. He had trouble sleeping so he kept us awake as we tried to figure out what he needed--water, food, to go out, or just reassurance that we were there. Last night, Sunday night, he finally was able to sleep through the night. He is still on rimadal, which is an anti-inflammatory. I am now hand-feeding him his canned food without dilution. He doesn't see the vet again for two weeks post-surgery and is on restricted activity. He has some trouble breathing after he eats. The vet said that should only last a few days. It sounds like an asthma attack through his nose. The surgery did remove part of his upper palate. I did get a peek in there when he pants and it looks really good. The vet did a remarkable job in preserving the structure while covering the area with skin from the side of the mouth. For awhile, it looked like Rusty had a permanent smile on his one side, but now the skin has stretched a bit so he looks more normal. He's always been a very stoic dog so it's hard to tell how much pain he was/is in. The pathology report has not come back yet so we don't know if the tumor had clean edges. One new thing since the surgery--Rusty has become a "toilet dog". He never used to drink from the toilet, but since his surgery, he doesn't drink from his water bowls anymore, but prefers the toilet. I've tried different shaped bowls and different heights but it always sounds like he's drowning afterwards.

Benpaws · 04-27-2009, 09:51 AM

Dear Maria,
I just read your post on Rusty and hopefully the pathology report will be positive and show "clean edges" and you will get to enjoy many more happy moments with your best fur boy. As so many have expressed: "Canine cancer really sucks." In fact cancer in anyone is a terrible, lonely disease and the journey is a touch one on our hearts. that is why it is good to come here and share our experiences in hopes of making the journey less difficult for each other.
It sounds as if you might get the "miracle" many of us did not receive and that is good news. It will take time for Rusty to heal but with your love it will be easy. Give the little guy a big hug from me and know that you are in my prayers.

Love, Joanne

Brian Riddle · 04-28-2009, 04:29 PM

Dear Maria;
My Molly has a nasal tumor for over 22 months.We have been giving her Maritime Pine Bark,and before that we were trying a daily canine supplement to increase her immune system.Molly has been on a formula from herbal-treatments.com and is really doing well.The tumor has gone down in size,her beathing has gotten better and she seems to be happy.At first the vet gave Molly about 2 months with us and that was 22 months ago,so I'm very happy.

04-16-2009, 01:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
maria005 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3	Maxillectomy for squamous cell carcinoma 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.

04-25-2009, 04:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
Benpaws Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Oakville, ON., CANADA Posts: 697	Maria Hi Maria, You are really lucky to have had Rusty for 12 out of 14 years. We lost our Benny at the age of 6 to Mast Cell Tumour Cancer which we discovered in 2006 right before he turned 4. The vet we had ignored the lump and by the time it was removed in November, 2007, it was too late and the pathology report came back as a STAGE 2, *margins unclean,* tumour. He was in remission from Nov. 2007 until July 2008 when another tumour appeared. There was little hope given to us and instead of invading this little body further with surgery and skin grafts etc., we opted to build up his immune system as best we could and with much help from various sources, including Ted's marvelous book we had Benny 9 months longer than we could have hoped for. On April 2nd, 2009 we had an appointment with our vet in hopes that there was one more OPTION for Benny. The day was sunny and bright and Benny enjoyed cleaning off a marrow bone and hiding it in various places in his yard and digging it up until he was *too tired* to go further and just lay with his bone.I have a picture of Benny on his last day an hour and a half before he was "put to sleep." He chased a squirrel with *difficulty* and when he tried to relive himself the ugly tumour expanded and bled and oozed and he sat with his little ears back and looked at us for HELP. We cleaned his beard of mud and hugged him and threw the marrow bone away and took him to the vet with his head out the window and his beard blowing in the wind and the vet agreed that we were giving him the best and most humane gift we could.....he would leave this world with the same DIGNITY with which he entered it. Our hearts were breaking as we kissed his furry little head and told him what a difference he had made in his 6 years with us. We NEEDED him so much, but we KNEW he needed to be released until the terrible pain of the CANCER took his little life. He ate some biscuits the vet gave to him and then it was over and my heart has never been in such pain. We could have kept him with us for our own reasons, because he was the best little dog in the world ( Aren't they ALL!) He would never want us to suffer and we didn't want him to suffer. It was the most DIFFICULT decision we have ever made and my heart breaks every day thinking of all the "What if's." But this was our decision and you are right to GO WITH YOUR HEART and do what you feel is right for your Rusty and for you. There are just *no right answers to this terrible disease which robs us of our precious pets.* I hope you get the *miracle we so wanted and did not get." Please keep us posted on how Rusty is doing. It is evident* how very much you love him. God Bless you as you travel this stressful road called " CANCER" with your pet. Blessings, Joanne (Benpaws)

04-27-2009, 09:51 AM	#6 (permalink)
Benpaws Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Oakville, ON., CANADA Posts: 697	Rusty Dear Maria, I just read your post on Rusty and hopefully the pathology report will be positive and show "clean edges" and you will get to enjoy many more happy moments with your best fur boy. As so many have expressed: "Canine cancer really sucks." In fact cancer in anyone is a terrible, lonely disease and the journey is a touch one on our hearts. that is why it is good to come here and share our experiences in hopes of making the journey less difficult for each other. It sounds as if you might get the "miracle" many of us did not receive and that is good news. It will take time for Rusty to heal but with your love it will be easy. Give the little guy a big hug from me and know that you are in my prayers. Love, Joanne

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04-24-2009, 08:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
Toni DiGiallonardo Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 52	Dear Maria My Rusty had epitheliotropic lymphoma. He had tumors on his gums. I never had the tumors removed, some grew some went away, they popped up in different places like on his lip. I gave himsupplements for 2 years, K-9 immunity, fish oil vitamin D3 CQ10, E. Read all of the different posts people give great information. I had to let my Rusty go on Monday the 20th. The vet would give him prednisone in the last 2 months we did try a chemo drug called Elspar, but that was after trying every natural thing first. Good Luck and God Bless. Build your dogs immune system! Toni

04-25-2009, 01:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
maria005 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3	Dear Toni, I am sorry to hear about your dog, Rusty. I lost my dog Sami a few weeks ago to progressive laryngeal paralysis. When Sami got so debilitated that he could not eat without choking, couldn't jump into the car to go for a ride, and could not breathe without laboring, I knew it was time to put him to sleep. The feeling that one gets on losing one's devoted, beloved friend and constant companion gives new meaning to the word "heartbreak". I had him for 12 of his 14 years and from day 1, he was my constant shadow. We got our Rusty in the hopes of relieving some of the pain we felt on losing Sami. I had to make a decision about my Rusty without waiting for any input from others. Cancerous growths are best handled quickly. I thought of three different possibilities for him: 1) put him down now to avoid additional pain and suffering 2) put him on drugs to decrease the pain, put him on immunity supplements, and put him down when he gets too debilitated that he can't eat anymore because of the size of his tumor 3)remove the cancerous growth, put him on immunity supplements, and hope that the vet was able to get all the cancer. He would be in pain for awhile, but under control of drugs until he healed. He could eat on the other side. The idea of doing surgery to remove half his mouth was horrible to me. But, considering the other options, I felt that the surgical option would give him the best chance for a full recovery and the best quality of life. The pain would be temporary until he healed--a week or two, hopefully-- not months in a drugged state. If it turns out that he can't eat or doesn't heal well, we could euthanize him then. I think the best time to put a dog on immunity supplements is before he has need of them. In my Rusty's case, I think the cancer would have won out over the supplements. The doggie dentist felt that my Rusty was a good candidate for tumor removal and squamous cell carcinoma doesn't spread quickly or return readily. From what I've read, epitheliotropic lymphoma tumors keep popping up all over and are difficult to contain surgically. You did what was best for your Rusty. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. Again, my deepest condolences on the loss of your Rusty.

04-27-2009, 09:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
maria005 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3	Dear Joanne, Your post brought tears to my eyes as I shared your pain. It brought back painful memories of my own and I wonder if the hurt will ever go away. Rusty had his surgery last Tuesday to remove the top portion of his left maxilla. He stayed one night at the vet hospital and came home the next day. He looked surprisingly good physically. He had a narcotic pain killer patch stuck to his side (fentenyl, I think) for three days. I had to feed him watered down canned dog food which he lapped up for three days and nights. He had trouble sleeping so he kept us awake as we tried to figure out what he needed--water, food, to go out, or just reassurance that we were there. Last night, Sunday night, he finally was able to sleep through the night. He is still on rimadal, which is an anti-inflammatory. I am now hand-feeding him his canned food without dilution. He doesn't see the vet again for two weeks post-surgery and is on restricted activity. He has some trouble breathing after he eats. The vet said that should only last a few days. It sounds like an asthma attack through his nose. The surgery did remove part of his upper palate. I did get a peek in there when he pants and it looks really good. The vet did a remarkable job in preserving the structure while covering the area with skin from the side of the mouth. For awhile, it looked like Rusty had a permanent smile on his one side, but now the skin has stretched a bit so he looks more normal. He's always been a very stoic dog so it's hard to tell how much pain he was/is in. The pathology report has not come back yet so we don't know if the tumor had clean edges. One new thing since the surgery--Rusty has become a "toilet dog". He never used to drink from the toilet, but since his surgery, he doesn't drink from his water bowls anymore, but prefers the toilet. I've tried different shaped bowls and different heights but it always sounds like he's drowning afterwards.

04-28-2009, 04:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
Brian Riddle Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: I live in Cambray,Ontario Canada Posts: 19	Dear Maria; My Molly has a nasal tumor for over 22 months.We have been giving her Maritime Pine Bark,and before that we were trying a daily canine supplement to increase her immune system.Molly has been on a formula from herbal-treatments.com and is really doing well.The tumor has gone down in size,her beathing has gotten better and she seems to be happy.At first the vet gave Molly about 2 months with us and that was 22 months ago,so I'm very happy.