Cancer and Wounds Cancer and Wounds Cancer and Wounds Skin flaps, meshing and skin stretchers

Lucy, a 6y female Border Collie, presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with worryingly low glucose levels caused by an insulinoma, a pancreas tumour.

A 10-year-old Labrador retriever presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with a bone cancer involving the bone of the upper jaw at the back of the mouth.

A middle-aged Doberman presented with a firm, painful swelling at the top of the humerus in the right forelimb. Radiography of the affected limb revealed the typical features of a malignant bone tumour called an osteosarcoma. There were no masses visible in the lungs on X-rays at this time.

A dog presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with coughing, and the referring vet had identified a large solitary soft tissue mass in one of his lungs. We arranged for a skilled ultrasonographer at a neighbouring practice to perform an ultrasound-guided biopsy.

Bubbles, a four-year-old boxer bitch presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with a left hind limb lameness of a few weeks duration.

Max, an elderly spaniel, was referred to us at West Midlands Referrals with straining to defecate. The referring vet had identified a mass affecting the right side of the anus, and increased thirst and urination. Blood tests had identified increased calcium levels.

Zelda, an 8-year-old Bull Terrier, presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with a history of sneezing, bleeding from her right nostril, and the owner had seen pieces of what she took to be bits of body tissue sneezed out.

Benson, a middle-aged Labrador retriever, had a skin tumour on his left thigh which had unfortunately grown to a large size before it was investigated.

Tilly, a stoic collie, presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with whopping cancer on her leg. This was thought to be composed of fatty tissue from samples that had been taken by the referring vet, but the mass looked so unlike typical fatty masses that we double-checked with biopsies. Indeed it was of fatty tissue origin. Fatty masses are usually benign, but the possibility of infiltrative or malignant variants was strongly suspected.

A Spinone Louis was unlucky enough to get an osteosarcoma aggressive bone tumour in a hind limb in 2012.

Mist had a locally aggressive tumour – a spindle cell sarcoma – successfully removed with good margins by local practice. The surgical wound, unfortunately, broke down. The resulting wound was large but this was NOT a disaster – a disaster would have been a neatly closed wound with residual tumour left behind by the surgeon.

After removing a tumour, there was a large wound that we couldn’t close with local skin.

Lola had a large wound after trauma. Her owner vets had attempted a closure, but unfortunately, this came adrift, and she was referred to us at West Midlands Referrals a couple of weeks later for wound closure.

Storm, a 9-year-old Springer, presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with fibrosarcoma of the mandible (lower jaw). This was treated with a radical rostral (front end) mandibulectomy.

Toby presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with a firm mass on his skull. This was biopsied and was thought to be an osteoma, a benign bone tumour. We carefully burred around it and removed it with a narrow margin of normal skull.

Daisy presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with intermittent choking and coughing.

Spot Jenkinshad a near rupture of the triceps tendon. There was a substantial overlying wound.

Michaal was unlucky enough to have amast cell turmour on the end of his prepuce.

Cassie presented to us at West Midlands Referrals with a long-standing mast cell tumour that had grown under her Achilles tendon. It was getting knocked and inflamed.

Alfie, an 11 year old dog, had a locally invasive but non-malignant mass on the front of his upper jaw called and ameloblastic fibroma. This was removed as a block of tissue and the nose was spared.