My dog's mast tumor opened. Are there alternatives to amputation?

Question

My dog has cancer. He had a mast tumor on his leg and it opened up and the vet says he may only have until Friday because the only thing we can do is to amputate the leg and treat the cancer, if that may or may not work. They say because the skin is so bad they can not close it and infection may set in. I don’t understand why they can’t close it with fake skin or something to just keep it closed. Is there something else’s that could be done? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 8 months old | 92 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Skin grafting can be tricky and there is a high risk that the graft would fail, especially when it is applied to an area where there previously was cancer. Mast cell tumors require 2 to 3cm margins and on the leg, many times, this is unachievable. Amputation is likely the best option. If you want to try and save the leg, I would discuss this further with a soft tissue surgeon and then an oncologist. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

My dog's mast tumor opened. Are there alternatives to amputation?

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