Surgery for Gus’ Mast Cell Tumor

I have two boxers, Callie and Gus. Callie will be six in March and Gus will be five in September. Callie and Gus are the most loving, sweet, energetic dogs you could ever meet. Gus is my big, loveable problem child. He was diagnosed with Cushing's disease at 3 years old. We see an amazing internal medicine vet here in Olympia, Dr. Greene, at Olympia Veterinary Specialists, for his Cushing's.

A couple months ago, one of the kids noticed that Gus had a small lump in the tissue under his chin. Now, Callie has had lumps in the past, which we had biopsied, that were cystic, so I'd hoped that would be the case with Gus. My dogs go to Banfield Veterinary for their general needs, so we do a "well visit" every six months. I took them in recently, and the vet measured the lump at 2 cm. They did a needle aspiration and I received the results a couple days later. Mast cell tumor. I immediately called Olympia Vetrinary Specialists and scheduled an appointment with their oncology department. So far it looks like a solitary tumor (lymph nodes are normal size and abdominal ultrasound was clear!) but it still requires surgery to remove and grade the tumor.

I have decided not to tell my kids about the cancer until after that appointment. Right now Gus still has a great appetite and is enjoying new additions to his diet like salmon oil, golden paste, curcumin, and green beans. He loves to go for walks and play in the yard or play catch in the house.

I am thankful for any and all support you all can give, whether prayers, positive energy, or financial support. The surgery total was $2,900.

Thank you so much. Here's a pic of my beasts at the vet. Gus is the big lug with the big smile. ❤