Hello - help please, dog has a tumour on lip (Update: diagnosis - histiocytoma)

Hi everyone,

I'm new here so just thought I'd say Hi, came across Dogsey whilst searching for info on tumours, my 20 month old Staffy x went to vets yesterday to find about about a small lump (about 1 and a half times the size of a pinky nail) on his mouth. Its on the loose skin near the front of his jaw. It looks quite red and angry but isn't bleeding and doesn't seem to be sore at all. It actually kind of looks a wee bit like an infected sting.
The vet said its a tumour , but it may just go away itself, does anyone have experience of this? Its not that I doubt my vet Its just I am a very concerned mum at the mo
We have to go back next week to see if its staying the same size or getting any bigger to find out wether to wait???? and see if it goes away???? or wether to have it removed.
Anyway have been reading through some of the posts and what a great site. Its great to know there are loads of folk equally as mad as me about their doggie pals!!

Bye for now :smt039

Hi, did your vet tell you what kind of tumour it is?

Hello and welcome

It could be a histiocytoma, I have heard of these on the mouth/lips of a Staffordshire. If that is what it is then it will usually be benign. Some Histiocytomas disappear of their own accord, but may need removing if it is in an area which causes any discomfort. If this is the first tumour them it is probably best to have it removed and sent for biopsy to be sure of what it is.

My bitch has had these tumours, but on the body, not the mouth. Apart from the first which was removed and sent for analysis, the others have spontaneously vanished - but it did take a few weeks for them to disappear.

Be guided by your vet. Good wishes that it proves nothing to be alarmed about.

No he just said after looking at Bens mouth that, "well, that looks like a tumour" at which point my mind went into overdrive
Suppose I really should have asked but I was just so shocked, and poor Ben was shaking like a leaf (mind you at that point so was I!)
He then went on to say that these types of tumours were reasonably common specifically in young dogs??
He said that it was not causing him discomfort, kind of like a wart in a human, though it was not a wart as they are caused by a viral infection and they did not know what caused these tumours.

You could ask your vet if he thinks, as a first step, aspiration of cells for analysis would be preferable to surgery.

(from an internet vet site)

Thanks for the info, I will ask vet, we go back on Tuesday as its a holiday here on the Monday! , hopefully it WILL be benign and not cause him any problems......

Hello Bensmum if the growth is benign but in a vulnerable place where it is liable to get knocked (like on the mouth ) I would talk to the vet about having it removed.

Hi Benzmum!
My Loui had exactly the same thing last week and had an operation on Sunday to remove it. We got the results yesterday and it was indeed a histiocytoma and nothing to worry about. His little lump looked really sore too and I was really worried about it.

Listen to what your vet advises and I bet it's nothing at all

Hi thanks for your replies, glad loui is ok and it was harmless, and as it was red and angry, and my vet doesn't seem overly concerned I an hoping Ben's will be the same. It's good to get other peoples advice and knowledge, so thanks to everyone who has replied.
I think I will ask vet to definitely remove it unless it "disappears" or starts to get smaller.
Was just really worried when the vet said "TUMOUR"!! Guess I'm a bit of an overprotective mum!!

Just back from the vets who is pretty sure its a Histiocytomas and he thinks it would be best to wait a couple of weeks before having any op to remove it, as it may well start to shrink and then disappear, so we have to go back Friday, then Tuesday then Friday to check for any changes in it, thankfully apart from the having to share a waiting room with other dogs, Ben is no bother at the vets, and has no problems being examined.

Apparently the Histiocytoma is caused by the histamine cells reproducing very quickly in one particular area, and they form a swelling which is usually very red and angry as the cells release lots of histamine (in much the same way us humans get red puffy eyes etc with hayfever, or red swollen lump with a midge bite) They are non cancerous tumours and can be simply removed with a 10 minute op.

So fingers crossed thats what it is