Grade III mct's itching

My beautiful weimaraner Cin was diagnosed with grade 3 mast cell cancer in April. Another 'lump' appeared on her shoulder at around xmas time, and she has had a few cysts looked at (biopsy) in the past which were begnign - this wasn't large and another had come up at the same time, so I really wasn't worried about it until one day I found her in the garden with it blown up and bleeding. I just assumed she'd caught it on something, took her to the vets who gave her antibiotics and tried to get it to heal. It didn't heal, it went black, so I took her in to have it removed and biopsied.


She had a tumour removed and after a great deal of pushing, I finally got to read the biopsy report to find out how (desperately!!) serious our problem was. All I got from my vet was 'not good, keep an eye out for more lumps in this area <wave hands around dogs shoulders>'. Ironically, and awfully, the op and diagnosis came on the anniversary of my puppy dying of meningitis last year. Its been an awful, awful time for us.

On realising it was grade 3 I demanded a referral, and Cin started chemo at Dick Whites in Newmarket, and initially, she seemed to be responding very well. New lumps that had been coming up had shrunk right back, one we had believed to be a fatty cyst on her leg disappeared altogether and has not come back, but after a short while she stopped responding to the chemo, and the lumps came back.

She then went on Masivet, another form of chemo and relatively new treatment with promising results, but still the lumps kept growing, and more coming up, and the itching (
The vet gave her fuciderm to relieve the sore she'd made licking and scratching it, and conceded, reluctantly to give her piriton, saying he didn't think it was particularly useful in this kind of treatment and over prescribed, but I reiterated that it was obviously bothering her, so said it was worth a try.
She's on a different chemo now, a last ditch attempt, just in case it has some effect, but it hasn't had any in a week. I've found another 5 or 6 lumps now, and they're growing by the minute. Her itching is driving her nuts. The vet just aid put a buster collar on, but if she doesn't bite it with her head (its a difficult twist for her anyway), she's ripping it with her back leg. She wears a t-shirt permanently and sleeps with us at night so I can stop her if she starts having a go at it then. My duvet cover is patterned with 'weepy wound' and blood smears :S
I so don't want to torment her with a buster collar, and am looking to get a moon collar (shame the high street shops don't stock them so I have to wait for delivery).. but I think there#s a clear pattern emerging in that it is at its worst between 9 and 11 in the mornings, maybe cos the last piriton at night has worn off before the morning one has kicked in???
Her vet is away until Friday, but I'm currently researching piriton and seeing if I can't give her an extra one at night. Its not as if its going to kill her, she already has the cancer gunning for that 'glory' She is only just 9 years old.

If / when she's not itching, she's as happy as can be - I woke up this morning with her back feet in my face, her wanting tummy tickles. She's loving walkies, playing tuggy and swimming - although I am concerned that I should not let her swim with an open wound...

Welcome to a nightmare world, our nightmare world ... anyone know any more about piriton? Its side effects and if there is anything similar or anything else that can help relieve the itchiness caused by mast cell tumours releasing poison?

Hi Diana

Obviously the only person who can prescribe medication for your dog is your vet.

At the advanced stage that Cindy is at I would have thought the dosage of the active ingredient of Piriton is irrelevant?

Have you tried Vitamin C which is a natural antihistamine?

I agree, but I am not getting anything helpful from my vet, he just seems to quote statistics.

By all accounts he's highly regarded, but we've already had conflicts over her barf diet and bloating - she bloated 3 times with her first chemo treatment comprising vinblastine and presidone steroids, and also became spay incontinent at night. The incontinence ceased as she tapered off the steroids, as did the bloating, but he would not have it that the bloat was a side effect of the steroids and wanted me to put her on a commercial kibble.

I stuck with barf, and she's not bloated since she came off the steroids (fingers crossed!!)

/side note: the bloat deflated successfully each time using hindeliche manouver - our regular vet checked her over after the second and said to keep doing that if it happens again.

I have not tried vit c - I will admit I cut her veggie portion down after the bloat as it was pointed out that the fibre in the veggies might be contributing, so I'll read up on vit c and get some pills later.

As I'm sure you, and everyone understands, I know we don't have long, but I just want to keep her suffering down to its minimal. That's all I want for my love.

I would try Ester C to bowel tolerance.

Are you on any dog cancer specific forums?

I can post some links if you like.

Thank you SB,
I'm not on any other forums, excpt the FB group Cancer pet forum and Holistic help for MCT - but I've found that that sort of forum tends to make everything feel worse - the holistic help one nearly drove me insane with people saying how 'cancer can't survive in an acid environment' so you have to do this and that, but if it worked or them great, if cancer was so easily cured, Robin Gibbs, Patrick Swayzie and Steve Jobs would all be with us today...
I am feeling quite hopeless enough.

At the moment, tg, we seem to be past the itching hour.. should be OK for the rest of the day. I can breathe again

At last, our kong cloud collar has arrived. While it still must be frustrating for her, it can't be anywhere near as miserable as having a lampshade collar on, and it really looks comfy. Lets hope I can get this bloody wound healed now

Good luck with this.

Cheers, much appreciated.

I really feel for you Diana! You sound incredibly strong in such a heartbreaking situation.

Fingers crossed the collar works for Cindy.

Helen