<div><FONT face="Courier New">A few weeks ago I found a tiny (maybe 0.5-1 cm in diameter) lump on Annie's abdomen. It was too small for a needle biopsy so, since she was having her teeth cleaned anyway, I had it removed and biopsied. No one thought it was anything, but it turns out it was a Grade 2 Mast Cell tumor. From what I've read, Grade 1 is benign, Grade 3 is bad, and Grade 2 has some characteristics of a malignancy. The margins were clear, but the vet didn't remove as much tissue as she should have, since she "didn't think it was a mast cell tumor." This is one of the reasons that we have an appointment with a new vet next week!</FONT></div>
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<div><FONT face="Courier New">This new vet comes highly recommended by the president of Annie and Fred's rescue group, so I'm anxious to hear what she says needs to be done. I would think, at the minimum, we'll have to remove more tissue, just to be safe. I'm really hoping that she doesn't need radiation. Apparently mast cell tumors are the most common type of tumor in dogs. Does anyone have any experience with them?</FONT></div>
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<div><FONT face="Courier New">I'm still somewhat amazed, and extremely thankful, that I even found this thing. It was on Annie's belly, which she rarely gives me access to. I had to mark it with a permanent marker so I could find it, and the vet tech still didn't feel it when I brought her in to have it removed!!</FONT></div>
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<div><FONT face="Courier New">Rose</FONT></div>
<div><FONT face="Courier New">Mom to Annie (I'm a good girl and don't lick my stitches) and Fred (I don't have stitches but, if I did, I'd probably lick them!)</FONT></div>
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