What do you think?

Dyan -- it's **really** hard to tell anything not knowing even what kind of dog this is or anything at all about the surgery.

Who is the "guy" who called it a cyst?  Then it was a tumor?  If it was a tumor and he got in there and discovered atypical cells or even something that looked potentially malignant then he would have had to go DEEP, take enough to get "clear margins" all the way around where ever the thing had encroached upon  -- in other words, if a "pea sized" lump on top was rooted deeply they could have had to go deep into the muscle which may have necessitated a far larger incision.

Staples are often used where there may be a lot of stress on the site to hold it to gether deep into muscle tissue.  Some vets use them, some don't. 

Just the difference in "cyst" and "tumor" could be several hundred dollars --

To be blunt this woman should be asking these exact questions of the vet & staff before she even asks you.  They are logical, normal questions she *should* get the answers to.

Callie I told her the same thing....and then came here for other idea.  A couple of weeks back she took Hobo  ( some kind of pointer that is about 6 months old ;) to the vet because there was blood on their bed that he was on.  They said he had a UTI and gave him meds for it.  ( in the end after hearing the rest of this, I think I would be more upset about the meds for the UTI that he didn't have then the surgery for the cyst ) That was the last I heard until today...probably saw blood again...and they found this lump. "the guy" must be the young vet since her vet was not there.  He called it a cyst to her face but the receipt must have said tumor...and it was $240.   I told her I would be back there tomorrow demanding some answers.  I think her husband picked Hobo back up and she saw him and the receipt after he was home.

dyan

I think I would be more upset about the meds for the UTI that he didn't have then the surgery for the cyst

Did they properly test for a UTI?  Could the dog have had a UTI and a cyst/tumor?

Dyan, he could of called it a cyst at first and then once he got in there decided it was more likely something different.  OR, he didn't want to use the word "tumor" when he spoke to her thinking that it might alarm her.  I know in our office we avoid that word like crazy because people always think the worst when they hear it. 

Hope Hobo feels better really soon. 

willowchow

Dyan, he could of called it a cyst at first and then once he got in there decided it was more likely something different. 

Thats what I mentioned Lori, that maybe to look at it looked very small but once he got in there he found differently.  But your also right about the ugly word tumor.

Janet.... properly?  Don't know what they did...looked back to see if I still had her email when she first mentioned it but can't find it. I do remember her saying something to he effect of  NOT sure if it was a UTI or not but were treating him for it, which is why now when she said turns out it was a cyst...I'm guessing they no longer think it was a UTI.  She took him because of the blood on the bed to begin with...I think his hair is a little curly so they might not have seen the bump.  I guess the vet wouldn't have any idea to look either..............I guess!

I just had a 'thing' removed from Luna's side.  It **HAD** been a cyst that ruptured "inside" (i.e., not in my hand but into her body).  I honestly thot it was no big deal but mentioned it to the vet when I took them in a few days later.  I thot it was a lipoma (I was feeling of it cos it was rather large and came up too fast to be a 'tumor' I thot but then the danged thing squished while I was handling it) -- but my vet aspirated it and came back and said "hmm -- that was infection but I don't *like* how that looked!"

He *knew* it was infection so we ran antibiotics - but really strong ones.  I was weirded out because just for once the vet was *immediately* more worried than I'd been!  Most of the "thing" was GONE.  Just a tiny bit remained.

But when it didn't leave totally in 10 days, we had it removed (at the vet's STRONG suggestion) -- and she came home with a 3" slit in her side with a LOT of tissue removed.  It was quite a bit over $250 (like $375) but probably $90 of that was the pathology to have it sent away.

My vet caught pre-cancerous cells that I *never* would have thot a thing about and I'm thankful the surgical site was as big as it was b/c that means he GOT IT.  (confirmed by the pathology -- it was pre-cancerous but fully excised so "cured" according to the pathoology rpt.)

Frankly -- it kinda sounds to me like they probably owe this guy thanks -- it may have been too small THEN to feel and they likely led the guy to the conclusion that it had to have come from a liquid from her and a UTI is easy to blame.  The vet may have concluded THEN that if it wasn't a UTI it was likely a cyst and probably gave abx that covered both possibles.

If you don't ASK questions you don't get answers. 

calliecritturs

Frankly -- it kinda sounds to me like they probably owe this guy thanks -- it may have been too small THEN to feel and they likely led the guy to the conclusion that it had to have come from a liquid from her and a UTI is easy to blame.  The vet may have concluded THEN that if it wasn't a UTI it was likely a cyst and probably gave abx that covered both possibles.

Perhaps your right Callie....but I think I would be asking questions to him. And its quite likely that their regurlar vet is the one that diagnosed the UTI and this young vet filling in for him yesterday the cyst.   I haven't heard from her yet...was also wondering if she brought home intibiotics. She  has to take him back in 2 weeks to remove staples.