# Red growth on gum



## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

Hi,
My boy called Chester is a Labrador X and is 11 years old, 4 weeks ago i discovered a red growth on his lower gum it is more red than his gums and is a little soft and will move when touched.
Now here is the long story, 
Chester was diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopenia (low platelets in his blood.) when he was about 5 years of age soon after that he was diagnosed with diabetes which was caused by having too many steriods to combat his platelet problem.
So chester has been through alot in his life and when i saw this growth i did panic.
His regular vet saw the growth and she refereed me to a university to get them to look at it.
Well both vets said it looked nasty but needed a biopsy and surgery to know for sure,
Unfortunately the vet said he is not in anyway fit enough for surgery and said they have lost a few diabetic dogs before from blood sugar crashes while under anesthetic.
They told me to wait and keep observing the lump for changes, But if it was cancer not much they can do and if it is not cancer and i take risk of surgery he could die on the table.
Well he has rotted teeth and a few missing and has had constant mouth infections from his diabetes, and this lump has appeared in the same spot he lost a tooth a few months before. So i am thinking it could be a benign gum tissue growth of some sort.
Has anybody seen this type of growth before? Just trying to get some opinions as i am worried sick and love my boy dearly.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Poor Chester. It could be a benign growth. My dog had one. The problem is, my dog eventually couldn't eat it got so big. So benign doesn't mean harmless in this case.










Is there anything you can do to get him fit for surgery? You could get a second opinion on that. If it's a choice between euthanizing for the growth or risking death during surgery, I might want to try the surgery, personally.


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## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

Amaryllis said:


> Poor Chester. It could be a benign growth. My dog had one. The problem is, my dog eventually couldn't eat it got so big. So benign doesn't mean harmless in this case.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi,
Yes we are working to get his diabetes better managed which would help his chances in case surgery is the only option, it will be hard because his diabetes has never been stable and the vet does not seem to know why.
Also another factor in not doing surgery at the moment is Chester has had about 7 seizures in his life so he has a mild case of epilepsy also. The seizures never last for longer than 20 seconds so it is very mild.
I am desperately hoping that Chester's growth does not grow that big.. it has not gotten much bigger if at all in the last 3 weeks.
With your dog how long did it take to grow very big?
My vet did seem to think it was not an epulis because it is a little different in colour to his gums and it is a little soft.
My vets and family are on different sides.. the vets feeling is it could be cancer and my family think it is dental or gum related. 
I have another picture that might show the lump a little better.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

It _might_ be an absess... but I was actually looking at pictures of dog oral cancer yesterday and that looks a lot like some kind of tumor/growth. If its an absess, antibiotics might reduce it; but really only a biopsy can tell you what it is for sure. Can they biopsy the lump without completely removing it? It looks similar to other pictures of oral cancer (especially squamous cell carcinoma) on google though...


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## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

gingerkid said:


> It _might_ be an absess... but I was actually looking at pictures of dog oral cancer yesterday and that looks a lot like some kind of tumor/growth. If its an absess, antibiotics might reduce it; but really only a biopsy can tell you what it is for sure. Can they biopsy the lump without completely removing it? It looks similar to other pictures of oral cancer (especially squamous cell carcinoma) on google though...


Hi,
Yes we are getting a fine needle aspiration done after Christmas in hopes that it may tell us what it is.
I would get the needle aspiration done sooner but my vet is going away on holidays and the other vet i have seen is closed for the holidays.
There is a possibility that needle aspiration will not tell us anything but it is the only thing they can do without surgery. 
I am hoping it is not cancer as he as been himself and has had a great appetite with no pain at all.
I was looking and did see a picture of a dog with gingival hyperplasia and his growth does have the same shape.. so i am thinking is it possible it is some kind of abnormal gum tissue growth from loosing his tooth.
Because the growth come up about a month after his tooth fell out from the same spot... some maybe gum damage? My brain at this point is in overload trying to think of possibilities.
My vet will not speculate on what it is unless she knows for sure.. and because biopsy at this stage is not an option it is worrying to sit and do nothing.
I really appreciate the responses i am getting here, It makes me feel a little better telling his story to others.


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## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

*Update on chester's lump.*

Hi,
Well it's been almost a couple of months since i first saw Chester's gum growth.
It has in the past few weeks shrunk to less than half the size but it is still there and still visible.
I have a question to anyone who might know the answer: Do cancerous growths shrink on their own without any medication?
I have asked my vet that same question and she does not seem to know the answer.. one time she said usually not and the other time she said maybe.
Chester is still his usual happy self and shows no signs of being sick at all.
We also discovered that he has some mild lingual tonsil tissue just under his tongue, Which could be caused by infection or some sort of inflammation.
The vet does not think this enlarged tissue warrants antibiotics because he has had a lot of antibiotics in the past and she wants to try and keep him off them.
Chester thanks you for any replies :wave:


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

*Re: Update on chester's lump.*

I can't say I've ever heard of cancer shrinking on its own, but I'm not a vet, either.

Here's what bothers me: If that is an abscess or other kind of infection, inflamed tonsils means it's spreading. Did they confirm it's cancer?


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## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

Hi,
No cant confirm its cancer without biopsy and because of his problems he cant be under anesthetic.
We were going to get a needle aspiration done this month but because it was shrinking i was holding off on that because i did not want to aggravate it.
I think my vet at this stage thinks it could almost be anything because Chester has surprised her alot in the past with different things.
poor Chester and my other dogs are struggling in this heatwave we are having in Sydney.. with tops of 42 degrees Celsius 106 Fahrenheit. Poor baby wants to stand under the hose all day. 
My vet yesterday suggested rubbing some special ointment onto his tonsil tissue in hopes they may bring it down.. she also said the tonsil tissue may be from the bacteria in his mouth from the gingivitis he has.
Thanks again for any replies.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

You tonsils are essentially just lymph nodes, which naturally become swollen during infection (whether it be viral or bacterial or fungal, etc). However, swollen lymphoid tissue can be a sign of lymphoma.


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## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

Thanks for the reply,
I'm hoping its not lymphoma because the vet said his other lymph nodes were normal and not enlarged, also had a blood test couple months ago everything was OK except for alkaline phosphates were a little high and cholesterol and triglycerides were high, and urea only slightly above normal. But that is because of diabetes and medication he has been on for over 6 years for platelet disorder.
All red and white cells were normal as was platelets. Also his heart and lungs were good..
By the way snowball is really cute.. has that adorable face Chester has when he was younger.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Thanks! We're pretty fond of him.

If his other lymphodes aren't swollen it probably isn't lymphoma (whew!). Poor Chester sounds like he's got a lot going on!


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## chesterbigbird (Dec 13, 2012)

Yes our Chester has got a lot going on.. he has had health problems ever since he was 2 years old.. but he is an absolute trooper, always smiling and puts up with a lot even two needles a day and countless blood tests. Our vet said Chester has the biggest file on record!
I'm sure hoping this is not something as serious as cancer as i think he has a few years left in him.


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## Andre iguadola (Jun 19, 2020)

chesterbigbird said:


> Yes our Chester has got a lot going on.. he has had health problems ever since he was 2 years old.. but he is an absolute trooper, always smiling and puts up with a lot even two needles a day and countless blood tests. Our vet said Chester has the biggest file on record!
> I'm sure hoping this is not something as serious as cancer as i think he has a few years left in him.


Hey do you know if it is or not cancer because I just barely discovered a bump on my dog’s mouth that looks exactly like chesters’


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

8-year-old thread.


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