These are some of the Facebook Health queries that we regularly receive. Not everyone has a Facebook account, so in order to ensure those followers keep up to date with our health questions, we will be sharing those queries here.
We understand that to see all the comments offered as help in these circumstances you need to have a Facebook account, however if you are particularly interested in any of these Health queries, just comment in the usual way and I shall collate the responses for you.
Here’s todays “Health Day Query” Cancer : Toes
Scottish Terrier Health Network 
Has the vet done a biopsy? I suspect that the “toe” cancer is actually melanoma. Please do not waste any time debating about surgery. Have the vet do a biopsy but at the same time have x-rays done. Are the lymph nodes swollen?
Judi and the Highlanders
>________________________________ > From: Scottish Terrier Health Network >To: thetexashighlanders@yahoo.com >Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2014 11:57 PM >Subject: [New post] Cancer : Toes > > > > WordPress.com >scottiehealth posted: “These are some of the Facebook Health queries that we regularly receive. Not everyone has a Facebook account, so in order to ensure those followers keep up to date with our health questions, we will be sharing those queries here. We understand that to ” >
We went through this with our Sam. He had a mast cell tumor and the entire ttoe was removed. We learned later from an oncologist that that was likely insufficient and there should have been further treatment….ie chemo or radiation. PLEASE seek an expert opinion about whether additional treatment is indicated. Stopping at surgery in our case was pretty clearly veterinary malpractice and really ended up killing Sam from cancer later.
My Scottie had the toe issue and yes, it was melanoma. If you don’t 100% trust your vet get a second opinion. I have hear of a success story where the dog had the neck lymph nodes removed and also the toe. it was too late for my poor little Angus and he died after 5 months of chemo and operations (which I would not put him through if I were to live this again). Maybe go and see a specialist and see how far it has progressed. Usually the melanoma starts in the tow nail bed and is very aggressive.
My Scottie, Ted began limping in October 2014, took him to the vets and he was prescribed antibiotics for two weeks for infected nail bed. Not much improvement so took him back and was prescribed more antibiotics for another two weeks. Again not much improvement so went back only to be prescribed same antibiotics again. Returned to vets as the problem worsened. His toe was very swollen and painful the vet suggested could be a tumour and arranged for him to see surgeon. Had the toe amputated just two weeks ago and sadly he had to be put to sleep 25th January 2015. Ted was a true gentleman of 13 years and 7 months and I am devastated and cannot quite believe what has happened to my beautiful boy. Feel badly let down with lack of information from vets, wish I had not let him have surgery.
Anne Payne
Since this page is still live I’ll tell my story. About ten years ago Stella, our 2 year old Scottie began obsessively gnawing and licking her front left paw. We thought she had a thorn and would eventually work it out. She didn’t. After several weeks we took her to the vet and he diagnosed melanoma. He claimed it was rarely fatal in dogs. The first surgery didn’t heal properly, so he did a little more cutting and told us he was 90% sure he got it all. We had her checked monthly and she seemed fine. After six months she became lethargic, and we discovered the cancer had come back in her lungs and was very aggressive. We didn’t opt for chemotherapy as we had been through this with a Silky Terrier a while before with little success. We kept her on pain meds for the few weeks she had left and she died at home in her sleep, thank God. It was devastating, to say the least.
Flash forward to the present (2018) our 8 year old Scottie, Topsy, totally unrelated to Stella, is going through the same thing! It started the same way, gnawing on her paw. We took her to the vet right away, and he said it was a claw that had cracked below the skin surface and would have to be removed. We did and it didn’t get better. Second time he removed the entire claw and the tip of the bone it was growing from so it couldn’t grow back. Every time it seemed to heal up, she would chew it up again requiring vet trips, bandaging and E collars. It got infected and antibiotics weren’t helping so he finally suggested a biopsy. We should have asked for one in the beginning, given our experience, but we didn’t think lightening could strike twice in the same place. Well, it did! We just got the results and it a carcinoma this time, supposedly not as aggressive as a melanoma. Our poor Topsy is having her whole leg amputated to hopefully stop it from spreading. She has great spirit, as all Scotties do, and I know she will be fine with only 3 legs, but I’m still dumbfounded that this could happen twice to one family. Bottom line is this: if you see your Scottie obsessively gnawing on their paws don’t wait. get to the vet immediately and unless it’s a foreign object, get a biopsy!
Oh my goodness, what a shock to have a similar serious cancer appear. I’m so sorry, but it seems that your experience from the sad loss of Stella helped to determine an early diagnosis with Topsy. Sending you all lots of love and prayers for a good and happy future.