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Expert: - 5/15/2011


Question
Hello, my 7 1/2 yrs male neutered Staffordshire Bull Terrier has recently had a mast cell tumour removed.  He has made a good recovery but it was a Grade 3 so we know he doesnt have too much longer with us but as I say he seems to be doing well.  His food has recently been changed, he is on Hill Science Plan N/D which is cancer specific.  I have noticed that his skin pigmentation has gone dark pretty much all over, obviously you cant notice it where the fur is but it has spread quickly.  Other than that nothing else of note except his wind is very smelly.  Sorry but thought I should add all details I could think of. I was wondering whether I needed to take him back to the vet because of the change of skin colour.

Answer
Yes this is something your vet needs to see and assess. It could be the medication that he is on if he is on any, or it could be a sign of something else.

I am sorry to hear about the grade 3 diagnosis. These things can be a real pain and have a sad outcome. I hope that he is with you for a long time.
The gassiness is probably from the change in diet. That should settle down with time.

Call your vet for a check up on that skin.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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