Lump in throat connected to kidney disease?

15 years ago

My 15 yr old bearded collie Emma, has just been diagnosed with kidney disease.She has just started on a prescription diet,although I am now researching other foods as the low protein is in question it seems.

Under examination the vet found a tumour/lump around her Tonsils,about the size of the top of his thumb.It does not affect her eating & doesn't seem to cause her pain,except maybe when she barks,which she doesn't do now anyway because of this.He stated that from 'his experience' it looked like Cancer(no biopsy has been done),he originally thought that this was a throat infection,due to inflamation in throat and prescribed anti biotics(closer examination recently).I am begining to wonder if this is not Cancer after all....clutching at straws perhaps?

Has anyone experienced similar? and will it go in time if related to Kidney problem?

(I am in the UK)

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Comments (6)

Meghane
15 years ago
It is highly unlikely that the lump is related to kidney disease.

Nobody can tell from looking at a lump whether or not it is cancer, no matter how experienced. Only a biopsy will give you answers on that. Obviously she will have to be sedated or anesthetized to get the biopsy since it is in her mouth. Running IV fluids and monitoring blood pressure are absolutely necessary for anesthesia/sedation in patients with kidney disease. Some tumors are benign, others are slow-growing and non-invasive; you may not need to do anything about those. Others are highly invasive, have high incidence of metastasis, or grow very rapidly; she may need specific treatment in those cases. But you don't know what to do without knowing exactly what you are dealing with.

Regarding the low protein diet for kidney disease- there are no answers as to when to start a low protein diet if the patient is not uremic. If there is uremia, no doubt, those patients need the low protein diet. But before that point, it's an open question and we just don't know. There are other aspects of a kidney diet that ARE important though- decreased salt, decreased phosphorus, enhanced omega 3:6 fatty acids.

Good luck with Emma, and please keep us posted on how she is doing.
halla
Original Author
15 years ago
Sunday 27th July 2008.
Emma has been like her old self today...even chasing my friends cat round the living room! 2 weeks ago the cat would have been able to walk all over her and Emma would not have raised an eyebrow!She has also got her appetite back well. It's lovely to see,but then she is on 250mg X 2 daily of Synulox Anti Bio's for 3 weeks(this is the end of her 1st week)I wonder why the vet (I will ask him tomorrow)why the Anti Bio's for so long and so much.My reason is that he may think that there may be an underlying infection causing the Kidney problem?I didn't realize the extent of the course until I arrived home,I thought it may be for her teeth? as she had them cleaned & 1 x extaction.Course seems too long for that though.
The reason I ask about lumps being connected to Kidney disease is that....in my research, it stated that dogs with Kidney problems can get mouth & Oesophagus ulcers due to high Nitrogen in system.
I have put Emma on a Prescription diet(which she's not impressed with & turned her nose up at initially) plus some cooked fresh chicken mixed in to tempt her,she has eaten most.......so far.
Re the lump...originally before closer examination,vet treated her for throat infection due to redness(inflamation)in throat.If canerous,would there be inflamation,does anyone know,? ..I thought unlikely.
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halla
Original Author
15 years ago
PS. Re throat lump...Symptoms seem to have started about a year ago with slight cough and a hoarse/painful bark (she was treated for throat infection on and of & it was thought age related)so it seems lump has grown to 'top of thumb' size in 1 year perhaps.Is this regarded as slow or fast? given that initial stages would have started much earlier.
Meghane
15 years ago
Cancer can do whatever it wants in terms of causing inflammation or not. Esophageal ulcers are erosions, not lumps, but yes they can be caused in kidney disease, usually in advanced kidney disease with uremic crisis, not early insufficiency.

The rate of growth is determined by biopsy or cytology, by looking at the number of mitotic cells per field (cells in active growth and reproduction). If the lump went from non-existent to 2cm within a year, that sounds like moderately growing. Some lumps would have filled the mouth within a year, so it certainly isn't the fastest growing mouth lump I have seen.

I routinely use 3 weeks of Abx for mouth problems. The mouth is exposed to bacteria 24/7, so it seems to require a longer course than say for a minor skin infection. If Emma had really bad teeth, it is possible that her kidney disease was caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream via exposed tooth root, and then settling in her kidney (one of the reasons dental disease is a very serious and sometimes fatal disease). So he may be covering both possibilities by using a longer course of Abx. Can't say for sure though- asking the vet is the best course.

Glad you got her eating. If she refuses the kidney diet, it is more important that she eat *something* rather than nothing. She needs her strength.
gvstevens
15 years ago
There's a great article on kidney disease in aging pets that I think you might find useful. You might also find other content on the site useful as well, as it's a web site about pet food specifically.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kidney disease in aging pets
halla
Original Author
15 years ago
Emma's teeth were not too bad,more a plaque problem(all removed now) plus 1 x extraction.They are as white as white now.But then,perhaps they were worse than I thought.

Emma has not been too good today,although bright'ish (better than 3 weeks ago)when awake,she is sleeping a lot/no energy.I am worried that she does not have much of an appetite.Eating is a bit 'hit & miss'.....more miss.She doesn't like the KD food and may just pick out a little chicken and leave the rest(the birds are eating well though) Could the low protein cause this?
I will try to tempt her with minced beef tomorrow.
I am concerned, she has always been a lean dog & picky eater,she has lost weight lately and I am trying hard to get a little flesh back on her bones.She is not drinking a lot,she never has been a big drinker though.
Would the Anti Bios make her feel unwell/sleepy or other symptoms? Or is all this due to the Kidney Disease?
Perhaps the crunch time will be when she has finished the medication?

Lump in throat connected to kidney disease?

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Lump in throat connected to kidney disease?

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