Making people aware of it will make them check the mouths of their dogs more often.  The earlier it is detected, the sooner to get it removed before it grows so large.

I have named her “Pumpkin”  since I rescued her in October and she has this huge “Monster  Pumpkin” growing out of her mouth.  I rescued Pumpkin from the McDowell Animal Shelter in Marion, NC on October 11, 2002.

Dr. Mitchell, DVM of the Stokesdale Veterinary Hospital said she has seen this type of growth before. But she has “NEVER” seen one of this magnitude. She said it was a severe sign of neglect to not have removed this tumor long before now! She also said this thing had to have been growing for a long time to be this large.

Dr. Mitchell  thinks that Pumpkin is around 5 years old, and should do fine during surgical removal.  The main concern is the amount of bleeding during the operation.  Due to the amount of infection associated with this, Pumpkin is now in the hospital on antibiotics before performing the surgery.  Pumpkin will be having her surgery Wednesday, October 16, 2003.  Dr. Mitchell said if the surgery did not have any complications she would also spay Pumpkin then.  I will keep you posted to her progress.

OCTOBER 16, 2002 UPDATE:

Pumpkin is out of surgery and recovering well. She should be able to come home tomorrow. Pumpkin will have to stay on can dog food for a while, as she has many stitches throughout her mouth. She is also on antibiotics for the next two weeks.

The surgery was successful in removing the tumor, however Dr. Mitchell was "NOT" able to remove it all!! She said this mechanism had grown into the hard palate and roof of her mouth. The tumor had been growing so long it also deformed the growth of her teeth. She did not see any signs of surgery ever being done before. Dr. Mitchell had to remove 6 teeth, and the other teeth surrounding the tumor are also deformed and are pointing outward but will be OK.

The surgery was a extensive one. There was a lot of bleeding but she was able to keep it under control.  Dr. Mitchell said this tumor had been growing so long it had a blood supply to it as big around as your pinky finger!   As a result she did not spay Pumpkin, it was too risky to keep her under the anesthesia any longer.

Since Dr. Mitchell was unable to remove it all, the tumor may possibly grow back!  But she said with regular check-ups and dental cleaning we stand a good chance for Pumpkin to live a happy normal life without it growing back. She also said the tater and plague buildup would stimulate the growth of the tumor. Therefore keeping her teeth and gums clean can stop or slow down the regression of this tumor.

I will be posting some after pictures of Pumpkin when she is feeling better.

OCTOBER 17, 2002 UPDATE:

1 day after surgery, Pumpkin feels & looks like a new women!

OCTOBER 23, 2002 UPDATE:

Pumpkin got a fabulous check up today.  Dr Mitchell said she looks and is doing wonderful!  We will be able to spay Pumpkin next week!

November 6, 2002 UPDATE:

I must say Pumpkin has been truly an amazing little girl concerning the horrible life she lived. Through thick and thin, she has never lost that puggie spirit she was born with. She now will never be neglected again, or have to worry about growing that horrible tumor back. I made Pumpkin promises on our way home I would never let this happen to her again. I really think Pumpkin knows that I rescued her. 

Pumpkin wants to thank each one of you who helped her through this horrible ordeal!

I am happy to say that Pumpkin is glowing and blissful.   She is now adopted into her devoted loving forever family.

Chris Hedrick

Foster Mom

Pug Rescue of North Carolina, Inc. 

November 13, 2002 UPDATE:  For Pumpkin's new Mommy

Pumpkin is doing great! She is such a spoiled little princess! Pumpkin has really attached herself to me, as she did to you. She wants to be with me and have me in her sight all the time! I take her to work with me every day and she follows me every step of the way! The customers really get a big kick out of having her in the store, but she doesn't let anyone touch her except for Don, myself and my son! I am hoping with time she will become a little more socialized, but who knows what her past was, whether she was allowed any human contact or not. She has done wonderful on her housebreaking, she has only had two accidents, the first day she was here and today, simply because she didn't want to go out in the rain!

She is so sweet and loving, she sleeps in bed with me every night, I love her so much. She has finished all her medicine, and I have been giving her only canned food because I was afraid her mouth was sore. But lately, Don has been giving her hard treats broken up and she has eaten those. I am going to take her into my vet and have him check her mouth and make sure it is doing fine. All the other animals are very accepting of her, my old lab and my two cats. I have gotten her a couple of toys but she still hasn't caught on to them, I think because she wasn't able to hold anything in her mouth for so long.

My Dad brought Gavin over and they really checked each other out, Gavin is so much bigger than her!

I hope all of your cute little pugs are doing great. Let us know how they are, I keep checking the website and looking at all the wonderful pugs you adopt out!

Keep up the good work!

Robyn

What Pumpkin had was called: “Epulides”
Here is information she gave me pertaining to the Epulides:

 

Epulides

General Information

Epulides are non-cancerous (benign) tumors or masses that develop in the mouth of some pets. They arise from the gums (gingiva) and may appear as one or more smooth reddish-pink or dark masses of various sizes along the gum line of the teeth. It is not certain why they form, but long-term gum irritation by tartar accumulation is often associated with their formation.  Some breeds of dogs, such as the Boxer, develop them more than others, which suggests a genetic influence.

An epulis may take one of three forms. The most common is the reddish-pink smooth fibromatous epulis. A second type, ossifying (bone formation) epulis, is more serious. It is of a bony nature and adheres tightly to the gum. It is more difficult to remove. The third type is an acanthomatous epulis.  Although it is a non-cancerous growth, it may infiltrate the surrounding tissue like a cancerous growth, which complicates removal. The masses may appear similar to certain types of cancerous tumors, and a biopsy may be recommended by your veterinarian.

Regular dental hygiene becomes even more important in pets that develop epulides. The masses often grow to cover part or all of the crown of the tooth or teeth. They make eating painful and increase gum irritation, which, in turn, may lead to gum infection and increased formation of epulides.

Important Points in Treatment

1. Treatment includes surgical removal under general anesthesia.

2. Epulides may but do not always return after surgical removal. Their removal is beneficial to the patient, and tartar may be removed during the same procedure in many instances. If dental tartar and accompanying gum infection are very severe, dental cleaning and premedication may be necessary and should be done before epulides removal.

3. It may be necessary to change your pet's diet for a few days after surgery to reduce additional irritation to the gums.

***

Epulis

What is an epulis?

An epulis is the most common type of tumor in a dog's mouth that is usually non-cancerous (benign). A benign tumor is one that does not spread to other parts of the body. The epulis originates from the tissue that attaches the tooth to the skull. An epulis can be "locally invasive," which means that it can grow into the tissues surrounding its initial location. There are three types of epulis described in most texts:

• fibromatous
• ossifying
• acanthomatous

What causes an epulis to form?

The cause is unknown.

What are the signs of an epulis?

An epulis is usually first noticed as a growth on the gum line of the dog's mouth. In rare cases, teeth may be moved from their normal position because of the growth of the epulis. Your pet is initially unaffected by the epulis. However, if the growth becomes large, it could bleed, cause problems with eating, or affect the teeth or jawbone.

How is an epulis diagnosed?

A thorough oral exam and a biopsy of the epulis is essential for proper diagnosis. Since many cancerous oral tumors can look like an epulis, it is important to differentiate an epulis from true cancer. A biopsy with examination by a pathologist can differentiate between the types seen.

How is an epulis treated?

An epulis is treated by surgically removing it, including a broad margin around the growth. Sometimes, especially with larger tumors, teeth adjacent to the epulis have to be removed. Because of the possibility of local invasion a wide border is recommended in most cases. In some cases, portions of the jawbone may need to be removed to cure the condition. Radiation treatment is sometimes used in addition to or instead of surgery.

What is the prognosis for an epulis?

The prognosis is good if the entire epulis can be removed, so it's best to avoid delay of surgery that would allow the epulis to grow. After surgical removal, the prognosis can be very good depending on the type of epulis removed. A subtype of epulis called an "acanthomatous" epulis can cause more bone problems than the other types, and can be more difficult to completely remove.

The majority of the information in this section has been taken from VetMedCenter.com. For further information about this useful source of information follow the link or look, on the internet, at www.vetmedcenter.com.

***

Proliferative Potential of Canine Oral Epulides and Malignant Neoplasms Assessed by Bromodeoxyuridine Labeling (pp. 35-41)

K. Yoshida, T. Yanai, T. Iwasaki, H. Sakai, J. Ohta, S. Kati, K. Ishikawa, A. A. Lackner, and T. Masegi

Department of Veterinary Pathology (KY, TY, HS, JO, SK, TM) and Veterinary Teaching Hospital (TI),Faculty of Agriculture, Gifu University, Gifu Japan; and Division of Comparative Pathology, New England Regional Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, MA (TY, AAL)

The proliferative potential of canine oral lesions, including epulides, squamous cell carcinomas, a malignant melanoma, and a fibrosarcoma, was examined using a monoclonal antibody to bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Twenty-three dogs with oral masses were administered BrdU intravenously at a dose of 8 mg/kg 1 hour before surgery, and the BrdU labeling index (LI) of each lesion was determined immunohistochemically. The average BrdU LIs for the main proliferating elements in the fibromatous epulis (4 cases), ossifying epulis (2 cases), and acanthomatous epulis (10 cases) were 4.9, 3.0, and 8.8%, respectively. The squamous cell carcinomas (5 cases) had an average LI of 15.9%, and the LIs of the malignant melanoma and fibrosarcoma were 7.5 and 10.3%, respectively. All cases of acanthomatous epulides and squamous cell carcinoma treated with simple marginal surgical resection recurred within a short time. The higher LIs in the acanthomatous epulides, squamous cell carcinomas, and fibrosarcoma correlate well with their poor prognoses, reflected by rapid growth and frequent recurrence. Acanthomatous epulis is clearly distinguished from other epulides by its aggressive clinical behavior and high proliferative potential, which is equivalent to that of malignant tumors, despite a lack of cell atypia. The BrdU LI is a useful marker for evaluating the proliferative potential and prognosis of canine oral tumors.

Key words: Bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry; canine oral proliferative lesions; proliferative potential.

"THANK YOU ALL"

Pumpkin has a lot of heroes out there she would like to thank, for the much needed prayers and funds for helping her through this difficult surgery.

My foster Mom, Chris & Dr Mitchell

"A Pug Place" members

Jane Smith

Steve & Ann Amann

Charles Heckel

Mindy Ruzumna

"House of Marley"

Thank you for leading us to help these precious precious angels.

 Jocelyn & Cliff Tichenor

Karen Holderman

Stephen Scarborough

I saw sweet Pumpkin on a posty by henrysmom on pugzoners.com and wanted to help this pug :-) God Bless you!  I will support rescue until the day I die!

Your pug friend in Iowa,

Susan McDermott

We look forward to hearing more about Pumpkin (her transformation is just wonderful)

Caroline & Mark Steed

Audrey Lee