Dear Dr. John,

My family owns a few dogs of a fairly uncommon breed called the Glen of Imaal Terrier. One is almost 12. We noticed that he had a foul odor from his face, so we took him into our local rural veterinary office. They found a fleshy mass on the roof of his mouth on the hard palate. They suggested that these can be challenging tumors and suggested that we have him seen by a specialist.

Do you think this is worthwhile given the location of the mass and where would we take him? Is this common to the breed and what could it be? We want him to be comfortable but do not want to do something too extensive that might also compromise his quality of life. A.W.

Dear A.W.,

The breed is indeed rarely seen and comes from Ireland originally. This breed and most are not particularly known for oral tumors of the hard palate. Benign tumors of the area are usually what we refer to as an epulis and can be either a fibroma or an ameloblastoma, the latter being more fleshy. These can be removed and have a favorable prognosis if completely removed. Malignant tumors are usually either squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, melanoma, or other such as an osteosarcoma. Depending on the type and how successful surgical removal is dictates the prognosis but more often than not it is not good.

Ask your veterinarian about a referral to a veterinary oncologist and make an appointment soon as time can be significant in determining possible success. A biopsy will be done to determine what you are dealing with. Radiographs might also be done to see how extensive the mass might be such as if it has affected bony structure between the mouth and nasal cavity. Pursuing diagnosis and treatment might be worthwhile so weigh out your options. The problem with oral tumors is that they are usually highly vascular, bleed easily, can get infected, lead to very foul smell, and can be quite painful for the dog. Besides surgery, and depending on the tumor type, radiation or chemotherapy might be called for. Good luck.

Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.