VetCAT IQ Identifies Tumor in 12 Week Puppy
Mabel, a 12-week-old Shih Tzu, presented to Dr. Sam Babbitt, DVM, DAVDC, at Virginia Veterinary Centers with a visible oral deformity. Dr. Babbitt used his VetCAT IQ to take a 20 second cranial CT and diagnosed the oral mass as a rostral mandibular papillary squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC). It is rare to find this type of tumor in a puppy. In Mabel’s case, the tumor had attained remarkable size and aggressive bone destruction by only 12 weeks of age.
PSCC is a neoplasm once thought to be associated with younger dogs, but in fact, it can happen at any age. In a study of 12 canines with oral PSCC the median age was 9 years old. This study found, when this tumor does arise from the gingiva, roughly two thirds affect the rostral aspects of the jaw.
VetCAT IQ CT Scan
From the VetCAT IQ CBCT images, Dr. Babbitt determined that Mabel’s tumor was aggressively expanding in the direction of a developing adult canine tooth, enabling him to make a precise and timely treatment plan. While these types of tumors are not known to metastasize, the treatment recommendation is surgical excision.
Treatment Outcome
With the help of VetCAT IQ, Dr. Babbitt was able to effectively diagnose and treat Mabel. The VetCAT IQ scan took only 20 seconds and the CBCT imaging enabled Dr. Babbitt to identify the margins of the tumor and successfully conduct a Rostral Mandibulectomy. Mabel recovered well from the procedure.
“Xoran’s CBCT was very instrumental in getting surgical margins on this case.”
— Dr. Sam Babbitt, DVM, DAVDC
