1. A growth on my dog's hip has been diagnosed as mast cell cancer. When it first appeared, testing was never discussed and Dr. Haghighat's lackadaisical, wait-and-see approach led me to believe that it wasn't a cause for concern. After two in-person appointments as well as me sending him pictures of the growing tumor, he still remained nonchalant. There was no alarm, no sense of urgency, not even a suggestion that this growth could potentially be cancerous. All Dr. Haghighat had to do was advise us to have a needle aspiration performed to determine the cause of the growth. That's it. The cancer would've been detected in its initial stage. Now, my dog must be tested to see if the cancer has metastasized.
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Response from the owner:
We are so sorry to hear that you did not have a good experience with our practice. I just wanted to clarify some of the concerns you mentioned. I believe that in most cases a fine needle aspirate (especially if it is done on a tumor that could be cancerous) can aggravate the tumor and initiate further spread. This sentiment has been echoed by other vets, conventional and holistic as well. That is the reason why I did not and will not recommend a fine needle aspirate at the time. The better way to address the issue is to remove the mass with a good margin and send it for histopathology. However, for your dog at the time of your exam in June it was because of poorly controlled seizures that we had concerns about him going under anesthetic so we decided to monitor the growth closely. Because your distance from the clinic at the time was a concern we also asked you to kindly send monthly pictures of the growth while using a topical salve. We have two photos, one in July a month after our visit with minimal change and one in December. The photo in December the growth was noticeable larger, and I saw your dog three days later with your partner for an exam. At the time of the exam I mentioned to your partner that the tumor ideally should be surgically removed. We always strive to provide the best care possible for our patients. Please contact our office and we will do whatever we can to help your dog. You can reach us by phone at (905)830-1030 or email us at petsbewell@holistic-vet.ca
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2. In response to the owner:
Not once did you ever advise us that this growth could potentially be cancerous. Not once. In fact, you remained vague about what the growth was this entire time.
Not once did you ever discuss having the mass removed and sending it for a histopathology. Not once. My dog's epilepsy was never discussed in relation to the growth. Not once.
Not once have you ever uttered the words: tumor or cancer to us regarding the growth. Not once.
Not once have we ever cited distance or the fact that we live outside of Newmarket as a "concern". Not once. In fact, we've travelled to your clinic numerous times to simply pick up prescriptions.
During the last visit, you said that the mass would have to be surgically removed if it got any larger otherwise the surgical site would be too large to close. This was our ONLY indication that the growth was something serious. We then asked for a referral to the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. It was there, at the Animal Cancer Centre, that a needle aspiration was performed and we received a diagnosis of mast cell cancer.
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3. The mast cell cancer has metastasized to our dog's abdomen and groin. He will most likely die within six months to a year.
Our sweet-natured, bouncy, spirited boy will die because Dr. Haghighat never advised testing an abnormal growth that appeared on our dog in June.
He failed our beautiful boy.
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4. Dr. Haghighat did not advise us, nor gave us a referral, to test the growth on my dog's hip to determine its cause. Without conclusive test results, he couldn't possibly know what he was treating. It was Mast Cell Cancer. For 8 months, he advised us to apply topical salves which only irritated and ulcerated the Mast Cell Tumor.
MAST CELL TUMORS SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED AS THEY ARE UNSTABLE AND CAN RELEASE LARGE AMOUNTS OF HISTAMINE AND HEPARIN INTO CIRCULATION, (A PROCESS CALLED DEGRANULATION) WHICH CAN CAUSE GASTRIC ULCERATIONS, SYSTEMIC BLEEDING DISORDERS, LOW BLOOD PRESSURE AND SHOCK.
THE TUMOR SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MANUALLY MANIPULATED OR DISTURBED WITH SALVES AS THIS CAUSES DEGRANULATION.
DR. HAGHIGHAT'S "TREATMENT" CAUSED MORE HARM TO OUR DOG.
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5. Dr. Haghighat insinuates that he told us the growth was a potentially cancerous tumor and for EIGHT MONTHS we did nothing?! His hubris and lies are remarkable. What dog owner in their right mind believes this? read more
