Understanding The Symptoms Of Dog Cancer And Treatment

Pet lovers and pet owners are often not aware of the seriousness of the health conditions

of their pets. Dogs are the most common pets, and they might suffer from serious health

complications. It is important to give attention to any symptom so that the condition can

be prevented from becoming worse. One of the most serious health issues is dog cancer.

It is undoubtedly a serious disease and it affects many dogs every year. In most cases,

dogs get medical help when it is too late and the symptoms are beyond treatment.

Symptoms are often not detected unless the disease become chronic or reaches an

advanced stage.

Detecting Symptoms Early:

You never know when your dog also becomes the victim of cancer. Dogs are as

vulnerable as humans to diseases like cancer. As a dog owner, make sure that you are

aware of the symptoms of dog cancer so that you can detect the symptoms early and

get immediate medical help. There are some common symptoms that you should not

overlook.

Rapid weight loss is one of the major symptoms. In such a situation, you should

consult with a vet at the earliest.

If your dog refuses to eat food or eats irregularly, get it checked.

A lump or swelling on the dog’s body is also a matter of serious concern.

Thorough Diagnosis:

As you consult with a vet, he will check the signs in your dog. He will then tell you the

exact condition. Make sure that you follow the vet’s advice. The vet will suggest a course

of treatment for dog cancer based on the seriousness of the condition. Give your dog a

healthy diet in order to support the immune system. Often, the vet and the dog

oncologist might even recommend you to give your dog a dose of natural health

supplement beneficial for the support of the immune system. These supplements often

comprise of medicinal herbs that are enriched with natural anti-oxidants.

Variation In Cancers:

Just as human beings, even dogs can experience different types of cancers. Based on

the type and condition of dog cancer, the treatment options also vary. The vet will

recommend the ideal treatment options. At times, your dog might also need to

undertake chemotherapy treatments. If you consult a good vet there is nothing to worry

because your vet will devise a unique treatment plan tailored to the condition of your

dog as well as based on the symptoms, temperament and progression of the disease.

Surgical Treatment Option:

Surgery is often thought to be a beneficial treatment, but removing the cancerous

tumors completely can be difficult in those cases where the cancer has spread to various

parts of the body. There are several factors that can affect the surgery in dog cancer.

The location of the dog cancer, the general health of your dog and the stage of cancer

are some of the vital factors that determine the success of the surgery. Apart from

surgery and chemotherapy, there are even several drugs and radiation treatments that

can often keep the condition under control.

Giving Attention To Dog Tumors To Save Your Dog

It is the worst nightmare of every pet owner to see his pet suffering from some

complicated health conditions. Recently, you might have felt an unexplained lump in

your dog. You rush to your vet fearing the worst because you are suspecting some kinds

of Dog Tumors. It is obvious for you to be concerned, but prior to that, it is important to

understand that not all tumors are cancerous. Only your vet can tell you after diagnosis

whether the tumor is cancerous. There are several causes that might result in tumors

and understanding the cause can help in giving effective treatment to your dog.

Benign Or Malignant:

If the tumor is not a cyst, it might be an actual mass. In older dogs, tumors form

naturally and can sometimes be completely benign. In some situations, fluid pockets and

abscesses can feel quite hard to touch regardless of the fact that they are filled with

fluids and appear swollen. It is quite rare for one of these conditions to be malignant. In

any case, the best option is to take your dog to a vet. Unexplained lumps and bumps

might appear as Dog Tumors, and are a cause of trip to the vet. Unless, your dog is

suffering from extreme pain, it need not be an emergency visit, but make sure that you

do not overlook it.

Displaying Other Signs:

The fact that these tumors can occur anywhere often makes them difficult to detect. In

most cases, they develop in the skin accounting for 20% of canine Tumors. They might

appear as single or multiple lumps. In any case, pet owners should pay close attention

for noticing physical changes. Apart from the physical signs, the other symptoms

displayed by your pet include:

Vomiting,

Blood in the stool,

Intestinal ulcers,

Slow healing wounds.

A Biopsy Is The Key To Diagnosis:

Whether the tumors are cancerous or benign can be best determined with the help of a

biopsy test. In fact, it is the only way to ascertain the nature of any growth. In this test,

cells are removed from the mass and examined carefully. Following the examination, the

expert will give an opinion about these tumors. If you give attention at the earliest,

there are chances that the tumor can be prevented from becoming malignant.

Reducing The Growth:

In the case of most tumorous growths, the catalyst or the cause remains unknown. The

development of canine Tumors is mysterious, but their treatments can be

straightforward. In some cases, these can be removed surgically. However, surgical

cases might take long time to recover. On the other hand, leaving it might also be a

hazard in itself. Do not forget to take professional advice in this context to find out

whether surgery is the suitable solution for your pet. Once the tumor is surgically

removed, a biopsy might be carried again. This will also determine the extent of the

tumor spreading in the body. If you choose not to operate, you can go for other

alternative options like radiation and nutritional support.

Understanding More About Canine Tumors

Canine tumors refer to abnormal tissue growth that results from progressive,

uncontrolled cell multiplication and doesn't serve any kind of physiological function. Now, this kind of growth can be of two main types, namely,

A. Benign B. Malignant

Benign ones are noncancerous growths that remain localized and are slow in

growing. These do not cause any harm to the dogs. However, it will be a mistake to ignore the presence of these canine tumorson the body or consider them safe in any way. In certain circles, dances, these harmless tumors can turn out to be

a big problem. Since they do not invade the neighboring tissues or spread to different body parts, vets will take their time to do the diagnosis and oftentimes

go for surgical removal. Permanent and easy removal is possible with these.

Is The Tumor Malignant?

Another name for malignant canine tumors is cancerous neoplasm. These are featured by fast growth and did not take any time in spreading from one part of

the body of the dog to another, causing havoc. Cell characteristics vary vastly from benign to malignant with the latter one showing anaplasia in different

degrees. Such cells are large with uncommon shapes, distinguishing them from other types completely. You can identify the cells due to the presence of dark stained, large nuclei and these tend to infiltrate and then destroy the

surrounding tissue.

As these cells move from one part of the body to another day, give rise to secondary canine tumors, the metastases. While different treatment options are nowadays available to do away with these malignant body growths, one

shouldn't expect simple one-day procedures generally associated with benign tumors. Based upon the location, maturity, and associated size, certain degree

of risk is involved in the operation procedure.

So Are Certain Dogs More Susceptible To Such Developments Compared

To Others?

Certain mutant genes present in the body of the animal may make them prone to cancerous growth than others. Whether the tumor is benign or malignant is quite hard to determine. The lab technicians have to observe them minutely

under the microscope before saying anything for sure. They will remove small portions of the tumor or conduct a biopsy, from the canine tumors for

examination. This will validate their diagnosis whether the tumor is benign or malignant.

It is almost impossible to reverse the growth of such malignant formations, as these are cellular permanent defects. With the developments in the field of

medicine, new drugs are available in the market, which offer a holistic treatment of cancer bringing a sliver of hope in the lives of the pet owners.Talk with your vet about the disease and the treatment plan that they have planned. You need

to ensure that you complete the treatment for the pets to ensure that the cancer is eliminated.

Warning Signs Of Dog Cancer

Whether it is animal cancer or those related to humans the earlier you diagnose the

condition, the better is the survival rate. Your dog is your friend and maybe it is your

pride and joy. Like us, they too may suffer from cancer. So if you want to prolong its life

and give it a strong chance at survival know to identify the warning signs that tell you

that something is wrong. You may have yearly appointments with the veterinarian,but

what if something goes wrong within the year as you wait for the vet's appointment!

Dog cancer may happen at any age and their types are similar to those in the human

beings. The only difference between the two is that metastasis is faster in dogs than in

ours. Here below are some warning signs to look for that requires immediate booking

with your veterinarian.

Unusual Odors: canine specific odors are quite common, but you need to look

for unusual smell from mouth, rectal area, or from the nose. Presence of tumor

growth, indicating dog cancer can be one of the reasons behind this.

Presence Of Lumps/Bumps: if this kind of outgrowth is present up on the skin

or directly below this can be one of the causes for concern. It is important that

every dog owner check the skin thoroughly at least once every month to identify

something unusual, not present there before. This can help you to pinpoint

animal cancer, well within time.

Rapid Weight Loss: if you're lovely and rambunctious dog is suddenly losing

vast amounts of weight at a fast rate, it surely is an alarming development. If you

are unable to pinpoint any specific reason for this, it makes sense to take the

animal to the vet as quickly as possible. Presence of cancerous growth can lead to

such negative scenarios.

No Longer Hungry: dogs are highly energetic animals who love to wolf down

the food as quickly as it is served. So if this is not happening one of the reasons

may surely be dog cancer. Loss of appetite in animals is a sign of sickness and if

it has suddenly lost interest in mealtimes, it is worthwhile to get a health checkup

done.

Loss Of Energy: when it's playtime, your four-legged friend is showing less

enthusiasm for some time and it appears as if constantly sapped of energy. This

can be another indication of cancerous growth in the body.

If you notice any such signs or symptoms, you need to talk with the vet. They will do

complete evaluation about the dog and then conduct intrusive tests to further confirm if

it is cancer. Usually these invasive tests are biopsies and tissue samples are taken and

analyzed in the labs. The tests will determine if it is cancer and then the vet will plan a

treatment schedule. Radiation and chemotherapy supported by a good diet is essential.