Understanding More About Dog Cancer at Highland Veterinary Center
What are the most common types of cancer that you see in dogs?
Some of the most common types of cancer that I see in dogs here in general practice are mass cell tumors, lymphoma, and mammary cancer or breast cancer.
What are some causes of cancer in dogs?
Causes of cancer in dogs, similar to people, can be multifactorial. We definitely know that environmental factors can play a role. Genetics are also very important. We know there are certain breeds of dogs that are more prone to specific types of cancer, so that's definitely a big factor.
What are some of the signs of cancer in dogs?
Signs of cancer in dogs depend on the type of cancer that they're experiencing. Mass cell tumors, for example, are a type of cancerous lump found on the skin that can spread to other parts of the body. Generally, anytime you find a lump or bump on your dog, it's a good idea to have it checked out because those can be a number of different things. Other types of cancer can be a little bit more difficult because the only signs that we may see can be vague. Your dog just may be more lethargic or not as active as normal, they may have a decreased appetite, or they may not enjoy doing the same things that they've always enjoyed doing. Sometimes those clinical signs can be more non-specific.
What will a vet do to diagnose my dog with cancer?
That depends on the cancer type. Generally, if your dog comes in with a lump or a bump, the easiest first thing that we can do is take a sample using a needle, which is called a fine needle aspirate. That gives us a hint at what type of cancer your dog may have or if it's necessarily something that we need to worry about, and that can guide additional diagnostic testing, like a biopsy, where we actually take a small piece of that mass and send it out to a lab to get a better idea. We may recommend doing blood work or x-rays of the chest or belly to get a more inside look at what's going on there. Occasionally, an abdominal ultrasound may also be a good idea to try to figure out what other organ systems are affected. In general, there's a lot of diagnostic tests that we can do, but usually, we take it one step at a time depending on your dog and the type of symptoms that they're experiencing.
If my dog has cancer, will they need to see a specialist?
It depends. There are certain cancer types that veterinarians like myself or others in general practice are comfortable diagnosing and treating. However, that definitely depends on your pet and the type of cancer because absolutely there are certain conditions, like lymphoma, where chemotherapy protocols can be very diverse depending on the patient. Having a veterinary oncologist evaluate your pet and give us additional options for treatment can be very helpful and may also help give us a better long-term prognosis.
What does a cancer diagnosis mean for my dog and what is the prognosis like?
A cancer diagnosis can mean a lot of things. If it's an isolated skin tumor, a lot of times surgery can be curative. Just taking that tumor off and getting good margins and sending it out to the lab to confirm that you got good margins and tell you exactly what type of cancer it is can fix the problem. Other types of cancers, like lymphoma, we don't really cure those cancers but we can put them into remission, which means there are no active cancer cells in the body at that time. Prognosis is going to vary dramatically depending on the type of cancer that your pet is experiencing. Tumors that we can surgically remove generally have a better long-term prognosis. Other cancers like lymphoma or carcinoma can shorten your dog's normal lifespan depending on how they respond to treatment.
What should I do if I notice any new lumps and bumps on my dog?
Any new lumps and bumps should be checked out. It's easy to say, "Oh, it's nothing or it's soft and squishy. Don't worry about it." But unfortunately, a lot of types of cancer can masquerade as seemingly innocent lumps and bumps. It's always better to err on the side of caution and just have the fine needle aspirate done so that your veterinarian can tell you if it's something that we need to worry about or not.
Is cancer treatment painful for dogs and will I need to have them undergo chemotherapy?
Certain types of cancer definitely benefit from chemotherapy protocols. There's a ton of different types of chemotherapy drugs and medications out there. In general, dogs handle chemotherapy better than people. If you know someone who's undergone cancer treatment, you know chemotherapy can be really tough, but luckily, dogs seem to be a little more resilient. We see things like gastrointestinal signs, lethargy, and they can affect things like the number of red blood cells or white blood cells, which are monitored using blood work during their treatment. Generally, I would say it's not necessarily painful, but we do see certain side effects depending on the type of medications they're receiving.
What side effects can be caused by cancer treatment for dogs?
Chemotherapy treatment can cause gastrointestinal signs, which are the most common. Certain chemotherapy medications can affect your dog's cells at the blood level, including white blood cells, which if they get really low, can make your dog prone to secondary infections. You have to be cautious with where they're going and what they're doing. Chemotherapy medications can be oral or injectable, so it depends on what route they're receiving these medications. In general, side effects are typically manageable with anti-nausea medications or pain medications if there's a little pain around the injection site.
What should I do if my dog's cancer progresses or recurs?
That depends on how severe your dog's symptoms are, and again, what type of cancer we're treating. It is common in certain cancer types for us to go into remission or be able to get your pet into remission for a certain period of time, and then we do see those signs come back. Typically, with those pets, those are conversations that we're having with the individual families to determine whether they want to pursue treatment again or take a more palliative route, which means keeping the pet comfortable. It can go a number of different ways depending on what your individual goals are and the comfort level of your pet.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (423) 922-7702, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!