Breast Tumor in Dogs

In the modern world, cancer pathologies unfortunately occupy a leading position among all kinds of ailments. And this trend concerns not only people, but also domestic animals. In almost half of the cases of tumor neoplasms in dogs, we are talking about tumors localized in the mammary glands (OLM). Naturally, the disease mostly concerns bitches, but in one case out of a hundred we can talk about the defeat of males. How is it possible to identify such a disease in the early stages, what are the predictions of treatment and how dangerous is the disease?

Risk group

Modern medicine, as in the case of people and animals, did not find out the exact causes of the development of tumors. Their appearance is associated with exposure to carcinogens, the level of which is high in cities with poor environmental conditions.

The risk of developing the disease increases significantly if:

• the dog feeds on moldy feed;
• the animal has been infected with worms for a long time;
• There is a predisposition at the genetic level.

The last point is worth considering in more detail. Studies have revealed that not only a person has a predisposition to cancer, but also our younger brothers. The following breeds are at risk:

• yorkshire terrier ;
• dwarf and toy poodle;
• Spaniel - English Cocker and Springer;
• setter ;
• German Shepherd;
• maltese lapdog

Breast cancer is mainly found in animals older than 5 years, although recently there has been a tendency to "rejuvenate" this kind of disease.

OMZ species in dogs

All tumor formations, and there are many types of them, first of all, are divided into two classes - benign and malignant. Moreover, they are diagnosed according to statistics 50 to 50.

Among benign tumors, the most common are tumors consisting of cells of various types - benign mixed, containing connective and glandular tissues. Other types of benign tumors may consist of complex adenomas, fibroadenomas, papillomas, formed in the milk ducts or simple adenomas.

Malignant OMIs consist of adenocarcenes - tubular, papillary, papillary cystic, carcinomas - solid or anaplastic; osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma. Also found malignant tumors, consisting of several types of cancer cells.

Symptomatology of OMS in dogs

A tumor in a pet may be a solid formation or several seals. It is enough to find them simply by feeling the mammary glands of the dog. A recent formation will resemble hardened pea, which is extremely difficult to move in the subcutaneous layers. Often, they can grow rapidly in size and may double in 20-30 days.

The dog has five glands, each of which has a nipple. Cancer can affect any of them, but most often it develops in the fourth and fifth glands. In every second case, several formations are found.

Benign tumors often have a smooth surface, small size and are characterized by slow growth.

Malignant tumors have their own characteristics:

• they grow very fast;
• have an irregular shape;
• have a stable position on the surface of the skin or other tissues;
• bleeding is possible with this type of tumor;
• can be observed ulcerative lesions, tissue redness;
• lesions of the lymph nodes often cause swelling of the extremities.

The difficulty in detecting malignant OMI is that the above symptoms relate to the late stages of the disease. The early stages of the disease occur without obvious signs and do not bother the pet. If regular probing is not performed, then cancer of the glands can be detected only in the later stages.

There are tumors that do not develop for a long time, and then start to increase sharply. But such a course of the disease is a rather rare phenomenon.

Also rarely is a diffuse type of cancer (edematous infiltrative) detected in dogs, which is accompanied by the formation of painful compaction that does not have clearly defined boundaries. This tumor is accompanied by tissue hyperemia, sometimes by an increase in body temperature. For any symptoms, the dog needs to be examined by a veterinarian.

Diagnostic measures to identify OSS

It is extremely difficult to determine the type of tumor formation using only an inspection of the animal. For a more accurate diagnosis requires the sampling of material from the seal - a biopsy. This study is allowed to identify the malignancy or benignness of formations.

Aggressive tumors often grow to nearby nodes of the lymphatic system, lungs and have metastases. Radiography of the chest and palpation (palpation) of the lymph nodes can reveal this. In dogs, regional lymph nodes are located under the front (axillary) and hind (inguinal) legs.

The first three mammary glands distribute cancer cells in the axillary lymph nodes, and the fourth and fifth in the inguinal. From here, the disease spreads throughout the body, affecting all organs and systems, but initially new tumors form here.

If you suspect the spread of metastases in the abdominal cavity, an ultrasound scan is prescribed. If the pet limps, then an x-ray of the paw is prescribed for damage to the bone tissue by cancer cells.

In the process of complex diagnostics, it is possible to determine the stage of the disease. The wider the spread of education, the more dangerous the stage. Most often, it is finally determined after a histological examination of the tissue of a remote tumor and regional lymph nodes.

In the diffuse form of a tumor, differential diagnosis is required, since all the symptoms of the disease resemble mastopathy.

See also : ascites in dogs: symptoms, treatment .

Treatment of a breast tumor in a dog

Modern medicine offers the treatment of various types of tumors, even malignant. Naturally, the methods and outcome depend on the stage of the disease, the type of tumor, the health of the pet, and other factors. In the latter stages of cancer, the prognoses are disappointing, and treatment is carried out more as maintenance therapy for the animal.

Benign lesions should be surgically removed using general anesthesia.

If the diagnosis revealed a malignant tumor, then in this case, radical measures are taken, but already with a full amputation of the gland - by mastectomy. In addition, not only the affected mammary glands are removed, but also the surrounding tissues, as well as regional lymph nodes into which cancer cells can penetrate.

Surgical intervention is prescribed only in the case of patient operability, and this is determined by additional studies. Diagnosis is based on finding out the existing chronic ailments and the extent of damage to the body.

When confirming 3-4 stages of the disease, the pet is prescribed systematic courses of chemotherapy that suppress the growth and reproduction of cancer cells.

If the last stage of the disease is accompanied by the formation of distant metastases, then there are no possibilities to cure the dog. In this case, palliative therapy is used, which improves the quality of life of the pet and eliminates the unpleasant symptoms of the disease:

• the use of antibacterial agents;
• removal of inflammations;
• pain relief, etc.

Some veterinarians practice joint mastectomy and ovariectomy (removal of the ovaries), but there is no evidence of the effectiveness of this method.

Hormone therapy using the drug Tamoxifen in the treatment of malignant tumors in animals in the area of ​​the mammary glands has not found proper use, since detailed studies have not been conducted. This type of cancer treatment in animals requires further study.

Breast tumor video

Preventive measures

Research has shown that early sterilization is the most effective method to prevent the formation of malignant prostate cancer in animals. If the operation is performed before the start of the first estrus, then the risk of developing a dangerous disease is only 0.05%.

This indicator increases to 8% in case of sterilization after the first heat. When the female reproductive organs are removed after the 2nd estrus, the chance of the appearance of malignant tumors in the mammary glands increases to 26%. Conducting this operation after two years of age has no effect on the formation of OMP.

For owners of dogs that have not undergone early sterilization , experts recommend regularly inspecting the mammary glands of the animal, carefully, but carefully, probing them. This is especially important to do a month or two after estrus, because during this period inflammation most often develops and the affected cells begin to divide rapidly.

Cancer diseases are more often found in older animals, therefore, when detecting any compaction, you should consult a specialist. The same is true in the case of illness of young animals, as the disease often affects young individuals.