Canine Osteosarcoma

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Canine osteosarcoma

Canine osteosarcoma usually appears in large dogs, often in the legs. Sometimes the tumor originates in a place where an earlier injury occurred. Warning signs include limping, especially progressive lameness, and swelling. The cancer weakens and destroys the bone as it progresses, which can sometimes result in fractures.

This is a primary tumor, which means that the cancer originates in the bone and then moves elsewhere in the body. It is extremely aggressive. The cancerous cells tend to metastasize first to blood-rich cells, such as those present in the lungs. Frequently, by the time the dog manifests visible symptoms, such as limping or swelling, the cancer has already spread. Repeated coughing is a sign that it may have invaded the dog's lungs. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The traditional surgical option is amputation, but recently a few universities have been performing limb-sparing procedures. This usually involves removing the tumor and strengthening the limb with a bone graft. Whatever surgical option is chosen, it must be combined with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in order to be effective. This is because surgery removes the main tumor, but if the cancer has metastasized to the lungs or spread elsewhere in the bones, it will only continue to advance.

Source: www.handicappedpets.com

Canine osteosarcoma

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Canine Lymphoma Symptoms (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine Lymphoma

The symptoms vary according to the type of canine lymphoma. There are several types of lymphoma, depending on which part of the body that the tumor develops.

1. Multicentric - Tumor develops in lymph nodes as painless lumps on the neck, behind the knees, under the front legs and in the groin. This is the most common type, accounting for at least 80% of all canine lymphoma. It can spread to other internal organs such as the spleen, liver and bone marrow. In the later stage of the disease, the tumor causes obstruction in the affected organ and symptoms such as weakness, tiredness, loss of appetite and fever can arise.

2. Alimentary - Tumor in the gastrointestinal tract that results in vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea and weight loss.

3. Mediastinal - Tumor of the thymus. In the advanced stage of the disease, dogs develop breathing difficulty, fluid accumulation in lungs and hypercalcemia.

4. Cutaneous - This affects the skin, causing lesions, itchiness, redness, nodules, plaques and hair loss.

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Canine Lymphoma

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Canine Lymphoma: Madison Wisconsin Protocol

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Canine Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a very serious and all-to-common disease in dogs. Some breeds are more prone to this type of cancer than others. Golden Retreivers seem to be especially susceptable to this type of canine cancer. Cancer is first and foremost an immune dysfunction disease. Lymphoma form when the body fails to recognize the altered lymph cells as invaders. These are the cells that have multiplied improperly. In the last few years specialized compounds have become available for use in cancer patients to try and correct this error. These are called immune modulators. These immune modulator compounds often trigger the patient's "immune recognition response" allowing the body to recognize and destroy the aberrant cells. When this recognition response is triggered, the body re-learns how to deal with the tumor cells as it would with any other wound, and destroys those aberrant cells, producing healthy scar tissue in their place. These immune modulators are different than the class of drugs called Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs are toxic, and work by destroying the cancer cells directly. Chemotherapy drugs are very useful in combating canine lymphoma cancer, in that they reduce the number of cancer cells present, but they do not address the underlying cause that allowed the cancer in the first place. Immune modulator compounds on the other hand are not toxic. They are a class of compounds called heteropolysaccharides, which are naturally occurring in our foods and are required in all mammals for triggering normal immune function. For some reason, in cancer patients large amounts of these immune modulators are required to trigger that normal rejection response, which in turn kills off the cancer cells.

Canine Lymphoma

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Chemotherapy and Immune Modulators For Canine Lymphoma

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Canine Lymphoma

There are many sites detailing the reasons why canine lymph cancer forms, and different technical information about lymphomas. These links can be found at the bottom of this page for those who wish to go into greater detail on the technical aspects. But for our purpose on this page, let's look at what can be done to treat your dog and overcome this terrible disease.

Chemotherapy is the first line treatment for dog lymphoma. This is a type of cancer that usually effects young to middle aged dogs that are usually healthy in other respects. This means they are often good candidates for aggressive chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is usually a good option, depending on how extensivethe cancer, whether it has spread and whether any major organs are involved. Sometimes the effected lymph glands are surgically removed, but this is of questionable value. After surgery, some type of chemotherapy drug is usually recommended to clean up any remaining cancer cell not removed by the surgery. Chemotherapy and surgery are both effective in removing the bulk of the tumors, but should always be seen as only one arm of a multi-pronged approach. This is because we all know that surgery and chemotherapy do not cure cancer. The underlying cause of the cancer is still there, which is the immune dysfunction that allowed the tumor to form in the first place. Chemo and surgery do not deal with this underlying immune dysfunction. However, when chemo and surgery are used along with immune modulation therapy, the chances of a dog overcoming lymphoma and surviving a normal life span are excellent. Ultimately, it is only the patient's own immune system which can overcome the cancer. Until and unless the immune recognition response is triggered, the patient cannot overcome the cancer. That is why many Vets will tell you that the dog's life can only be extended, but that the cancer is still present. While this was certainly true in the past, modern research into immune modulation therapy as an adjunct to conventional therapy has proven this to be no longer true. Cancer can be cured. K-9 Immunity is a veterinary grade formula specifically intended for use in dogs fighting cancer, to trigger the proper immune response.

Article source: www.dogcancer.ca

Canine Lymphoma

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Canine Lymphoma (Dog's Cancer)

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Canine Lymphoma

This article will discuss generally about dog’s cancer that also known as Canine Lymphoma. This dog’s cancer (also called lymphosarcoma) is the most common type of cancer to affect dogs. It is a condition in which cancer cells can grow anywhere there is lymph tissue. Therefore, the cancer cells can grow in almost any organ in your dog’s body and will eventually cause one of them to fail.

Canine Lymphoma represents a common neoplasia of dogs affecting the entire lymphatic system including the spleen, thymus and liver. Its may occur in dogs of any age but is seen more frequently in dogs over 5 years of age. One in four dogs will get cancer at some time in their lives. This statistic appears to be conservative compared to the cancer incidence in ferrets and cats.

This dog’s cancer mostly infected in American dogs, and fortunately, it is very treatable. It is about 50% of dogs with canine lymphoma can be put into remission. Most lymphomas respond very well to modern therapy, by using a combination of chemotherapy (sometimes radiation, although not very often).

Treatment for canine lymphoma is relatively effective, but can also get expensive. Chemotherapy is a preferred method of treatment for canine lymphoma. Most dogs that undergo this treatment go into remission. Dogs that have one remission can usually go into remission a second time. However, the second remission usually lasts half as long as the first. Most dogs undergoing treatment for canine lymphoma can survive one to two more years after diagnosis. The chemotherapy drugs can be given orally at home or as an injection at the vet’s office. Dogs that are in stage 5 of canine lymphoma, the stage where bone marrow is affected, don’t respond well to chemotherapy drugs.

Canine Lymphoma

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Rescue Protocols For Canine Lymphoma (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine Lymphoma

There are several CHOP-L protocols for Canine Lymphoma published for use, including the Wisconsin-Madison protocol, AMC protocol and VELCAP (Moore 2001). Although there are some differences among them in terms of scheduling, dosages and addition of other chemotherapeutics, the differences are minor and the protocols are considered to be equally effective.

Rescue Protocols Canine Lymphoma

When deciding on what protocol to use for initial treatment, it is important to take into account prognostic factors, including anatomic location, stage, grade, substage, immunophenotype and presence of hypercalcemia or a mediastinal mass. Most "average" dogs (Stage II-IVa B-cell intermediate to high-grade lymphoma) will benefit from a CHOP-L type of protocol.

It has not been documented whether dogs with negative prognostic factors (i.e., substage b) will have the same remission duration with a short-term protocol compared to "average" dogs with lymphoma. These dogs may be more effectively treated with protocols that include a maintenance phase. Those with T-cell lymphoma or certain anatomic locations (cutaneous or gastrointestinal) may benefit from the use of protocols such as MOPP as a first-line treatment.

The length of treatment with a rescue protocol is not standard. In our clinic, most rescue protocols are administered for no less than six months but no more than a year, providing that the patient continues to respond.

Canine Lymphoma

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Chemotherapy For Canine Lymphoma (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine Lymphoma

Lymphoma is usually discovered when a lump is found in one of the lymph nodes. A biopsy will be performed and, if the diagnosis is lymphoma, the condition will then be staged. A level of one through five is assigned to the progress of the disease. Additional tests may be required to accurately stage the cancer, and these tests will determine the course of treatment. Its most advanced stage (five) is considered end-stage and does not usually respond to chemotherapy.

Because they receive smaller doses, dogs do not suffer the same degree of chemotherapy side effects that humans do. Additionally, chemotherapy treatments have become more targeted and advanced, allowing for better results with fewer side effects.

Nausea, lethargy and infections are the most common side effects of chemotherapy treatments. Your veterinarian can prescribe antibiotics and anti-nausea medications if these symptoms appear. Some breeds--poodles, lhasa apsos and shih tzus in particular--may lose hair. After treatment, the coat will grow back.

Canine Lymphoma

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Treatment Options For Canine Lymphoma (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine Lymphoma

Canine Lymphoma has a very high remission rate, however, there is a much lower chance of survival without proper treatment. Without any form of treatment, the average survival rate for a dog after diagnosis is about two months.

With a combination of anti-cancer medication, as well as intensive chemotherapy, the survival rate for a dog suffering from lymphoma can be increased to 60-90%.

There are many treatment options available, each with its own risks and benefits. The most effective treatment is a combination of all or several of these treatment types.

1. Chemotherapy
This is the most common, and most effective treatment for canine lymphoma.
Chemotherapy generally refers to the treatment of cancer with powerful drugs that kill cells. These drugs are used to kill the cancer cells, but can harm healthy cells as well (which causes the side effects associated with this treatment). Combination chemotherapy usually involves chemotherapy drugs in addition to radiation treatment, which is usually the most effective against canine lymphoma.

The chemotherapy process for dogs is slightly less intensive than chemotherapy in humans, since the dosage ratio of the cell-killing drugs is much lower.

The veterinarian responsible for selecting chemotherapy drugs that will best help your dog is called an oncologist. Certain chemotherapy drugs are used for each type of cancer, and an oncologist is responsible for choosing the drugs that will have the lowest toxicity rate for your dog's healthy cells.

2. Immune System Booster
Treating your dog with an immune booster in addition to chemotherapy treatments is a good way to further increase your dog's survival rate. Most immune boosters include glyconutrients, which are required for healthy immune system function in canines.

3. Proper Nutrition
With a systemic cancer like lymphoma, proper nutrition is extremely important in increasing your dog's odds of survival. According to veterinary studies, dog foods that are high in carbohydrates “feed” the cancer, causing visible acceleration of the tumor's progression.

Dog foods that are high in protein are said to "starve" the cancer, while providing good support for your dog's healthy systems.
Dog food that is enriched in Omega 3 fatty acids has proven especially effective against canine lymphoma.

4. Surgery
In some cases, surgery to remove the malignant lymphoma tumor is suggested for a treatment option. Surgery is usually used in combination with chemotherapy, and is generally only suggested if the tumor is extremely large or is endangering vital organs. Fatal complications can arise with a surgical removal of a tumor, especially if a portion of the endangered organ is also removed.

Canine Lymphoma

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How Is Canine Lymphoma Diagnosed? (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine Lymphoma

Once you bring your dog to your veterinarian, there are several tests that will give a positive lymphoma diagnosis. The first of these is a visual examination by your veterinarian. Once it is positively identified that one or all of your dog's lymph nodes are enlarged, further tests are needed.

Typically, a urinalysis(diagnostic test of your dog's urine) as well as a blood panel test are used to assess your dog's state of health. After this, one of the enlarged lymph nodes needs to be biopsied to positively identify the condition to be Lymphoma. Once a biopsy is taken, a pathologist will usually examine the cells under a high-powered microscope to confirm the diagnosis. Further examination of the biopsy will give an approximation of the progression of the cancerous tissue.

Canine Lymphoma

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Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Canine Lymphoma (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine Lymphoma

Canine Lymphoma is a condition that will cause your dog to display several key symptoms. Especially if your dog is one of the breeds commonly affected by lymphoma, it is essential to identify these symptoms as soon as possible.

What Are The Symptoms Of Lymphoma?

1.Lumps

This is one of the more obvious signs of possible lymphoma, though may be harder to detect in dogs with thick fur. Abnormal lumps may appear in the abdomen, back, armpits, or neck. These lumps will be characteristically round and hard (not soft, like the fat deposits that develop in some older dogs).

2. Lack Of Appetite, Vomiting

Your dog will be feeling unwell, and may begin to show a lack of enthusiasm for mealtime. More food will remain in the dish after eating, or your dog may lose interest in food altogether. In addition to this, your dog may constantly be “hacking”, or vomit on a regular basis. All of these are signs that your dog is suffering from a serious health problem, and should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

3. Fever

Detecting a fever in your dog as a stand-alone symptom can be difficult, though usually in cases of Lymphoma, a fever will be accompanied by several other symptoms. A fever that is steady, reoccurring, or lasts for longer than 3 days is a cause for concern.

4. Weight Loss

May dogs suffering from Lymphoma will appear to be depressed, and may cease to be excited about daily activities. Rapid weight loss in your dog is always a good reason to worry, as is one of the key symptoms of lymphoma (as well as several other serious health conditions).

Canine Lymphoma

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General Overview Of Canine Lymphoma (Canine Lymphoma)

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Canine lymphoma

Canine lymphoma (also called lymphosarcoma) is the most common type of cancer to affect dogs. Canine lymphoma is defined as the occurrence of malignant tumors in a dog's organs, usually in the lymph nodes, liver, or spleen. Canine lymphoma can also be present in the digestive tract, as well as in the eyes and skin.

The first documented case of canine lymphoma was in a nine-year old crossbred dog, in the late 1980's. It was identified in the dog's prostate, and treatment was attempted with cytotoxic drugs. Since not much was known about this condition, the dog did not survive. With today's technology and veterinary medicine, there is a fairly high remission rate with Canine Lymphoma.

Canine Lymphoma can affect any type of dog, but there are several breeds that are more prone to develop this type of cancer. The most commonly affected breeds include Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Poodles, German Shepherds, Boxers, Scottish Terriers, Beagles and Basset Hounds.

Some of these breeds have an incredibly high rate of lymphoma, which is usually documented as an inherited breed-based trait.
For example, one in every eight Golden Retrievers will develop this condition.

The life expectancy of a dog diagnosed with lymphoma is between 9 and 12 months. While this may seem discouraging, it is possible to send a dog's lymphoma into remission with constant medical care, and regular chemotherapy.
With proper care, the survival rate of a dog diagnosed with lymphoma can be raised to 50%. With intensive chemotherapy, the average chance of remission is from 60-90%. Without treatment, most dogs will only survive for an average of two months.

Canine Lymphoma can be present wherever there is lymph tissue in your dog's body. It can travel quickly, especially if your dog is under significant stress. Lymphoma causes death in the same way that many other cancers do: by inducing organ failure.

The cancerous tumors begin to infiltrate important organs in your dog's system, and the damaged organ eventually fails. Some types of lymphoma that occur in the digestive tract, will prevent a dog from digesting food. This can cause death by starvation, since it is difficult to treat gastrointestinal canine lymphoma.

Though canine lymphoma may sound like a fatal condition, it actually has a much higher remission rate than some other cancers that can affect dogs. With a prompt diagnosis, as well as an intensive treatment plan, the chances of survival are moderately good.

Canine lymphoma

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