Does my dog have cancer? What NOT to rely on!
ByHi!
Glad to see so many readers these days! Thanks everyone.
I have noticed that there are some misconceptions about dog cancer floating around that perhaps could be clarified a little bit. Specifically, there are things that people are looking at to deduce that their dog’s lump is NOT cancer…but the problem is that some of the reasons (to support a theory that their dog’s growth is “fine”) are not valid.
Here are some classics in the area of:
What Not To Rely On With Certainty
1. Your dog’s behavior. Dogs can have pretty serious health problems and still walk around, eat, be in no apparent pain, etc. Malignant tumors may not show any overall body signs whatsoever. Anyone heard the phrase….”the doctor found a lump in my breast?” Let’s think about this for a minute. The doctor found a lump. The woman was totally unaware there was a lump!! This tells us that you can have a life- threatening cancer going on that is utterly without any overall signs.
2. How the lump feels and looks on a physical examination at the vet’s. Okay, all of us vets have been guilty of feeling a mass and proclaiming the diagnosis (Fatty Tumor! Cyst! Adenoma! or whatever). Folks, the reality is this: a very high percentage of masses with that feel and appearance actually are what they feel like and look like. But, not all of them! If I see 20 dogs with a soft mass under the skin that feels like a fatty tumor, I would not be surprised if one or two were not. I have encountered growths that for all the world feel like fatty tumors (lipomas) and turned out to be mast cell tumors or hemangiopericytomas (nerve sheath tumors), or even sometimes hematomas (blood pockets from some kind of impact or trauma).
Both of these (exam findings and your dog’s behavior) are unreliable. Yes, sometimes we can get a high probability of a diagnosis and everyone is comfortable playing the odds. But consider this: how many of us wear our seat belts and how many of us wreck our cars?
Take home message: make sure you are aware that if you opt against a fine needle aspirate (see the last blog) or a biopsy (see the entry about Bjorn), you are playing an odds game that is not 100% versus 0%. Some of the dogs with masses that look like they are benign growths and will fool everyone. They come back to bite us later.
Best to everyone,
Dr Dressler
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
7 Comments
October 16th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I would to transform into a dog.
October 16th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
October 28th, 2009 at 11:18 am
hii!!
i just had one quick question, i recently discovered a lump on my dogs neck and rushed her to the vet. they took a fine needle aspiration and i still havent heard back. ive been feeling it for a few days and i think i just might be trying to feel something. how do i know when a lump is cancerous? how do i know its not part of her normal anatomy?? thanks!
amy
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Dear Amy,
did you get the aspirate results back?
D
November 12th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Hi Dr. Dressler, I am a ped. neurology nurse and always get a second third opinion as well as check my med ref. info. My twin sister and I live together and have lost both a horse and 1 mixed breed very lg 15 year old dog. Also had a feral cat whom I had to euthanize at 19 years of age! We moved and had to find another vet. Would you believe that after an exam and x-ray she did a 7 min. exploratory, DID NOT biopsy or even do basic labs but told my sister Gabbie was full of cancer and should be put down immediately so as not to suffer. She had NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE! Like most lay people, she believed the doctor and Gabbie was gone no more than 3 hours after first being seen. I’m 99% sure that this was to quick and/or the wrong Dx. By the way, a consult with an oncologist wasn’t even hinted at. I wish I had been there to have stopped this. Any toughts?
December 15th, 2009 at 10:48 am
hi Dr Dressler, I have an italian greyhound that has been diagnosed with cancer. He has two growth near his lungs. The vet told me that because there are two growths, there is no point having surgery or even try to treat it. I just cannot give up until I feel that I have done everything in my power to cure him . I was wondering if there are any trial treatment available or research study somewhere.
I am in the houston region but will do whatever necessary to find anything worth giving a try.
Thanks for any help
December 15th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Pierre,
I’m so sorry that your baby has been diagnosed with cancer. It is heartbreaking. However, there are resources available.
You say you are in the Houston “region” so I assume you mean Houston, Texas region. I am aware of two facilites with oncology specialties in the area….Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialties, http://www.gcvs.com, is in Houston and Texas A&M University Veterinary clinic, http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/vscs/services/oncology/ which is not too far away.
GCVS helped my dog so I am more familiar with them. Your vet will need to refer you to GCVS. If he won’t I would find another vet who will. There are a number of vets in the Houston area.
I don’t mean to advertise for any particular group but I hate for anyone to delay information gathering and potential treatment for their pet.
Sometimes regular vets are not aware of all the latest treatment options. Oncology specialists can provide up-to-date treatment options as well as the benefits and risks of each and provide a specific treatment plan for your dog if a treatment exists.
Also, there are holistic vets that can provide a holistic treatment plan.
I’m glad I did the research and got a referral to an oncologist because now my dog is in remission.
Good luck to you.