Signs of Brain Cancer In Dogs
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: November 23rd, 2018
Tumors in the brain are very tough for us in veterinary medicine today. There are two reasons for this. One is that they are hard to diagnose without advanced imaging like CT or MRI. These are not available to everyone, since many do not live within a reasonable distance, and they are not cheap.
The second reason is they are hard to treat.
Let’s look at both of these topics. First, how would a vet suspect a brain tumor in a dog without the use of one of these imaging tools?
I would like to introduce some words to you. One is “unilateral.” When a medical problem is unilateral, it means it is occurring on only one side. There is a phrase that you should know as well: “space occupying lesion”. A space occupying lesion means that the problem takes up space and most commonly displaces or puts pressure on the surrounding tissue.
One of the very first things a vet will do is try to decide where in the body the problem is going on. This is called the “anatomical diagnosis”. We try to pinpoint the organ, tissue or system that we believe is the location of the issue in the body.
Next, vets will usually come up with a list of possible disorders that could affect that area. These are the “differential diagnoses,” which means a list of different possibilities that are ranked in order of what is most likely to what is least likely.
When we create these possibility lists, we will use information about the dog to help narrow them down and rank them. Age is a big one. Certain diseases are more common in young dogs and certain are more common in older dogs. Breed is another since certain breeds are more prone to certain problems.
Sex is another, and whether a dog has been spayed or neutered. All of these things impact probabilities.
The history you give a vet will also help. Did the problem start suddenly or slowly? What about appetite, thirst, and other signs of illness? Is it worsening?
Is there weight loss?
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The physical exam helps a lot. Here is where the rubber meets the road with brain cancer, and the words you learned above come into play.
When we think about brain cancer, most of the time the dogs will have some sort of brain sign. These include seizures, blindness, and other obvious signs like that. (Note that other body parts can be diseased and produce these signs.)
Now, one key point your vet may pick up is that the brain signs in a dog are unilateral- they issue seems to be affecting one side more than the other. When this occurs, there is some assymetry going on. One side is different from the other.
Perhaps we have a loss of coordination, but it affects the left side more than the right side. Or maybe a pupil is dilated or constricted in the right eye but not the left. Possibly the retina (seen by looking in the eyeball) looks different on one side. Could be there is a droop or weakness in the muscles of the face.
These all point to things that are assymetrical.
If it looks like the problem is in the brain (which is concluded after laboratory testing), there are not many common brain problems in dogs that affect one area of the brain but not other areas. One of the most common is a space occupying lesion, or a tumor.
But wait! Other things can do it too. For example, a stroke (vascular accident) can sometimes happen in dogs. A common one is a problem with the vestibular system, which is responsible for keeping balance. This is called geriatric vestibular syndrome. Rarely, inflammation or infections can do it. These all can have signs that affect either the left or right side of the body.
Now, more information can be gathered to help sort these things out. A critical piece of information for us is what is happening with the problem over time. Strokes most commonly stay the same severity or get better. Geriatric vestibular syndrome almost always gets better.
Tumors however do not. They progress. Inflammation and infections in the brain get worse too.
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Most of the time one can rule out the majority of the brain inflammation and infections with blood work and a spinal tap.
So if the problem is pointing to brain (the organ), in an older dog, and it seems like it looks assymetrical (affecting a single area but not the adjacent area), it is progressing over time, and lab testing rules out the other things that can look like it, we are left with brain tumor as number one.
This is how vets will sometimes talk about brain tumors without the benefit of a CT or MRI. They are talking about the highest probability.
As far as treatment is concerned, doing brain surgery on dogs is not routinely done simply because most of the time the technique has not been well worked out. There are some rare neurosurgeons out there that have done it successfully but they are few and far between.
However, there is a new technology out there in New York that can help. Dr. Sue Ettinger, an oncologist who is working with me on the second edition of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, works at The Animal Specialty Center. The facility houses the most sophisticated tool for treating brain tumors in dogs in the country.
It is called the Cyberknife. The apparatus is capable of directing many small doses of radiation at brain tumors in dogs from multiple directions during the treatment, in an effort to destroy the tumor without harming the patient.
Other approaches I discuss with my clients in the Guide include diet, supplements like Apocaps, life quality enhancement, touch therapies, and considering homeopathy. A closer look at homeopathy in brain tumors, in particular gliomas, can be found here.
Please keep your vet involved in all steps in your dog’s treatment plan.
Best,
Dr D
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Hi,
My dog Rosie, recently had a seizure. We brought her to the vet and they had suspected Insulinoma because her blood sugar was low, had chest xrays, U/s done and all looked good. I was finally referred to a neurologist where she had an MRI done, they found hydrocephalus and Cerebral Edema, she said she saw something in the cerebllum but could not distinguish whether it was a tumor or not???? She also did not know why her blood sugar was low, although it was fine in her office that day. I thought by getting the MRI they would be able to distinguish a tumor???. She sent her home with prednisone and she did great and felt much better for a few days but seemed a bit fatigued and not herself after that. A couple of weeks later she yelped out a couple of times one of the times she was going up the stairs to get on the bed and froze on the bed and cried then ran off the bed got on her bed on the floor, peed in it and laid down with heavy respirations all night. I made her comfortable and took her to the neurologist the next morning, she thought maybe she might be having joint pain because she said Rosie looked good, I know my Rosie and she did not look “good”. She manipulated her joints but Rosie never yelped out, she prescribed her tramadol for the pain. Once we left and she jumped in the car she cried and laid down with a faraway look on her face.
I thought the tramadol was helping because she did not cry out yesterday but rather was really knocked out from it. Last night she laid in the kitchen on the tile and did not want to get up, I coaxed her over to her bed with a treat and she got up, once she got to her bed she became wobbly and drooled a bit and walked out of her kennel kinda like a clidesdale. Then she went and laid down on the tile again. She seems very dizzy, holds head down like she did before we had taken her to neurologist and cant walk around for too long without getting dizzy (Im guessing dizzy because thats what it looks like) Im not sure if that was another seizure or what or just a dizzy spell…I am at a lost and don’t know what to do…any advice would be appreciated, she means the world to me and I don’t want to see her suffer. Please Help.
HI Dr. Dressler
Thank you for posting this! My dog Max was diagnosed with a couple of inoperable brain tumors (meningiomas) last year. His symptoms were 1) getting slower on walks, 2) a little lethargic and less interested in what was going on 3) he started to lose his hearing 4) he started to lose his eye sight 5) then one day he was starring at his reflection in the window at night and his head suddenly tilted sideways and he could no longer walk straight. He walked in circles and they’d get tighter and tighter until he fell over. We treated him with homeopathy, chinese herbs, acupuncture and diet and prednisone at first after seeing our neurologist and holistic vet, and it helped tremendously, but only for a period of time. In Sept, we took him up to the Animal Specialty Center to undergo Cyber knife treatments. He is doing fantastic now! He’s 19 and is now chasing bikers, joggers and wrestling with puppies and is back to walking a couple of miles a day! When we decided to try the Cyber knife treatments, I couldn’t find any information out there about dogs who underwent it. I had met a woman 3 or 4 years ago at the neurologists office when another one of my dogs was getting a check up for something else and her dog had undergone Cyber knife and she was amazed at the results, but that was all I knew. I ended up starting a blog to document what Max had gone through and is and will go through. It includes photos and videos if anyone is interested and wondering about Cyber Knife. Based on my experience, without a doubt I made the right decision for Max to undergo Cyber knife. It’s a non-invasive procedure (despite the word “knife”), If anyone is considering Cyber knife, please feel free to see what Max has gone through /is going through http://maxck.blogspot.com
Thank you for posting this blog posting!
Chris
You must consult your veteranarian if your dog:
* becomes weak
* stops eating
* repeatedly vomits
* walks in circles in only one direction
* seems oblivious to its surroundings
* tilts its head
* excessively drools
* loses bladder and bowel control
My dog Barney has had 2 seizures in 4 months the last one only a week ago he doesn’t see the same little dog anymore he won’t jump on the couch he doesn’t use the dog door he lies down a lot and seems to have no energy he’s been to our vet and has had blood taken they came back normal could this mean he might have a brain tumor he’s 6/12 years old
My dog is a Beautiful Golden Retriever named Bilbo, He has recently started acting different. He will lay and wine and we do not know what is wrong. He has stopped looking at us in the face. He used to live to play catch but now he can’t play with out tripping and falling. He paces in the yard as if he does not know what he wants. He sleeps a lot. He still is eating but has lost 8 lbs. We took him to the vet and they took blood, did X-rays and a urine test. They said they did not see anything out of the ordinary. They also suggested we have a cat-scan and MRI. They said it could be a brain legion. We do not have the money for the treatment. Is there anything else we could do?
Dear Andi
see these posts:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/the-cost-of-my-dogs-life-part-1/
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/the-cost-of-my-dogs-life-part-2/
best
Dr D
Hi there,
I have a miniature schnauzer by the name of Sumo. 4 days ago, he started getting really lethargic and slow. Though his bowel movements were still good and he had good appetite, we noticed a couple of disturbing behavior. He wouldn’t pick up food from the floor and would retract back when we tried to pat him on the head… something he has never done in the past 10 years. He would lie down a lot and would yelp occasionally when we tried to move him. His nose was leathery and dry and he would lick the air periodically. 2 days ago, as my mum was coaxing him to get some food, he arched his back and stiffened his neck and rolled over. We rushed him to a vet. He rolled over again just outside the vet. The vets there manage to stabilize him and diagnosed him as having a very low potassium levels. (1. something I think when the usual is three). He was stabilized and is resting at the vet’s clinic now. He was much better yesterday but didn’t look to good today. He had shows head tilt (but he is suffering from a slight ear infection on that side) and walks really slowly. what’s worrying is that my mum is certain that is right eye isn’t focusing. He had a toe (right back) removed because of a tumor (myeloma) there. The vet there thinks that it might be something to do with the spine or abdomen but I think something is more sinister at work… is there anything else I need to look out for?
Dear Jason
Sounds like a seizure or geriatric vestibular disease…If it is the latter, they usually resolve given time. If no resolution you will need more diagnostics. I would imagine X-rays of the chest and an abdominal ultrasound were taken? Was a urine specimen evaluated? If there is indeed a brain or inner ear problem, unfortunately we need skull films, CT and/or MRI… We need more information at this stage if things are going downhill.
Good luck
Dr D
Thank you both so much for the feedback. My girl went quickly downhill in a matter of about a week and a half. I suspect that other measures I was doing may have kept things in check until it just grew too large. She was already on an anti-cancer regimen, received chiropractor care, etc. But in hindsight, there are always regrets, and always the feeling that there was something else that could have been done.
Dr. D, as always, I appreciate the ongoing information in the blog.
I lost my beloved heart & soul doggie Keelee to a brainstem tumor in 2008. As you mentioned above, the analysis first indicated vestibular syndrome – but after a couple of weeks went by with no improvement, we went to a neurologist who did some neurological testing. Her diagnosis – brainstem tumor. We could have done the MRI, but it was felt that surgery was not an option at age 12 1/2. Keelee & I shared one more month together (after the diagnosis) and I made the painful decision on 5/22/2008 to give her peace.
Run free my sweet Keelee…
Dear Lisa,
it is possible that a mast cell tumor would spread to the brain. Usually they go elsewhere though. At this stage the truth is that it is really very difficult to know for sure without some further testing, or (and this is pretty hard to think about for many) a necropsy.
Thinking of you during this difficult time,
Dr D
I recently lost my girl to what we think was a brain lesion, most likely a brain stem tumor.
Three years ago she had a mast cell tumor removed from her shoulder. It was actually a cluster of 5, Stage II, with low mitotic figures. The margins were clean, but not as wide as the vet would have liked.
Can a mast cell tumor metastasize to the brain?