Entries Tagged 'Dog Cancer' ↓

In most hemangiosarcoma in dogs,  the tumor is likely to have metastasised when symptoms are visible. Hence, chemotherapy is usually required, in addition to other treatments for hemangiosarcoma in dogs.

Splenic Hemangiosarcoma

Splenic tumor tends to rupture and cause internal bleeding. Removal of the entire spleen is required to stop fatal bleeding. About 25% of dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma will also have cardiac (heart-based) hemangiosarcoma.

Prognosis
Surgery only: 3 weeks-3 months
Surgery and chemotherapy: 5-7 months

Cardiac (heart-based) Hemangiosarcoma

Where possible, the tumor is surgically removed and excess blood and fluid are drained from the pericardium (the outer layer that covers the heart).

Prognosis
- Surgery only: 3-5 months

Hemangiosarcoma of the Skin

The tumor and a wide margin of the healthy tissue  surrounding it are removed by surgery.

- Cutaneous Hemangiosarcoma
This type of tumor occurs on the outer layer of the skin and has the best prognosis of all types of hemangiosarcoma in dogs. Surgery may well be the only treatment required if the tumor has not spread internally.

- Subcutaneaous Hemangiosarcoma
Tumor below the skin is more likely to spread to other parts of the body. Hence, chemotherapy is recommended following surgery. In addition to surgery and chemotherapy, radiation therapy is used when the tumor is not completely removed.

Prognosis
- Surgery only: 6-10 months

Immune modulation therapy such as K9 Immunity, may prolong survival times and increase quality of life when used as an adjunct to other hemangiosarcoma in dogs treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy).

Discover how K9 Immunity can help dogs with hemangiosarcoma here –> K9 Immunity – How it Works

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Source: http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/frankhauser/index.php

The symptoms of hemangiosarcoma in dogs depend on the location of the tumor.

Splenic Hemangiosarcom in Dogs (spleen)

In the early stages, splenic hemangiosarcoma displays very few signs. It is usually detected when the tumor has already ruptured.

Symptoms: abdominal distention, anemia, weakness, internal bleeding, pale gums, loss of appetite

Cardiac Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs (heart)

The tumor often develops on the right atrium. When it ruptures, it may cause to pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. This is where blood fills up around the heart and exerts pressure on it.

Symptoms: abnormal fluid (blood) buildup around the heart, abdominal distention, difficulty in breathing, abnormal heartbeat, right heart failure, collapse, weakness.

Cutaneous and Subcutaneous Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs (skin)

Tumors can form on (cutaneous) or under (subcutaneous) the skin, and some are due to sun exposure. They tend to develop on the abdomen or parts of the body with sparse or white fur.

Symptoms: Dark or red mass or lump

Hemangiosarcoma of the skin of a seven year old Bullmastiff. The tumor is about one centimeter in width.
Photo by Joel Mills (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons

See also: Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs Treatment Options

Canine hemangiosarcoma is a malignant tumor that develops in any tissue with blood vessels. It is an aggressive cancer that is highly metastatic. Canine hemangiosarcoma tends to spread to the liver, lungs, heart and spleen.

This type of tumor can form in any part of the body that has blood vessels. The primary locations of the tumor are:
- spleen (50-65% of all canine hemangiosarcoma)
- heart (3-25%)
- skin (13-17%)
- liver (5-6%)

Hemangiosarcoma accounts for more than 50% of spleen cancer in dogs. It is also the most common canine heart tumor.

Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen in a dog. The tumor is on the left, and normal spleen is on the right.
(By Joel Mills (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Predisposition of dog breeds

German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Pointers, Boxers, English Setters, Great Danes, Poodles and Siberian Huskies.

Canine hemangiosarcoma usually affects dogs over the age of 8 years old.

Canine Hemangiosarcoma Symptoms

By the time canine hemangiosarcoma symptoms are evident, the tumor may have ruptured or is likely to have spread to other parts of the body. Some of the symptoms can be life threatening, so it is crucial to know what they are and seek the vet’s attention as soon as possible.

See also:  Symptoms of Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs
See also: Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs: Treatment Options

K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus are immune enhancement supplements for dogs with:
- cancer, or
- serious health challenges.

How K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus Work

Cancer is a failure of the immune system to detect and destroy abnormal cells. As these cells multiply and increase in number, they eventually cause damage to the body. In short, cancer is an immune dysfunction disease.

The formula in K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus triggers the body to recognise and kill off abnormal cells before they cause problem. While conventional treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy can reduce the number of cancer cells, they do not address the underlying issue of immune disorder that causes cancer.  K9 Immunity activates the dog’s immune recognition response so it can fight cancer.

K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus Ingredients

K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus are produced by Aloha Medicinals Inc. They are made from the same pharmaceutical grade immune modulating compounds as the human product, Immune Assist Critical Care Formula, which is used in over 30 countries for mainstream human cancer treatment, but packaged specially for dogs.

K9 Immunity consists of immune activating polysaccharides from specially concentrated and purified heteropolysaccharides derived from 6 species of laboratory cultivated medicinal mushrooms. It is used in combination with K9 Transfer Factor and K9 Omega.

K9 Immunity Plus is a new and improved soft chew version of K9 Immunity, combining all three active ingredients: K9 Immunity, K9 Transfer Factor and high-potency K9 Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil, in a soft chew treat-like wafer dose format.

Click here to learn more about K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus ingredients.

All the ingredients in K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus are 100% all American made, and not imported. They are 100% USDA and EU Certified Organic, produced under strict GMP regulations in FDA registered facilities. You can be assured that K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus are produced to the highest quality and are safe immune supplements for your dog.

K9 Immunity and K9 Immunity Plus are a type of immune modulation therapy that is intended to be used with conventional therapy. They may enhance the efficacy of other treatments.  As with any supplements, discuss with your vet if you want your dog to use K9 Immunity while undergoing conventional treatment.

Does K9 Immunity Work?

Human and animal clinical studies have shown that the compounds in K9 Immunity have anti-tumor effects through the activation of immune system and reduce the adverse side effects of conventional cancer treatment (radiotherapy and chemotherapy).

According to the manufacturer, K9 Immunity has been used in thousands of dogs with cancer. Check out some of K9 Immunity success stories and testimonials here.

Does your dog suffer from cancer?  Click here to discover how K9 Immunity can help your dog .

The primary canine melanoma treatment is removal of the tumor by surgery. A large margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor is also removed to minimise the likelihood of leaving tumor cells behind. If dog melanoma develops on the toe, amputation may be necessary. For canine oral melanoma, removal of part of the upper or lower jaw may be required.

Radiation therapy is used when surgery is not possible or where the tumor has not been completely removed. This canine melanoma treatment can shrink large tumors or delay the growth of tumor cells left behind post surgery.

Chemotherapy is an ineffective form of canine melanoma treatment as dog melanoma tumor is highly resistant to chemo drugs.

Canine melanoma vaccine, also known as ONCEPT, is used for treating stage 2 and stage 3 oral canine melanoma. Clinical studies have shown that this therapeutic vaccine significantly increased life spans of dogs with advanced oral canine melanoma. The DNA-based vaccine stimulates the body’s own immune system to destroy cancer cells. It is used in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation therapy.

A natural way to boost your dog’s immune system is by supplementing with K9 Immunity. Since cancer is an immune dysfunction, an immune enhancement supplement such as K9 Immunity can help trigger the body to recognise and destroy cancer cells.

Click here to find out how K9 Immunity can help your dog

The symptoms of melanoma in dogs depend on the location of tumor.

Melanoma on the skin:
- Some tumors appear as dark or pigmented raised masses while others may be non-pigmented.

Oral melanoma:
- bad breath
- drooling
- difficulty eating
- bleeding from the mouth
- facial swelling
- loss of appetite

Melanoma on the toe or toenail:
- swollen toe
- lameness

Diagnosis of Melanoma in Dogs

Fine needle aspirate of tumor – To collect tumor cells for examination under a microscope. This is a quick way for diagnosing melanoma in dogs.

Fine needle aspirate of lymph nodes – The presence of tumor cells in lymph nodes indicates metastasis has occurred.

Biopsy of tumor – This provides a definitive diagnosis of melanoma in dogs.

X-rays of chest – To check for metastasis to lungs.

Abdominal ultrasound – To check for metastasis to the abdomen (kidneys, liver)

Blood test

Melanoma in dogs is a tumor of melanocytes (pigmented cells).

There are 2 types of melanoma in dogs:

- benign melanomas tend to develop on the skin and do not spread.
- malignant melanomas in dogs are found in the mouth, on the toe or toenail. These are highly aggressive tumors that spread to lungs, liver, kidney, lymph nodes and other parts of the body.

Melanoma that forms in the mouth is known as canine oral  melanoma.

As a pet owner, knowing the symptoms of melanoma and bringing your dog for regular checkups can help in early detection of the disease.

Here are the signs of melanoma to look out for –> Symptoms of Melanoma in Dogs

A study was conducted on the safety and effectiveness of Palladia for treating mast cell tumors in dogs (grade 2 or 3).

Results:
For dogs that received Palladia, the objective response rate was 42%. This means that mast cell tumors disappeared or shrank in 42% of the dogs that were given Palladia.

For how long?

The median duration of objective response was 12.0 weeks – 18 weeks. That is, Palladia’s effect lasted for 3 – 4.5 months.

(source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19470739)

Palladia is the first drug to be approved by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of cancer in dogs. It is used for treating cutaneous (skin) mast cell tumors in dogs, with or without regional lymph node involvement.

“This cancer drug approval for dogs is an important step forward for veterinary medicine,” said Bernadette Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Prior to this approval, veterinarians had to rely on human oncology drugs, without knowledge of how safe or effective they would be for dogs. ”

How does Palladia work against mass cell tumor in dogs?

Palladia is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug that works by:
- killing tumor cells
- cutting off the blood supply to the tumor.

It should be given orally to your dog or hidden inside a treat.

Possible side effects of Palladia:

Common side effects include:

- diarrhea
- reduced/loss of appetitie
- lameness
- weight loss
- blood in stool

Stop palladia and contact your vet if you notice the following changes in your dog:

- refusal to eat
- vomiting or watery stools (diarrhea), especially if more frequent than twice in 24 hours
- black tarry stools
- bright red blood in vomit or stools
- unexplained bruising or bleeding
- if your dog experiences other changes that concern you

source:
http://palladia-pi.com/Palladia_PI.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm164118.htm

Dog Lymphoma Treatment: Chemotherapy

The primary canine lymphoma treatment is chemotherapy.

A combination of drugs (multi-agent chemotherapy) or a single drug (single agent chemotherapy) may be used.

Multi-agent chemotherapy:

• more effective than single agent chemotherapy in increasing quality of life and survival time
• more toxic due to the number of drugs used
• costly

Single agent chemotherapy:

• cheaper
• less toxic

There are numerous multi-agent and single agent chemotherapy protocols that vary in toxicity, cost and efficacy.  A veterinary oncologist can recommend a protocol that is suitable for your dog.

While most dogs treated with chemotherapy experience remission, they will eventually have relapses. Repeated chemotherapy is necessary to induce further remission.

Dog Lymphoma Treatment: Prednisone

Prednisone is an oral corticosteroid used to relieve symptoms of lymphoma in dogs and make them feel more comfortable. It does not extend a dog’s life. It is less costly than multi-agent chemotherapy but not as effective.

For pet owners who can’t afford chemotherapy, prednisone is an alternative canine lymphoma treatment option.

K9  Immunity

You may want to provide your dog with an immune enhancement supplement such as K9 Immunity. This is a safe, natural and organic supplement that works by activating the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells. K9 Immunity is an immune modulation therapy that should be used with conventional treatment for best results.

Click here to discover more about K9 Immunity can help with lymphoma in dogs

Prognosis for lymphoma in dogs

Prognosis depends on the stage and type of dog lymphoma tumor.

Untreated dogs have an average lifespan of 4-6 weeks.

Dogs treated with:

- prednisone usually live for 1-3 months.

- chemotherapy 6-12 months.