All Entries Tagged With: "canine skin cancer"

Ways to Classify the Types of Dog Skin Cancer Tumors

Epithelial tumors are those that develop and involve the glands in the skin (sebaceous glands), the skin particularly, and even the follicles in the hair.

Malignant cancer brings a great deal of pain to your dog. It causes him to suffer, and it causes you, as his loving owner, suffering as well.

There are also tumors that seem to be round or globular when examined closely. These are called round cell tumors, and are microscopic. Examples of these types of tumors would be lymphosarcoma, histiocytomas, mast cell tumors, and plasma cell tumors, to name a few.

Melanomas are a pretty common term being thrown around nowadays. Skin pigment is called melanin, and the cells that are responsible for creating melanin are also responsible for these tumors.

Lastly, mesenchymal tumors are tumors that develop in the tissue underneath or embedded in the skin. They could form in the fat tissue, nerve tissue, or in blood vessels.

Malignant cancer brings a great deal of pain to your dog. It causes him to suffer, and it causes you, as his loving owner, suffering as well. Knowing as much as you can about this disease is one way to help your pet, so that you are able to make clear, informed and educated decisions that may very well make a huge impact on both your lives.

Why Early Detection is Important in Dog Skin Cancer

Dog Skin Cancer is one of the most prevalent types of tumor formation in dogs. Some 70-80% of these tumors can be considered benign or non-threatening, however the remaining 20-30% are malignant. This is why it is important to be able to detect the signs of dog skin cancer early. When you are able to tell if your dog has this disease during its initial development, there is a higher chance of successful treatment.

Dog Skin Cancer is one of the most prevalent types of tumor formation in dogs. Some 70-80% of these tumors can be considered benign or non-threatening, however the remaining 20-30% are malignant.

It is good to have your dog examined regularly, so that your veterinarian is able to routinely check your pet’s body for tumors, wounds that don’t heal for some reason, or color changes in pre-existing growths. You can also do this yourself by conducting skin checks on your pet. With your fingers and hands, you can examine the skin underneath your dog’s fur. It is easy to miss tumors and strange discolorations or anomalies under all that hair, especially if your dog is a long-haired breed.

Be on the look out for tumors that constantly bleed or refuse to scab over and heal, sudden color changes in particular areas of your pet’s body, especially the abdomen, genital area, mouth and tongue area, and feet and legs. Be attentive to your pet’s actions. Do you notice that she scratches or licks herself constantly in one particular area? Do you find that there is a strange discharge from her nipples or swelling in her breast area that should not normally be there? Those signs can be telltale clues that a visit to the vet is needed.

You can help save your dog’s life by being one step ahead of his illness. Catch the signs early for dog skin cancer, and you may be able to help your pet put up a good fight against it, ensuring that you spend and enjoy time with him or her longer.

Grades and Stages of Dog Skin Cancer Explained

There are many articles on cancer readily available, but not all of them are forgiving when using unfamiliar medical jargon. What is Stage II cancer? What is Grade II cancer? In this article, you will find out what all these terminologies mean.

What is Stage II cancer? What is Grade II cancer? In this article, you will find out what all these terminologies mean

The seriousness of skin cancer is indicated by its “grade”. Consequently, this means that the higher the grade, the more serious the cancer is.

Grade I indicates that the skin cancer isn’t very serious. Tumors classified under this grade mostly grow but do not spread out from the origin. Surgical excision is usually employed to remove these tumors.

Grade II cancer is used to classify it if the cancer’s response is unpredictable towads treatment and prognosis. When placed under this grade, skin cancer may have appeared underneath the skin or subcutaneous tissue, and may be as malignant as they are benign. About 80% of these cases are found to be treatable through radiation and therapy.

Grade III denotes a very aggressive and invasive cancer. 25% of skin cancers are found under this classification. The normal course of action to cope with cancer of this grade are chemotherapy along with surgical excision.

Skin Cancer Stage

Stages of skin cancer determine the extend of spread of the tumor. To properly assess the spread, biopsies and probing of the other lymphoid organs are conducted. The higher the stage, the more serious the tumor spread.

Stage 0 means that there is one tumor growth on the skin, and it has not been completely excised. No lymph node is affected.

Stage I means there is one tumor confined to the skin, with no lymph node involved.

Stage II indicates there is one tumor confined to the skin with regional lymph nodes involved.

Stage III will be used to classify cancer wherein there are multiple, large, and deep-infiltrating tumors in the skin, with no lymph nodes affected.

Stage IV indicates there are one or more multiple tumors in the skin, including metastasis, and lymph notes are involved.

This stage is classified into:

Substage A: no obvious clinical signs of illness

Substage B: apparent clinical signs of illness

The Causes of Dog Skin Cancer, Part 1: Environmental Carcinogens

Why do dogs develop skin cancer? There are a variety of reasons to answer this question.

Tumor formation is primarily due to abnormalities, mutations or defects in the way cells grow. Another contributor to these irregularities are what we call risk factors. These risk factors can come from the environment (like carcinogens), or they could also be internal factors (such as genetic or inherited inclinations). In this article, we will discuss environmental carcinogens.

Environmental Carcinogens

Why do dogs develop skin cancer? There are a variety of reasons to answer this question

Carcinogens present in the environment are inescapable in daily life. Everyone, which includes you and your dog, interacts with these carcinogens every day. Unlike their human masters, however, dogs are unable to wear protection and are therefore at a higher risk. Environmental carcinogens can be classified two ways: as either chemical carcinogens, or physical carcinogens.

Chemical carcinogens are found in products that we commonly use and consume. Examples of these would be lawn-care products, chemicals we use to clean our houses, or even food can contain carcinogenic ingreients. The chemical content of these products may be reactive by themselves, or can be reactive with bodily enzymes that, when introduced into the body, may interfere with the natural cell growth process. Such interference with natural metabolic processes can lead to defective cell growth and the beginning of cancerous tumor growth. Chemical carcinogens can enter the body through the skin, inhalation, and ingestion.

Our food, for example, contains chemicals such as artificial additives, preservatives, by-products, and fillers, while fruits and vegetables are grown with the aid of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Dog food isn’t exempted from these harmful chemicals. Both we and our pets ingest these elements on a daily basis.

As stated before, humans can wear protection. While we wear shoes everyday as we walk out of our houses, or wear gloves and masks, our dogs walk all over our properties barefoot, sometimes licking his feet as any innocent and trusting creature would.

Physical carcinogens affect the body and cause cancer through their physical properties and effects. Some of the most common forms of these carcinogens that are always present in our surroundings are radiation, hard and soft materials, fibrous and non-fibrous particles, and gel materials.

Examples of carcinogenic radiation are electromagnetic radiation, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation. Carcinogenic hard and soft materials are metals and alloys such as platinum, titanium, steel and silver. Some synthetic materials that are also cancer-causing are rubber, cellophane, Teflon, silicone gels, linen, parchment paper, silk, and ivory. One of the most common forms of physical carcinogens is asbestos–an indestructible fibrous carcinogen that is found everywhere, including the air, in homes, and the workplaces. This agent is now even detected in water, food, and drugs.

These environmental factors need not cause you undue alarm, if you are a responsible and caring pet owner. Knowing what to fight against is half the battle. Continue reading the next article in this series called The Causes of Dog Skin Cancer, Part 2: Genetic Factors to know more about what causes skin cancer in your dog.

Other contributors to cancer aside from carcinogens and genetic defects are obesity, vaccinations, immune system problems, and hormonal factors.

Skin cancer may occur when mast cells are chronically or frequently activated by allergic reactions brought about by environmental carcinogens or genetic factors. This is when antibodies bind with mast cells and release reactive agents such as histamines, heparin, enzymes, and cytokines.

How to Tell If Dog Skin Cancer is Malignant or Benign

Malignant or Benign Canine Skin Cancer?

This article will discuss the symptoms and diagnosis of mast cell tumors in dogs. Skin cancers can resemble benign tumors.  A biopsy should be performed on any lump or bump that is questionable.

Definition of Dog Skin Cancers

Skin cancers are inclusive of Mast Cell Tumors (MCTs), which are common in older dogs, and frequently found on the hind legs, lower abdomen, and foreskin of the penis. Mast cells comprise about 20% of the dog’s skin cells.

Approximately 30% of all tumors in dogs are tumors of the skin, or subcutaneous tumors. Of these, 70 – 80% are benign. The remaining 20 – 30% are malignant. Of the malignant tumors, about 20% are Mast Cell Tumors (MCTs).

Dog Skin Cancers Symptoms & Diagnosis

The tumors can appear on the skin, or in the subcutaneous tissue. They can emerge singly, or in multiples, and can be smooth, bumpy, or even ulcerated.

For some dogs, other bodily signs of Canine Skin Cancer include:

• Vomiting
• Blood in the stool
• Blood clotting abnormalities

A biopsy is required to confirm a mast cell tumor diagnosis.  MCTs that arise in the following areas are more likely to be malignant:

• Nail bed
• Genital areas
• Muzzle
• Oral cavity

MCTs that originate in deeper tissues such as the liver or spleen present an especially severe situation. Tumors that have been present for quite a while are more likely to be benign. The rapidity of cell proliferation can be determined via an Argyrophilic Nuclear Staining Organizing Regions count. A higher AgNOR count correlates to an increased likelihood of malignancy.

Along with these factors, the grade and stage of the tumor will determine the course of treatment and prognosis.

Get the information you need about canine cutaneous and mast cell tumors in your copy of Canine Cancer SECRETS.