The Dog Cancer Symptoms and How Should You React to Them

A lot of people aren’t aware of all the problems that their pets might have. In case of dogs there are many different conditions, and besides the illnesses you also have to keep an eye out for dog cancer symptoms.

Signs of dog cancer

There are some signs that could warn you regarding cancer, but in the same time they could be the symptoms of other conditions as well. These include abnormal swellings that just don’t go away or even grow, loss of weight, appetite loss, sores that don’t heal, bleeding or other discharge from any of the body openings, unusual odor, problems with swallowing or eating, loss of stamina, stiffness that persists or problems regarding urinating, breathing or defecating.

Dog Cancer SymptomsIn case you observe any of the signs of dog cancer you should take your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Just as in case of humans, the sooner the problem is detected, the higher the chances are of full recovery.

How to diagnose dog cancer?

There are several different procedures that the pet has to undergo after someone has observed the dog cancer symptoms.

Physical examination

This is done by the vet and it is the first step. He or she will discuss with you the signs of dog cancer that have been observed and in case there are some tumors found most probably the dog will be sent for further testing.

On the other hand in case the vet doesn’t think that the dog has cancer you can always ask for additional tests to rule out the possibility of cancer.

Urine and blood tests

If the dog has certain kinds of cancer, the dog cancer symptoms will also be present in the blood in the form of cancerous cells, and this may help to diagnose the kind of cancer that the animal has.

X-ray

In case we are talking about larger tumors, an X-ray can show the exact location of it and also its size.

Ultrasound examination

With the help of this kind of examination the vet can take a look at the internal organs of the dog and can see whether there are any signs of dog cancer.

CT, CAT or MRI

These are similar to the X-rays or ultrasound examinations, but they offer more detailed results. This way the diagnosis will be a lot more accurate and there will be no need for other invasive tests to diagnose the pet.

Although they are great for finding the dog cancer symptoms, they are available only at specialized vet clinics and they are also quite expensive. Another downside is that in both cases the dog needs to be anesthetized so that he won’t move.

Cytology

This is another method for finding the signs of dog cancer and in this case there are some cells taken from the body of the animal, and although it is accurate, it has some limitations.

In order to become a responsible pet owner, keep an eye out for the dog cancer symptoms.

 

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