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- Canine mast cell tumor: what is it?
- Canine mast cell tumor: symptoms
- How long does a dog with canine mast cell tumor live?
- Canine mast cell tumor treatment
O mast cell tumor, which we'll talk about in this PeritoAnimal article, is a type of skin tumor very often, which can be benign or malignant. Although it affects older puppies of any breed, brachycephalic puppies such as the boxer or bulldog have a higher incidence. Both the prognosis and the treatment will depend on the size of the tumor, on the appearance or not of metastasis, the location, etc. Surgery is part of the usual treatment, and the use of drugs, radio or chemotherapy is not ruled out.
In this PeritoAnimal article we explain everything you need to know about canine mast cell tumors, symptoms, treatment, life expectancy and so on.
Canine mast cell tumor: what is it?
Cutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs are mast cell tumors, which are cells with immune function. They intervene, among other things, in allergic processes and wound healing, which is why they contain histamine and heparin. In fact, mast cell tumors release histamine, which is related to the appearance of gastrointestinal ulcers, one of the symptoms that affected dogs can suffer. Less often, they produce coagulation problems due to the release of heparin.
As for the causes that explain its appearance, there may be a hereditary component, genetic factors, viruses or traumas, but the cause remains unknown. These tumors affect males and females equally, usually from nine years of age onwards.
Canine mast cell tumor: symptoms
mast cell tumors are nodules that you can observe in different parts of the body of your dog, especially on the trunk, perineal area and extremities. Appearance, as well as consistency, are highly variable and do not depend on whether it is a malignant or benign tumor. Thus, there are those with one nodule and those with many, with slow or fast growth, with or without metastases, etc. This indicates that whenever you find a lesion of this type on the dog's skin, you should visit a veterinarian to rule out a mast cell tumor.
the tumor may ulcerate, redden, inflame, irritate, bleed and lose hair, as well as adjacent areas, which makes the tumor appear to grow or shrink in size. You may notice the dog scratching and, as we've said, suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers that lead to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, blood in the stool or anemia.
The veterinarian can confirm the diagnosis through a cytology test, taking a sample of the tumor with a fine needle. He will also have to check for metastasis, to look at the nearest lymph node, as well as blood, urine and ultrasound tests of the spleen and liver, which is where the canine mast cell usually extends. In these cases, both organs are larger and, in addition, there may be pleural effusion and ascites. Mast cell tumors can also affect the bone marrow, but this is less common.
Biopsy provides information about the nature of the mast cell tumor, which allows establishing a prognosis and action protocol.
How long does a dog with canine mast cell tumor live?
In cases of mast cell tumors in dogs, life expectancy will depend on the pathological classification of the tumor, as there are different degrees of malignancy, from I to III, which are related to the greater or lesser differentiation of the tumor. If the dog belongs to one of the predisposed breeds, in addition to the brachycephalic, golden, labrador or cocker breeds, this contributes to a worse prognosis. An exception is the case of boxers, because they have very well differentiated mast cell tumors.
The most aggressive tumors are the least differentiated, it is only possible to extract them with surgical intervention, as they are highly infiltrated. The average survival in these dogs, without additional treatments, is few weeks. Few dogs with this type of mast cell tumor survive more than a year. In these cases, the treatment will be palliative. In addition, mast cell tumors that originate in organs also have a worse prognosis.[1].
There is another classification that divides mast cell tumors into high or low grade, with 2 years and 4 months of survival. The location of the canine mast cell tumor and the existence or not of metastasis are also factors to consider.
Finally, it is necessary to know that mast cell tumors are unpredictable, which makes it difficult to establish a prognosis.
Canine mast cell tumor treatment
The action protocol depends on the characteristics of the mast cell tumor. If we are facing a solitary tumor, well defined and without metastasis, the surgery will be the chosen treatment. It is necessary to take into account that the substances released by the tumor can delay the healing of surgical wounds. It is very important that the extraction also include a healthy tissue margin. These types of cases have a more favorable prognosis, although recurrence is possible. In addition, if tumor cells remain, a new intervention will be necessary.
Sometimes it will not be possible to leave this margin, or the tumor is too big. In these cases, in addition to surgery, drugs like prednisone and/or chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is also used in multiple or disseminated mast cell tumors.
Read too: Dog Wounds - First Aid
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.