Content
- Types of Perianal Tumors in Dogs
- Perianal tumor symptoms in dogs
- Diagnosis of perianal tumor in dogs
- Canine perianal tumor treatment
Tumors in the perianal region of dogs can be very frequent, being mainly of three types: a benign one, called perianal adenoma, that mainly affects unneutered male puppies; and two malignant ones, anal sac adenocarcinoma and perianal adenocarcinoma, with a high probability of metastasis formation and paraneoplastic syndrome with hypercalcemia.
The associated clinical signs are those derived from the growth of a mass in a sensitive area of the dogs, which begin to lick, crawl and self-mutilate, causing bleeding, pain, discomfort and secondary infections which in turn cause fever and can fistula. Diagnosis is made with cytology and biopsy and treatment will be surgical and medical. In this article by PeritoAnimal, we address the theme of perianal tumor in dogs, its symptoms and treatment.
Types of Perianal Tumors in Dogs
In the perianal region, which extends between the dog's anus and genitalia, pathologies such as tumors can occur. It's a very innervated and irrigated, so the pain and sensitivity when handling are very high.
Around the anus, we find two structures:
- anal bags: Blind fundus diverticula on each side of the anus, between the external and internal anal sphincters. Its function is to accumulate a viscous, serous and smelly fluid that is synthesized by the internal glands and eliminated naturally during the defecation of dogs. It is useful in recognition among dogs, and is also released in stressful situations.
- perianal glands: Also called the circumanal or hepatoid glands, which have hormone receptors (androgens, estrogens, and growth hormone). They are located in the subcutaneous tissue that surrounds the dog's anus. These are sebaceous glands that do not secrete content.
Several may appear types of tumors in the perineal area, the following being the most common:
- perianal adenoma: there is a mass at the base of the tail or in the perianal region, with progressive and painless growth. Sometimes it can ulcerate. It occurs more frequently in uncastrated and older males, being the most prevalent type of tumor in them. However, it is also observed in females, especially in sterilized ones. It's a benign process.
- Perianal adenocarcinoma: it is also a tumor of the perianal glands with the same characteristics as the previous one, but malignant and therefore more aggressive. It can occur in dogs of any age and sex.
- Anal sac adenocarcinoma: it is the most common tumor in sterilized and unsterilized females and in older puppies. Hypercalcemia (increased calcium in the blood) occurs in this tumor.
It should be noted that there is a certain racial predisposition to the development of perianal tumors, being more frequent in dogs of the following breeds:
- Cocker Spaniel.
- Fox Terrier.
- Breeds of Nordic origin.
- Large breeds, which may be associated with testicular tumor.
Perianal tumor symptoms in dogs
In cases of perianal adenoma, initially puppies do not have pain or associated symptoms. Over time, and if they become infected, they can develop fever, malaise and anorexia. If the size is too large, they can experience colorectal obstruction and perineal pain, which makes defecation a very difficult and painful process for the dog.
You perianal adenocarcinomas are more aggressive and may manifest clinical signs such as loss of appetite, pain and lethargy. They are likely to produce hypercalcemia as part of the paraneoplastic syndrome (a set of symptoms associated with tumors), as well as clinical signs derived from the damage caused by this increase in calcium at the renal level, such as polyuria/polydipsia syndrome (urinating and drinking more than normal).
This paraneoplastic syndrome can also occur in adenocarcinomas of the anal sacs, but less frequently (about 25%-50% of dogs).
In summary, in cases of perianal tumors, dogs can manifest the following symptoms:
- Perianal pain.
- Bad odor in the perianal region.
- Insistent licks in the area.
- Bleeding from the tumor.
- Dragging of the back of the body.
- Ulceration.
- Secondary infections.
- Anal itching.
- Anorexia.
- Polyuria.
- Polydipsia.
- Lethargy.
- Apathy.
- Fever.
- Fistulas.
- Lack of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Colorectal obstruction.
- Constipation.
- Hematochezia (blood in stool).
- Pain when defecating (dyschesia).
- Difficulty defecating (tenesmus).
These tumors have a great capacity for metastasis, first invading the regional lymph nodes (inguinal and pelvic) and, later, the internal organs.
Diagnosis of perianal tumor in dogs
In case of suspected malignant tumor in a dog, techniques of diagnostic imaging they should be used to look for metastases, since in about 50% to 80% of cases of perianal tumors there are metastases at the time of diagnosis. The techniques used are abdominal ultrasound, to assess lymph nodes and other organs such as the kidneys or liver, and radiography, used to visualize the thoracic organs, especially the lungs.
At the blood test it will be possible to observe hypercalcemia and renal damage in cases of adenocarcinomas.
Canine perianal tumor treatment
The treatment of perianal tumors in dogs is the surgical removal. However, depending on the type of tumor and the presence or not of metastases, the treatment may vary:
- In the case of perianal adenomas, because they are so closely related to the hormones of uncastrated males, it is necessary to perform the castration to reduce the risk of future recurrences, which drops by 90%.
- When there are metastases or the tumors are malignant, complete extraction with surgical margins should be performed and treatment continued with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- In cases of impaired renal function and hypercalcemia, specific treatment with fluid therapy and medications before surgery to reduce anesthetic risk.
- When the size of the lymph nodes makes defecation difficult, they should be removed to facilitate the process.
In either case, it is essential to go to the veterinary clinic so that a specialist can diagnose the type of tumor and decide on the best treatment.
Now that you know everything about the perianal tumor in dogs, maybe you might be interested in the following video on how to take care of a dog so that it lives longer:
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.
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