Melanoma In Dogs
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This is the one of the most common tumors found in a dogs mouth. And the second most common tumor found on a dogs toes.
This tumor goes deep inside the bone of the jaw or the toes.
And they are known to spread quickly.
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CAUSES
UV light damage to the DNA of the skin cells causes Melanoma in humans, but with dogs the causes is actually unknown – also because often the areas affected aren’t areas exposed to sun.
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SIGNS OF CANCER
Mouth
- Mouth/face swelling
- Weight loss
- Bad breath
- Pain
- Dropping food from the mouth
- loose teeth
- Masses could be pink/white or even black in colour
Toes
- In the toes, the tumors are often black in colour
- Also, you will find that the toes will swell
- Your dog may limp
- And even lose toe nails
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DIAGNOSIS
- A needle is pushed inside the tumor to take a sample for examination
- Biopsy – both done under anesthesia
- Lymph nodes and lungs are tested to make sure the tumor hasn’t spread
- The spleen and the liver are also tested – they can do a CT scan to check the lungs
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TREATMENT
- For the mouth, sometimes its hard to remove the tumor without removing any bone. (They say more than 85% of dogs will continue to eat, play and drink)
- For the toes – the entire toe will be removed with the tumor
- There is a treatment called “Melanoma vaccine – Oncept”. This stimulates the dogs immune system to fight the melanoma.
- Chemotherapy can be used in cases where you can’t physically reach the tumor.
- Radiation therapy – this is used especially in a case where surgery was done, and cells were left behind in the body.
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They say that if your dog has surgery, radiation therapy and the vaccine, that your dog may only live 1-2 years longer (some have been known to live longer)
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