Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

Chest involvement results in pleural effusion and severe shortness of breath.
Skin involvement produces itchy patches or nodules on the surface of the
skin that mimic other skin diseases. Intestinal involvement causes vomiting
and diarrhea.
A complete blood count may show anemia and immature white blood
cells. The serum calcium is elevated in 20 percent of dogs with lymphoma.
Blood and liver function tests are usually abnormal. A bone marrow biopsy is
helpful in determining if the disease is widespread.
Chest and abdominal X-rays and ultrasonography are particularly valuable in
identifying enlarged lymph nodes, organs, and masses. A diagnosis can also be
made by fine needle aspiration of an enlarged lymph node. In questionable cases,
the entire lymph node should be removed for more complete evaluation.
A company in Great Britain called Pet Screening offers a genetic screening
test for canine lymphoma, based on genetic markers in a blood sample. They
suggest periodic screenings to detect lymphomas early on.
Treatment: Lymphoma localized to a single lymph node may be cured by
surgical removal of the involved node. However, in most dogs the disease is
widespread and a cure is unlikely. Chemotherapy using several agents offers
the best chance of remission, which may last a year or longer. When a dog
comes out of remission, chemotherapy “rescue protocols” may be used to
induce a second or even a third remission.
HEMANGIOSARCOMA
TUMORS AND CANCERS • 537
Hemangiosarcoma is a tumor of the vascular tissues. This cancer may be
noticed as a lump on a rib or an abdominal swelling, but can progress unnoticed
while growing on the heart, liver, or spleen. The cancerous growths are
A biopsy identified this
tumor on the back as a
hemangiosarcoma, which
arises from cells that
make up the lining of
small blood vessels.