Pet Topics

Lymphoma is a very serious disease, a cancer that targets the lymph tissue. As this tissue occurs in just about every major organ, the disease can spread rapidly and, if it is not treated, almost always results in death. It is the most common form of cancer affecting dogs.

Common Symptoms of Canine Lymphoma

Symptoms depend largely on which systems the cancer attacks. The most common forms of the disease affect the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system. In the case of the former, the dog may show loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. In the latter case, you may notice that the dog has shortness of breath and a muffled heart beat. Lymphoma can also attack the heart, bone marrow, eyes, skin, and the central nervous system.

Testing for Canine Lymphoma

If you suspect that your dog may have lymphoma it is important that you have him checked by a vet as soon as possible.The vet will need to do a series of diagnostic tests. This will usually start with a biopsy of the affected organs and lymph tissue. If this confirms the presence of lymphoma further tests will be needed to determine how far the disease has spread. These may include blood tests, a bone marrow biopsy, x-rays, and ultrasound.

Most dogs diagnosed with the disease die within two months if not treated, so it is vital to start treatment immediately, if the dog is to be given a fighting chance.

Treatment of Lymphoma

As with human cancers, lymphoma in dogs is treated primarily by chemotherapy. Be forewarned that dog’s suffer from similar side effects to humans, including severe nausea and infections. In rare cases, the dog may even need to be hospitalized during treatment. If the disease is first detected at an advanced late stage, then chemotherapy may be ineffective, and the focus needs to be on making the dog’s remaining time as comfortable as possible.

There is a school of though that suggests that fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can retard the spread of cancer cells, but there is no actual clinical proof to support this idea.

Recent studies into canine lymphoma have, however, come up with some interesting insights. They indicate that dogs do not die from the cancer itself, but rather from liver or kidney failure. This would suggest that dietary changes to support these organs may be beneficial.

Chances of a Dog Surviving Lymphoma

Can a dog survive lymphoma? A lot will depend on how early the disease is detected. If it is caught early enough and treatment starts right away, then the dog may well survive.

Unfortunately, this is a disease that often recurs, and if it does then a second round of chemotherapy will be far less effective than the initial treatment.

Bear in mind also that chemotherapy treatment can be very expensive, especially if you don’t have dog health insurance. Even though the chances of your dog getting lymphoma are very slight, pet insurance is always a wise investment.

If you want to discover more about lymphoma in dogs, dog care, dog breed info and other interesting dog info visit http://www.dogsanddogtraining.com