Friday, April 8, 2011

Blood Cancer in Dogs

Lymphosarcoma which is commonly known as lymphoma is the third most common cancer found in dogs. It is a cancer of lymphocytes (a type of blood cell) and lymphoid tissues. Lymphoid tissue is usually present in several places in the body including lymph nodes, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow.

The typical dog with lymphosarcoma is in middle of 6-9 years although dogs of any age can be altered Certain breeds like (Boxer, German Shepherd, Golden Retrievers, Scotties, Westies and Pointers) may be more likely to get this kind of cancer. Males and females are equally at same risk. In most cases causes lymphosarcoma are not diagnosed.

kind of Lymphosarcoma
There are five kinds of Lymphosarcoma depend upon the primitive site of the tumor.

External lymph nodes
The most usual form is association of one or more of the external lymph nodes.Few dogs may not feel sick or may have only very

temperate signs like tiredness or decreased appetite.Some dogs may have more severe signs such as weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, weakness or difficulty breathing. The austerity of the signs depends upon the type of the tumor and on whether the cancer has bring about changes in organ function. In many cases the only apparent  sign is an expansion of the lymph nodes under the neck behind the knees or in front of the shoulders.

Gastrointestinal tract
A second form is association of the gastrointestinal tract. Dogs having this kind of lymphosarcoma may have vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss or a decreased appetite.

Mediastinal
The mediastinum is a description used for a particular aggregation of lymphoid tissue in the chest. Dogs having this kind of lymphosarcoma mostly  are seen because of difficulty breathing or excessive urination and thirst.

Skin
Lymphosarcoma can also appear in the skin. This is known as cutaneous lymphosarcoma. Dogs having cutaneous lymphosarcoma can have flaky, scaly, reddened skin and be itchy. They may also have lumps in the skin which can intensify and cause discomfort. The footpads and gum can also be include. Other organs like lymph nodes, liver spleen and bone marrow are variably include.

Bone marrow
If the cancer were surround to the bone marrow  so this is usually known as leukemia. The symptoms that see in dogs are usually stated to decreased numbers of normal cells like red blood cells which transport  oxygen, white blood cells that efforts against infection and platelets that help with clotting which are made in the bone marrow. Anemia, infections and bleeding are general problems.

Treatment
Chemotherapy is the main treatment for lymphosarcoma. Lymphosarcoma is very acute to chemotherapy and around 80% of dogs treated will go into remission. The definition of remission is the fulfill vanishing  of noticeable cancer. A remission is NOT a cure but it does allow a pet to get a good quality of life. It is crucial to recall this because chemotherapy should not quit when a remission is achieved.

The length of remission depends upon many agent including the primary site  sickness of an animal at the start of treatment and the type of disease. For those dogs that have the most common typical type external lymph nodes enlargement, the average recovery time is usually about 8-10 months with an throughout survival time of around 1 year.

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