Lymphoma in Dogs - Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Dog lymphoma is a disease that occurs when the lymph tissue is damaged by cancer cells. As this lymph tissue can be found in any organ or part of your pet’s body the disease can grow and affect almost every organ of the dog. Lymphoma can be found more commonly in middle-aged dogs.

Symptoms of Lymphoma in Dogs

The most visible symptom is swelling of the lymph nodes. Depending on the area that is affected the dog will show symptoms in that area. Probably the most common areas affected by the disease are gastrointestinal tract and chest. If your dog shows loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss it may suffer from gastrointestinal tract lymphoma. If you notice shortness of breath in you dog it may be suffering from chest lymphoma.

Diagnosis

In our days there are many types of cancer and also many causes. Lymphoma in dogs can be diagnosed with a biopsy of the affected lymph nodes or organs. The stage of the disease is very important when it comes to treatment and prognosis. To discover how bad the disease is, there can be performed also tests like bone marrow biopsy, x-rays, ultrasound, blood analysis. You’ll never know the cause of the condition. The best thing you can do is to focus on the treatment. Untreated dogs die usually after 2 months from the discovery of the disease. If the disease was discovered early, immune modulation in most cases offers the greatest chances of recovery. Early diagnosis gives your dog 50% chances of survival.

Treatment

The best treatment you can get only from a veterinarian. As in humans with cancer, lymphoma in dogs is treated with chemotherapy. Although only a small percentage of dogs are hospitalized due to side effects, nausea or infections may occur due to chemotherapy. Ask your veterinarian for more information on side effects and emergency hospitalization. If your dog is in later stages of the disease it is very likely that it won’t respond to this treatment type. Fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, may help slow down the growth and spread of cancer tumors, and also prevent weight loss and muscle wasting. Studies have shown that dogs rarely die of cancer. They usually die of liver or kidney failure. These conditions are cancer’s side effects and they can be avoided by controlling the pet’s diet in most cases.

Prognosis

The treatment of lymphoma in dogs can be effective in most cases. However, this is one of the diseases that will likely recur in the future. A second treatment with chemotherapy can be given, but the effect will last even less that the last one. Although the disease seems curable it keeps on coming back. You should also know that this chemotherapy treatment protocol can be very expensive. No matter how many treatments you administer to your pet if the disease keeps on coming back your dog may pass away in a couple of years from diagnosis. If you have any doubts and you think that your dog might have this deadly disease called lymphoma don’t hesitate and visit immediately a veterinarian for a full diagnosis.

Want to learn more about dog lymphoma? On CanineLymphoma.Net you can find articles about canine lymphoma dealing with the main symptoms of canine lymphoma, treatment of canine lymphoma and about the effects of chemotherapy on dogs.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Canine Malignant Lymphoma Treatment Options

Canine malignant lymphoma (also known as canine lymphosarcoma) refers to a tumor made up of lymphoid tissues. Approximately 5% to 7% of all tumors found in dogs are these types of tumors. Lymphoma in dogs is seen at a higher incidence in dogs between the ages of 5 and 12. Breeds were this problem is seen more often include Golden Retrievers, Scottish Terriers, German Shepherds, Fox Terriers, Cocker Spaniels and Boxers.

Canine Lymphoma Symptoms

Multiple symptoms are associated with lymphoma in dogs. The most pronounced symptom is enlarged lymph nodes (called peripheral lymphadenopathy). Other symptoms include

• Heart Problems (anterior mediastinal which is a mass near the heart)


• Skin and Skin Membrane issues (mucocutaneous) – early signs of disease include eye, nasal and oral skin lesions such as a large pink spot on the lower or upper lip.
  
  
  
  

  “Robin” was successfully treated for dog lymphoma through early owner detection of a large pink lesion on the lip. Early detection was key to fast recovery.Source: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

  
  
  
  


• Renal Problems (mass near the kidneys)


• Eye Problems
  
  
  
  • Eye inflammation (anterior uveitis)
  
  
  • Puss in the eye (hypopyon)
  
  
  • Dog eye hemorrhage (bleeding)
  
  
  • White blood cells normally not seen in a dog eye (infiltrate)
  
  
  
  


• Spleen Problems


• Dog liver problems


• Bone Marrow problems

Diagnosis of Canine Malignant Lymphoma

Based on the presence of the aforementioned symptoms, your veterinarian will conduct additional tests including testing of cells taken from the body using a fast method. If lymphoma is thought to be present, then a biopsy (taking a tissue sample) will be performed. The cells taken will be checked for the presence of abnormal formations of cells called lymphocytes.

Your veterinarian will work to determine the stage or how developed the canine lymphoma has become. The stage will indicate the type of treatment that is needed. In order to determine the stage, your veterinarian will need x-rays of your dogs abdomen and chest (thorax). Blood tests will also be needed to get an estimate of platelets, calcium, and protein levels. In rare cases, dog lymphoma causes a condition called canine hypercalcemia, where there are abnormal levels of calcium in the dog blood.

Prognosis for Canine Malignant Lymphoma

It is difficult to determine how long a dog will live that is being treated for lymphoma as different research reports have a wide range of conclusions. In general, dogs who are diagnosed with stage 4 or 5 lymphoma, will not live as long as those that have stage 1, 2 or 3. Dogs that are diagnosed with hypercalcemia, also have shorter survival times.

Dogs that are not treated, tend to only live 6 weeks on average after diagnosis. If you decide not to use conventional treatments for lymphoma in dogs, you might want to try a supportive therapy such as C-Caps, as mentioned toward the bottom of this page.

Conventional Treatment For Canine Malignant Lymphoma

Chemotherapy is the most commonly selected treatment option for dog lymphoma, followed by immunotherapy (suppressing the way the immune system responds to the disease). Chemotherapy could extend a dogs live approximately 6 to 10 months, while maintaining the dog’s quality of life. Treatments are usually applied every 3 weeks using a medication called Adriamycin. 81% of dogs on this treatment protocol achieved complete remission or partial remission for 9 months. Remission refers to a state where the canine lymphoma symptoms are reduced or stop getting worse.

Approximately 90% of dogs will respond will to lymphoma therapy, making this one of the best forms of cancer to treat. Be aware that therapy can be expensive. Because of this, a lower cost treatment method, prednisone is sometimes used with other medications. Prednisone can help a dog live an additional 2 months with 1/3 of dogs going into complete remission, 1/3 achieving partial remission and 1/3 showing no response to the treatment.

Often a combination of treatment approaches are used with dogs started on Adriamycin, followed by a treatment approach called COP which is an acronym for three different medications (cyclophosphamide, Oncovin, prednisone). COP alone puts approximately 75% of dog lymphoma into remission. 20% of dogs will go into remission for 1 year with the COP approach.

When adriamycin is used with COP (called COPA), canine malignant lymphoma remission times tend to be longer ( 6 mo vs. 7 months). 84% of dogs will go into complete remission, 7% with partial dog lymphoma remission. 22% of dogs on the COPA protocol for lymphoma in dogs achieve remission for a year.

Canine Malignant Lymphoma Treatment Side Effects

Dogs tend to handle chemotherapy well and often do not get the ill feeling that is common in humans. Hair loss is rare and usually is only seen in Poodles, Schnauzers and Old English Sheepdogs or other dogs that need constant grooming. The most common canine chemotherapy symptom is whisker loss. Other symptoms include dog upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting and appetite loss.

In rare cases (less than 10%), adriamycin can lead to heart problems.

Predisone also has potential side effects including increased thirst/drinking of water, frequent urination, panting and an increased appetite.

Holistic Treatment of Canine Malignant Lymphoma

In addition to the COPA approach mentioned above, a dog may benefit from a natural remedy as part of their diet during recovery. Natural remedies are not a cure for lymphoma in dogs, but can help strengthen healthy cells, boost the immune system, reduce the impact of symptoms and help speed toward recovery. The ingredients listed below in addition to the aforementioned properties can also help to boost energy levels and maintain a dog’s appetite during this critical time.

Homeopathic products such as C-Caps contain ingredients that have a growing body of clinical support:

• Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceous): herbal remedy known to support the immune system. Researches are studying this product for its effect on immuno-supportive polysaccharides and other active ingredients useful in supporting a healthy immune system. (Wang DC. “Influence of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) polysaccharide FB on immunologic function of human periphery blood lymphocyte”. Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi 1989;11:180-183).


• Mistletoe (Viscum album): helpful to maintain normal blood pressure levels. Recent research showed a link between this element and the immune system (Hajto T, Hostanska K, Fischer J, Saller R. “Immunomodulatory effects of Viscum album agglutinin-I on natural immunity”. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland. PMID: 9179367).


• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): thought to help the immune system with over 500 studies completed on this ingredient (Barrett BP, Brown RL, Locken K, et al. “Treatment of the common cold with unrefined Echinacea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial”. Ann Intern Med 2002; Dec 17, 137(12):939-946)


• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): helpful for the blood and the immune system ((Davis L, Kuttan G. “Immunomodulatory activity of Withania somnifera”. J Ethnopharmacol 2000; 71:193-200.)


• Milk Thistle (Sylibum marianus): contains silymarin, which is an anti-oxidant, which helps the liver function, the organ which helps cleanse the body of toxins (Pares A, Planas R, Torres M, et al. “Effects of silymarin in alcoholic patients with cirrhosis of the liver: results of a controlled, double-blind, randomized and multicenter trial.” J Hepatol 1998; 28(4):615-621.)(Benda L, Dittrich H, Ferenzi P, et al.”The influence of therapy with silymarin on the survival rate of patients with liver cirrhosis (author’s transl)”. Wien Klin Wochenschr 1980; 92(19):678-683.)


• Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tormentosa): ancient remedy use to boost the immune system and support cells in your dog’s body that are still healthy (Rizzi, R., Re, F., Bianchi, A., De, Feo, V, De Simone, F., Bianchi, L., and Stivala, L. A. “Mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of Uncaria tomentosa and its extracts.” J.Ethnopharmacol. 1993;38(1):63-77)

To learn more about canine malignant lymphoma and natural remedies that can complement specific treatments mentioned above such as chemotherapy, you can visit the C-Caps manufacturers site. Of course, consult your veterinarian before giving a dog that is undergoing treatment remedies of any kind. In general, natural remedies are safe to use and based on the available evidence, can be of some help.

Related Articles

Canine Cancer Remedies

References for Canine Malignant Lymphoma:

Canine Lymphoma: Protocols For 2004
Gregory K. Ogilvie, DVM, DACVIM (Internal Medicine, Oncology)
CVS Angel Care Cancer Center
San Marcos, CA, USA

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Lymphoma in Dogs - Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Dog lymphoma is a disease that occurs when the lymph tissue is damaged by cancer cells. As this lymph tissue can be found in any organ or part of your pet’s body the disease can grow and affect almost every organ of the dog. Lymphoma can be found more commonly in middle-aged dogs.

Symptoms of Lymphoma in Dogs

The most visible symptom is swelling of the lymph nodes. Depending on the area that is affected the dog will show symptoms in that area. Probably the most common areas affected by the disease are gastrointestinal tract and chest. If your dog shows loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss it may suffer from gastrointestinal tract lymphoma. If you notice shortness of breath in you dog it may be suffering from chest lymphoma.

Diagnosis

In our days there are many types of cancer and also many causes. Lymphoma in dogs can be diagnosed with a biopsy of the affected lymph nodes or organs. The stage of the disease is very important when it comes to treatment and prognosis. To discover how bad the disease is, there can be performed also tests like bone marrow biopsy, x-rays, ultrasound, blood analysis. You’ll never know the cause of the condition. The best thing you can do is to focus on the treatment. Untreated dogs die usually after 2 months from the discovery of the disease. If the disease was discovered early, immune modulation in most cases offers the greatest chances of recovery. Early diagnosis gives your dog 50% chances of survival.

Treatment

The best treatment you can get only from a veterinarian. As in humans with cancer, lymphoma in dogs is treated with chemotherapy. Although only a small percentage of dogs are hospitalized due to side effects, nausea or infections may occur due to chemotherapy. Ask your veterinarian for more information on side effects and emergency hospitalization. If your dog is in later stages of the disease it is very likely that it won’t respond to this treatment type. Fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, may help slow down the growth and spread of cancer tumors, and also prevent weight loss and muscle wasting. Studies have shown that dogs rarely die of cancer. They usually die of liver or kidney failure. These conditions are cancer’s side effects and they can be avoided by controlling the pet’s diet in most cases.

Prognosis

The treatment of lymphoma in dogs can be effective in most cases. However, this is one of the diseases that will likely recur in the future. A second treatment with chemotherapy can be given, but the effect will last even less that the last one. Although the disease seems curable it keeps on coming back. You should also know that this chemotherapy treatment protocol can be very expensive. No matter how many treatments you administer to your pet if the disease keeps on coming back your dog may pass away in a couple of years from diagnosis. If you have any doubts and you think that your dog might have this deadly disease called lymphoma don’t hesitate and visit immediately a veterinarian for a full diagnosis.

Want to learn more about dog lymphoma? On CanineLymphoma.Net you can find articles about canine lymphoma dealing with the main symptoms of canine lymphoma, treatment of canine lymphoma and about the effects of chemotherapy on dogs.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Canine Lymphoma Treatment - What Are the Options?

Canine lymphoma is a common malignant cancer in middle aged dogs. Although it can affect any breed, Golden Retrievers are more at risk of developing this type of cancer.

What are the treatment options for canine lymphoma?

Chemotherapy Treatment

Canine lymphoma is highly responsive to chemotherapy. Multi-agent chemotherapy protocols that use a combination of drugs are more effective than single-agent (single drug) chemotherapy protocols.

At least 80% of dogs treated with multi-agent chemotherapy protocols go into remission for at least a year. Although second remission may be possible, it is shorter than the first remission. Some cancer cells have become resistant to the initial drugs used so finding the right protocol for the following remission is only by trial and error. There is no one protocol that works the best.

Although multi-agent protocols increase life span, they are more toxic and costly than single-agent protocols.

The success of chemotherapy treatment depends on the location of the tumor, clinical staging and well-being of the dog at the time of diagnosis. Lymphoma of the thymus (mediastinal lymphoma) and bone marrow reduce the chances of remission. Dogs that don’t feel ill or display any clinical signs (vomiting, diarrhea, etc) when first diagnosed with lymphoma, seem to do better with chemotherapy treatment.

Most dogs do not suffer from side effects of chemotherapy. The common side effects include vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea and low blood cell count. Even if a dog has side effects, they are usually mild. It is rare for dogs to suffer from serious side effects that need hospitalisation.

Prednisone Treatment

Prednisone is a type of corticosteroid that provides 2-3 months of remission. It is used when the dog is not a candidate for chemotherapy or the pet owner cannot afford the high cost of chemotherapy treatment.

Although not as effective as multi-agent chemotherapy protocols, prednisone alone can make the dog’s life more comfortable. It does not contribute much to extending the life span.

Prednisone treatment reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy, so should not be used prior to a chemotherapy treatment.

Canine Bone Barrow Transplant

This treatment has been widely used in human patients with lymphoma. North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is the first university to offer this treatment for canine lymphoma.

Healthy stem cells are harvested from the peripheral blood and bone marrow. The dog has to undergo total body radiation to kill off remaining cancer cells before the harvested stem cells are transplanted into it.

The cure rate is at least 30%. For now, bone marrow transplant may be the only canine lymphoma treatment that offers a cure.

If your dog has lymphoma, your vet can advise you on the best treatment option. It’s up to you to decide if you want your dog treated. Some questions to ask yourself are:

- can you afford the cost of treatment?

- how old is your dog?

- is your dog currently suffering and in pain?

- do the benefits outweigh the risks of treatment?

A strong immune function is necessary to destroy cancer cells. Discover the alternative canine lymphoma treatment for triggering your dog’s immune system in the “Natural Help For Pet Cancer” ebook. Get your FREE copy now at http://www.ultimatedogguide.com/canine-lymphoma-treatment-ebook

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.