Dr Sue is guest of on the podcast for Danish veterinarians Success in Veterinary Practice, hosted by Dr Søren Drimer Pejstrup. Here she discusses one of the tough to diagnose and tough to treat cancers, hemangiosarcoma in dogs. (Don’t worry the podcast is in English.)
Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), Tarrytown, New York
VeterinaryTeamBrief.com
Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), Tarrytown, New York
VeterinaryTeamBrief.com
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 | PEER REVIEWED
Ana M. Cilursu, MD, lost three Rottweilers in a row to bone cancer.
The first dog, Hessa, had chondrosarcoma. She was not a candidate for surgery, and the tumor was quite aggressive.
The second and third dogs, Roddy and Maxine, had osteosarcoma. Both had amputations. Roddy started chemotherapy but developed lung metastases and a malignant pleural effusion several months into the treatment. Maxine did not have chemotherapy and developed spinal metastases three months after the amputation.
Lymphoma is a collection of cancers arising from the malignant transformation of lymphocytes. The common origin is lymphoreticular cells, even though lymphoma clinically is a diverse group of neoplasms. Lymphoma is one of the most common canine cancers, accounting for 7% to 24% of all canine tumors and 85% of hematopoietic tumors.1
The cause of lymphoma is largely unknown and multifactorial. Genetics can play a role, and chromosomal aberrations have been found.1 Dogs with previous immune-mediated thrombocytopenia have been associated with increased risk.2 Whether immunosuppressive medications can increase risk to dogs is unclear. Environmental causes have also been documented.1
Dogs of any age, gender, and breed can be affected with lymphoma, although affected dogs are typically middle-aged to older.1
Genetic predispositions have been noted in pedigrees of bull mastiffs, otter hounds, rottweilers, and Scottish terriers, pointing to a heritable risk.1 Several breeds, including golden retrievers, boxers, basset hounds, Saint Bernards, Scottish terriers, Airedales, Labrador retrievers, bulldogs, and poodles, are reported to be at increased risk.
Cutaneous and subcutaneous masses are very common in companion animal practice, and some veterinarians have become accustomed to monitoring growths that are small or slow growing and postponing surgery until the mass becomes larger.
Learn more about Dr Sue's early cancer detection program at WhyWaitAspirate.com
On The Pet Cancer Vet Dr Sue Ettinger takes pre-arranged calls from pet owners with a dog or cat with cancer to give information, support and hope. Click here to listen on The Radio Pet Lady Network.
💊 I was just asked about my favorite cancer supplements for dogs and cats. You can find out more about them here in this vlog. #ICYMI
youtu.be/lF7EEl6_rr0
Dr Sue's Favorite Cancer Supplements for Dogs and Cats: VLOG 39
I often get asked what supplements I like for dogs and cats with cancer. These are a few of my favorites. Thanks for watching. Please share and subscribe. xo...🐕 DYK there’s a higher incidence of bladder cancer in 14 breed of dogs, including Beagles. And these 14 breeds account for about 1/3 of all cases of bladder cancer.
😍 Meet sweet Fiona. This adorable Beagle is my new patient, and I’m treating her for bladder cancer which is extending into her urethra.
🚽 Unfortunately bladder cancer - called transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) - is often found late as its symptoms look like a urinary tract infection (UTI) - bloody urine, straining, incontinence, frequent peeing.
💊 And many dogs also have a UTI so the symptoms temporarily improve on antibiotics.
🧬 There is also a new commercial urine test that detects a mutation found in bladder and prostate cancer and can be used for diagnosis. It’s called the BRAF mutation test, and I love that it’s non-invasive, can detect the cancer early, and there are no false positives. (That means if the test comes back positive we are confident in the result.)
👉🏼 So what can you do? Because early detection & diagnosis are important.
✔️Know if you have a dog at increased risk (swipe to see the list of breeds). But remember other breeds & mixed breeds can sadly be diagnosed too, even though it is relatively rare.
✔️If you own a high-risk breed, it might be worth talking to your veterinarian about the CADET Braf test. I consider screening at-risk breeds every 4 to 6 months with this easy-to-collect urine test.
✔️If your dog has these symptoms or multiple UTI, talk to your veterinarian or a specialist about additional tests (abdominal ultrasound, the BRAF urine test, cytology or biopsy - it will depend on the case). Especially if your dog is over the age of 6.
✔️ If your dog is diagnosed with TCC, there are treatment options (most common ones are chemotherapy, NSAIDs, and sometimes surgery but there are others), and treatment is well tolerated.
♥️ That’s the goal with sweet Fiona. To #kickcancersbutt &
#livelongerlivewell
🐶🐱🗺 Get my canine and feline skin maps delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up to download and print these skin maps at home or in your clinic to keep track of lumps and bumps. Use this with your calipers to note where the mass is and the approximate size.
💙 Grab them here: bit.ly/2Liq0n3
No one can look at a mass or feel a mass and know what it is. Remember, my See Something, Do Something/Why Wait? Aspirate® guidelines.
See Something: If the mass is the size of a pea (1 cm) or larger and present for one month or longer.
Do Something: go to the veterinarian for an aspirate (#WhyWaitAspirate!).
Most skin and subcutaneous masses can be cured with surgery alone if we find them when they are small. So let's identify them early and find out what they are with an aspirate before you remove them with surgery, so the first surgery is the only surgery your pet or patient needs!
