Dog Brain Tumor

Dogs can get as sick as humans and often their illnesses are left for too long before being accurately diagnosed. Although your dog may be in pain, they cannot simply tell you where it hurts and so you need to be aware when their routines and habits change. Brain tumors are unfortunately very common in dogs and will affect senior dogs more often than puppies. Many times the tumor is not found due to the nature of the disease and your dog will be left to cope with the condition on their own without you being aware of it. There are several different types of brain tumors and some can be treated with great success.

What is a brain tumor?

Although they are called brain tumors often the actual condition is simply a mass in the dog’s brain and often these are a form of Dog Cancer. They can either gather around the brain and attach themselves to the outer wall or spread to the brain from another area. These are often known as primary and secondary and both can be very serious. Although there is no definite cause for your dog to get a brain tumor it is believed that healthy well fed dogs are less likely to have them. Vets over the years have tried to establish if it is the environment, food or breed of dog that is causing them but there is no definite evidence to support these things.

Symptoms of brain disease

As with any disease you will see a change in your dog which may cause you to be concerned they may be suffering from Dog Depression or Dog Lethargy. Your dog might also be forgetful and forget tricks and commands that they have been taught. Your dog may also have a Dog Loss of Appetite and may pace around your home with a general look of confusion. Also your dog may suffer from Dog Seizures which can be frightening and distressing for your dog. Although your dog may suffer from some of these they might not have all of the symptoms and you may not know there is anything wrong for a long time. If the tumor is slow growing then you may just think that your dog is getting old and not think to have them checked out – which is why you should always have a physical examination done by a veterinarian twice a year.

Diagnosing a brain tumor

If you are concerned about your dog and think they are displaying one or more of the above symptoms then you should have them looked at. Your vet will do a full examination, determine their overall health, and continue with blood tests. These will help to determine if there are any diseases outside of the brain. X-rays and CT scans will then be used to determine if there is a mass and where it is lodged in your dogs head. Once the mass has been discovered then a biopsy will be needed to determine if the tumor is cancerous or not.

Treatment for your dog

The first thing that your vet will advise doing is removing the tumor that is causing the problem, then they will look at trying to find a treatment that will cure the problem. If this isn’t possible they will then look at ways to make your dog as comfortable as possible through the use of Dog Palliative Cancer Care. Although this is often not the outcome you want it will allow you to spend the last of their days with your dog feeling comfortable and not in pain.

Additional Dog Cancer Pages

Dog Cancer | Dog Skin Cancer | Dog Lung Cancer | Dog Bladder Cancer | Dog Pancreatic Cancer | Dog Bone Cancer | Dog Cancer Prevention | Dog Cancer Diagnosis | Dog Gastric Cancer | Dog Mast Cell Tumors | Dog Squamous Cell Carcinoma | Dog Mouth Cancer