Dog Adrenal Medulary Tumors

Adrenal glands are tiny glands that are buried in the fat in front of a dog’s kidneys. Their sole function is to regulate the use of specific hormones such as epinephrine, aldosterone and cortisol. These particular hormones interact with other hormones that support and influence other organs of the body. Each adrenal gland has 2 significant parts. One is the medulla and the other is the cortex. Both of these parts can become malignant.

What is the Risk for my dog getting adrenal medulary tumors?

The data that is available estimates that 0.17% to 0.76% of dogs, which includes merely one to two percent of tumors in dogs. Cancers in other organs rarely metastasize to the adrenal glands. Most commonly, Dog Lymphoma Cancer, sarcoma and Dog Hemangiosarcoma may spread to the adrenals.

Signs and Symptoms

Adrenal medulary tumors have a selection of nonspecific symptoms. It is diagnosed with immunohistochemistry. Some of these nonspecific symptoms are:

• Dog Anorexia which leads to Dog Weight Loss

• Panting

• Increased heart rate

• Dog Lethargy

• Dog High Blood Pressure

Will my dog experience any Dog Pain?

Any dog with cancer should be on some type of pain medication. This will decrease the many discomforts that can be caused by the disease and/or the treatment.

What about diets for dogs with cancer?

If your dog contracts cancer, there are specific diets that are planned to support the patient with cancer and the symptoms that occur with the disease. Most dogs will suffer from a Dog Loss of Appetite when they contract any form of Dog Cancer. The treatments that are given can also cause difficulty with eating. Radiation can cause blisters in the mouth, chemo can cause nausea and if surgery is performed, healing is a slow process and there can be a decrease in appetite.

It is very important to maintain adequate nutrition for your dog. There are specific prescription diets for cancer dog patients as well. While voluntary eating is preferred, it may be difficult when your dog is ill. There are some appetite stimulating medications that can also be used. By increasing the appetite the potential is there to allow the dog to take in an adequate amount of calories.

In extreme conditions a feeding tube can be put in place. This is a tube that is placed either short term or long term. The tube is inserted through the dog’s nose. During this period an Elizabethan collar will be ordered in order to prevent the dog from removing the tube or causing it to get out of the designated area.

If the treatment is long term, a tube can be placed into the esophagus (food tube), or into the stomach directly. This will be determined by your dogs’ ability to digest the prescribed food. Intravenous feeding is also a possible necessity.

Treatment Options

The only treatment for this condition is surgery. If the dog has no metastasis, there is a good possibility of long term survival. However, it is also possible that metastasis can occur a long time after the surgery.