Dog Liver Tumor

Different types of liver tumors sometimes are a health concern for dogs. Often, symptoms present in a way that do not always make it easy to identify. This may include a dog having symptoms such as a Dog Loss of Appetite, Cat Lethargy, pale gums, as well as Cat Vomiting, and Cat Loss of Weight.

However, liver tumors have a tendency to stay within one area of the body and pose a low risk for spreading to other areas of the body. Generally, the removal of such tumors usually gives cause to a good prognosis concerning the dog’s quality and length of life. Even so, this only applies in cases when the tumor presents in a contained area that the vet can completely remove.

Signs and Symptoms

During the early stages of a liver tumor, usually no symptoms are present. Tumors found early often either result from a routine ultrasound or x-ray by your veterinarian on a dog’s abdomen. However, some dogs experience symptoms in earlier stages, while others do not until later. Common symptoms include :

• Loss of appetite

• Vomiting

• Weight loss

Different Kinds of Liver Tumors
When it comes to Dog Liver Cancer there are two types of liver tumors. Metastatic and primary consist of the main types of liver tumors. Metastatic tumors usually start in another location in the body and then spread throughout the body. For instance, this could involve a tumor within the lymph nodes, which has spread to the liver.

In most cases, there is usually more than one metastatic liver tumor. Normally, a liver biopsy and histopathology confirms this type of condition. In the event multiple nodules present on the liver without evidence of primary tumors, a laparoscope offers a non-invasive way to sample the liver in order to confirm a cancer diagnosis.

On the other hand, primary liver tumors originate in the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most commonly found type of primary liver tumor. For the most part, they generally never spread but rather invade liver tissue. Usually, surgery is recommended when there is no evidence of metastatic disease present. When certain situations occur, they have to remove over half of the dog’s liver. This type of procedure is often considered safe with the expectation that the liver will fully regenerate.

A small incision within the midline of the dog’s abdomen is the most common method used for the removal of liver tumors. However, when a liver tumor presents deep within the liver tissue, the Hilar liver dissection technique offers the best method for tumor removal.

Care After Tumor Removal Procedures

During your dog’s stay at the hospital, they normally receive Dog Pain medication either by epidural catheter or intravenously. Following their stay at the hospital, the dog’s owner is given home care instructions to follow. These instructions are important to follow and normally include a guide of information on when the dog may return to normal activities, while additionally informing the dog owner on types of things to monitor.

Usually, dog owners should monitor for labored breathing, discoloration in their dog’s gums or tongue, as well as checking for infection at the location of surgery. Furthermore, dog owners need to make sure their dog does not lick or scratch the incision. In addition, dogs may need encouragement with eating as well. Dog Cancer Dietary Supplements and other herbal supplements should be administered to the dog in order to help keep their health up, such as the use of Milk Thistle.