Dog Nasal Cavity Tumor

Few things in the world can be as heart wrenching and agonizing as seeing your pet battle a serious ailment. Fortunately, for dog owners, veterinary science has progressed enough to offer accurate diagnosis of most dog health concerns and even propose remedial initiatives that can save the life of a dog. However a distinctive treatment approach for nasal cavity tumors in dogs still eludes veterinarians. While not a particularly common condition, any growth in the nasal cavity has a high chance of being malignant.

Also, despite the use of surgery, Dog Cancer Chemotherapy and Dog Radiation Therapy, the survival rate is very low. Here is a look at the symptoms of the disorder; how it can impact the life of your pet and the currently available treatment options.
Statistics of nasal cavity tumors in dogs

The tumor accounts for 1% of all Dog Cancer cases in canines and there is an 80% chance of the nasal tumors being malignant. The ailment is locally invasive and its spread can be controlled in the early stages of the disorder. However, in 46% of fatalities related to the disease, it was found that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes as well as the lungs.

Signs and Symptoms

In dogs symptoms of nasal cavity tumors include; bleeding from the nose, yellow or green nasal discharge, tearing from the eyes and facial deformity.

The average canine age when the disease is most commonly observed is ten years of age and males exhibit greater susceptibility to the disorder than the females.

Diagnosis

Nasal cavity tumors can be diagnosed through blood work tests which include biochemistry profile, blood count, clotting profile etc. A chest x-ray may also be recommended to understand the spread of the tumor while a CT scan can be used for more accurate analysis.

Treatment Options

A combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be used to treat the condition; however, fatality rates are very high even after the treatment is completed. For instance, even after surgery, the dog may not survive for more than 23 months. On the other hand, the primary concern with the disease is the short survival time after diagnosis which is just 95 days in dogs.

While the figures may not be particularly encouraging for dog owners who would like to treat their pets, the following recourses are available:

Surgery: On its own, surgical interventions have a very low success rate with a median survival rate after the procedure of just 6 months.

Surgery and orthovoltage radiation: When a combination of surgery followed by orthovoltage radiation is used the median survival time is raised to 23 months.

Radiation therapy and surgery: This is the most promising combination as far as treatment options are concerned. In this form of therapy, radiation is followed by surgery to remove the tumors. This is currently the best form of treatment for nasal cavity tumors in dogs.

Photodynamic Therapy: This form of treatment entails injecting a special light sensitizer in the infected part; followed by light therapy. The treatment has resulted in a remission in some dogs.

Chemotherapy: This form of treatment is only considered in cases where radiation therapy is not an option.

Suggested Products

Nu-Pet Vitamin & Antioxidant Wafers
Cancer Support Kit – Dogs

Additional Dog Cancer Pages

Dog Cancer | Dog Skin Cancer | Dog Bladder Cancer | Dog Pancreatic Cancer | Dog Bone Cancer | Dog Cancer Prevention | Dog Cancer Diagnosis | Dog Lymphoma Cancer | Dog Gastric Cancer | Dog Mast Cell Tumors