Dog Renal Lymphosarcoma

When Dog Cancer is present in a dog’s lymphoid tissue it is referred to as lymphosarcoma. This is a very common cancer in dogs. It is caused by white blood cells called lymphocytes and affects dogs that are in their middle ages to their more senior years.

This is a fatal disease but with treatment it can go into remission. Unfortunately Dog Renal Failure is often developed with renal lymphosarcoma.

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of lymphosarcoma are not particularly specific to the disease. Dog Vomiting, Dog Diarrhea, Dog Loss of Appetite and subsequent Dog Weight Loss are common to a large number of illnesses. Dog Swollen Abdomen and abdominal enlargement and tenderness can also indicate several diseases.
If your dog shows having Dog Increased Thirst and Dog Increased Urination, you should note the changes and be on the alert for Dog Dehydration as well. Your dog can become lethargic and lose interest in things that have been stimulating until this point.

If other organs are involved, there can be behavioral changes and lack of coordination. The hind legs are also sometimes prone to failure as well.

Diagnosis

• The first things your vet will do will be to obtain a complete history and do a physical examination. During the examination, it is common to find enlargement of the kidneys.

• Blood tests and urinalysis will be done. This will provide a count of the red blood cells, the white blood cells and platelets. Anemia is a common occurrence as well as white cells that are abnormally formed and platelet abnormalities.

• A chemical profile is next. This will indicate if there are other organs involved in the illness.

• Your vet will perform an ultrasound of the abdomen to obtain information on the structure of the kidneys. Ultrasound will also allow your vet to check the lymph nodes to see if they are enlarged.

• A kidney biopsy or a fine needle aspirate may be done. Fluid will be withdrawn and examined to indicate possibilities. This is not particularly invasive and is done with minimal sedation. In the event of the needle aspirate not being consequential, a biopsy will be done.

• The next step is to obtain a bone marrow aspirate. This is necessary if lymphosarcoma is the suspected diagnosis. It will indicate tumor cells that are within the bone marrow. It will also indicate the stage of the disease which is an indication of how far the disease has progressed.

Treatment Options

Dog Cancer Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice. Kidney lymphosarcoma is responsive to chemotherapy. It will involve costly, weekly visits for treatment. In most cases the treatment will require the need for a veterinary oncologist.

Home Care

Keep your dog comfortable by following the Dog Palliative Cancer Care guidelines. Give all of the medications that are ordered by your vet as they are prescribed. There are some drugs and Dog Cancer Dietary Supplements that can be given at home. Chemotherapy requires scheduled administration of certain medications.

If your dog is given oral chemotherapy you will need to observe your dog for vomiting, diarrhea, signs of lethargy and loss of appetite. Any discomfort should also be noted and reported to your veterinarian.

Unfortunately there are no preventative measures for this type of cancer.

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