Canine Lymphoma
Canine lymphoma is a condition in which cancer cells can grow anywhere there is lymph tissue. Therefore, the cancer cells can grow in almost any organ in your dog’s body and will eventually cause one of them to fail. This disease commonly occurs in middle-aged dogs.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of canine lymphoma is swelling of the lymph nodes. Since the disease can invade virtually any part of the body, other symptoms will depend on the location affected. If canine lymphoma occurs in the chest, your dog will have likely experience shortness of breath. If the disease occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, your dog may suffer weight loss, lack of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Diagnosis
Two of the most common methods of diagnosis for canine lymphoma include urine and blood tests. The veterinarian will also notice that lymph nodes near the skin surface are enlarged. A biopsy may be performed on one of the swollen lymph nodes to confirm the diagnosis. The biopsy will also give more information on the severity of the disease.
Treatment
The preferred method of treatment for canine lymphoma is chemotherapy. Most dogs that undergo this treatment go into remission. The chemotherapy drugs can be given orally at home or as an injection at the vet’s office. Dogs that are in stage 5 of canine lymphoma, the stage where bone marrow is affected, don’t respond well to chemotherapy drugs.
Prognosis
Treatment for canine lymphoma is relatively effective, but can also get expensive. Dogs that have one remission can usually go into remission a second time. However, the second remission usually lasts half as long as the first. Most dogs undergoing treatment for canine lymphoma can survive one to two more years after diagnosis.
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