Dog’s Skin Cancer: Types, Symptoms, and Treatment

You might have never thought about dog’s skin cancer because they have hair that protects them from bacteria and the sun but do you know the skin tumors in dogs can cause cancer in your loyal companion. However, with early action and good treatment, a dog’s skin cancer can be avoided or treated.

As we all know that sun rays damage the skin of dogs; luckily, dogs have hair on their body to protect them from the harmful rays of sunlight. However, in some areas like the nose and ears, dogs do not have hair, and thus these areas may become prone to skin cancer; and due to this, there are high chances that your dogs might get cancer around the mouth, eyes, nose, and toes.

Not only the sun but there are many other factors also which can cause cancer in dogs.

Causes of dog’s skin cancer

Dog’s skin cancer have multiple varieties of causes like:

• Genes
• Exposure of sun
• Chemicals in environment
• Hormonal abnormalities
• Various viruses

Rather than nose, mouth, eyes, and toes cancer, there are many other types of cancer found in dogs. 

Types of skin cancer in dogs

With different layers of skin, there are different types of dog’s skin cancer. Every layer and component of skin can cause tumors that may turn into cancer in dogs.

Some of the common types of cancer found in dogs are:

Malignant melanoma

The other name of this cancer is malignant or benign. These are the tumors that are found on lips, mouth, and nail beds and look like raised lumps in gray and pink color.

In the beginning, melanomas are common, but malignant melanoma is a serious concern because it gets bigger very fast and increases the risk of metastasis.

If the treatment is taken at the beginning time, then this malignant melanoma tumor can be treated; otherwise, this may turn into cancer in dogs.

According to the expert’s research, certain breeds of male dogs like miniature, standard schnauzers, and Scottish terriers have high chances of getting mouth, nose, eyes, and toes cancer.

Mast cell tumors

It is the most common type of tumor found in dogs that turns into cancer. These mast cells release histamine chemicals in dogs that cause allergies like irritation, itching.

These mast cell tumors can develop in any body part of dogs, even in internal organs.

Some of the breeds of dogs like boxers, pugs, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Boston terriers have high chances of getting mast cell tumors that turn into cancer in dogs.

It is very important to get the treatment as soon as possible because it can also lead to the death of a dog.

Squamous cell carcinoma

This type of cancer is mostly found in the older dogs, especially bloodhounds, basset hounds, and standard poodles.

This tumor causes cancer on the heads, lower legs, rear, and abdomen and looks like patches or lumps that are firm to touch.

Exposure to the sun is the main cause of squamous cell carcinoma in dogs.

Symptoms of skin cancer in dogs

To identify the dog’s skin cancer, it is important to know the symptoms.

Some common symptoms of cancer in dogs are:

• Lumps and bumps on the skin
• Abnormal discharge from eyes, mouth, ears, or rectum
• Problem in swelling
• Loss in weight
• Bad appetite
• Non-healing wounds
• Non-healing sores
• Breathing problem
• Laziness
• Change in bathroom habits
• Pain on the tail

If you have a pet dog and your dog is not behaving properly, then keep your eyes on him, and if you notice any of the above symptoms, then take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Treatment options for dogs suffering from cancer

There are some factors that influence cancer treatment in dogs like:

• The age of the dog
• Health of dog
• Tumor type
• Severity of tumor
• Cancer stage

The overall health of dogs plays an important role in treating cancer in dogs; it includes the ability of dogs to tolerate cancer treatment. The healthier the dog, the faster is the recovery from cancer.

The treatment of cancer is the same in humans and dogs; the basic treatment includes:

• Chemotherapy
• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Holistic or herbal therapy

If these treatments are taken on time, the cancer in dogs can be treated easily.

According to the experts, the cancer in dogs can not be treated at home but can be prevented at home. So, we have also mentioned some prevention techniques by which you can keep your dog safe.

Prevention tips

following are some prevention tips that will help you to maintain your dog’s health:

• If your dog’s parents had cancer, then get a full body check up of your dog by a veterinarian.
• Keep your dog away from direct sunlight
• Get a monthly check-up of dog
• Give a good bath to the dog twice a week
•  Check his tail and skin daily
• Give a healthy and good diet
• Serve fresh fruit and vegetables only
• Try to serve less amount of sugar to dog

Read more- Can dogs eat cream cheese?

Final words

If you have a pet dog, it is your responsibility to take good care of your beloved one. There are multiple reasons due to which your dog might catch a tumor or cancer.

However, with prevention tips and a little bit of more care, this situation can be avoided. It’s important to keep track of the activities of your dog; if you notice anything unusual, it is always advised to consult a good veterinarian. 

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