Detecting Canine Skin Cancer
Canine skin cancer is much more common than is human skin cancer. The causes of canine skin cancer are usually not well known and are at times unknown, and treatment may vary. Canine skin cancer is most often apt to occur in middle-aged to older dogs.
Canine skin cancer is not as prevalent as some other canine diseases, so we usually don't give much thought to the subject. Also, our pet pooch is usually not going to tell us it has a problem, unless by scratching or licking a place where a tumor may be the source of irritation.
Check For Abnormalities - One can give a dog a periodic examination, an overall massage, checking the skin for abnormalities, or simply rely on occasional handling and noticing if something seems out of the ordinary. We'll look into a few of the more common types of tumors here, but the basic rule is simply to look for skin that appears in some way out to be out of the ordinary.
As is the case with humans, a tumor on or just under the skin is apt to be characterized as a lump, a lesion or slow to heal wound, a growth that is changing in size (getting larger) and in color, or an area that appears to bleed easily if the dog is scratching in that area. In checking for these abnormalities, don't forget the inside of the ears or the inside of the mouth, looking for areas where the tissue is different from the surrounding tissue.
In advanced cases of skin cancer a dog may take on the appearance of being ill. It may be lethargic and have a loss of appetite. There may be diarrhea or bloody stools, or vomiting and coughing, all very abnormal signs.
Not all tumors that might be found on a dog’s skin are malignant, in fact most of them are not, or at least are not at first. Some may grow slowly, others grow more rapidly. Those that are cancerous sometimes remain localized while others may metastasize to other parts of the dog's body.
The Most Common Tumors - On of the more dangerous forms of canine skin cancer are the mast cell tumors, which are the most common of the fatal canine skin cancers. Mast cell tumors are especially dangerous in that they appear to be benign lipomas, fatty tumors which seldom pose a danger. The mast cell tumors however are very malignant. The squamous cell carinoma is the most common form of canine skin cancer. Carcinomas usually result from exposure to the sun, so are most common among short haired or sparsely-haired dogs. While an aggressive cancer, it usually remains localized until later stages when it will begin to spread. Squamous cell carcinomas resemble raw lesions or non-healing sores.
Melanomas are among the more common tumors. Although, from the human perspective the term melanoma is rather scary, only about 15% of melanomas in dogs ever become malignant. Most are benign. Lipomas are fatty tumors which are benign, as are Papillomas, also known as dog warts. Neither need to be removed unless they are a source of discomfort to the dog. Papillomas often disappear by themselves. Like human warts, they are viral.
If tumors lie just under the skin and are somewhat freely movable, they are most generally benign, and tend to change size quite slowly, if at all. Malignant tumors on the other hand, tend to grow rapidly, often with ill-defined edges, and are most apt to ulcerate of give the dog some discomfort.
Any bump or skin texture abnormality you observe in your pet should be examined closely, and if there is the slightest possibility it could be a tumor, the dog should be taken to a veterinarian for further examination.