Oral Tumors in Dogs
Oral tumors in dogs are common and are most often malignant. Though dogs can have benign tumors in the oral cavity, it is important to determine whether the growth poses an immediate danger to the dog's life. Unfortunately, it is impossible to gather that information by simply examining the tumor and the mouth. Depending on the type of tumor, your vet will prescribe a treatment plan that best helps your dog's health.
-
Epulis
-
The most common type of benign oral tumor in dogs is an epulis. An epulis is usually found in the tissues of the gum near the canines or incisors where the gums hold teeth in place. There are three types of these tumors: a completely benign variation made up of fibrous tissue, one that contains fibrous tissues and bone cells that can become cancerous, and a third type that is not cancer but can destroy bone by growing in and around it. The cause of epulis is unknown and it is most common in older dogs. The Boxer is the breed most susceptible to epulis.
Epulis Diagnosis and Treatment
-
It is important that your veterinarian do a biopsy of the tumor to determine whether it is malignant. If removal of the epulis is deemed necessary, surgery is performed to cut out the tumor. A wide area of the oral cavity is removed, including healthy tissue, to ensure all of the tumor cells have been taken out and to prevent regrowth. Teeth are most often extracted in these procedures. Sometimes if the epulis is large, radiation is used to shrink it.
-
Malignant Tumors
-
The three types of malignant oral tumors that affect dogs are squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcomas and malignant melanomas. Though squamous cell tumors grow very aggressively, they rarely metastasize. It is important to treat these quickly as they can affect the bone underlying the site. Fibrosarcomas behave much like squamous cell carcinomas but appear as a large, red growths. These usually present themselves in large, older dogs. The most common type of oral tumor in dogs is the malignant melanoma. These metastasize very early on and usually by the time of diagnosis have spread to other parts of the body. Once again common in older dogs, these appear as dark spots on the mucous membranes.
Treating Malignant Tumors
-
The most common and efficacious way of treating malignant tumors in the oral cavity is removing them surgically. Unfortunately, if the cancer has spread, removing the tumor is not enough. Veterinarians will often employ radiation therapy, cryosurgery or chemotherapy in addition to or as an alternative to surgery. Another downside of surgery is a large portion of the dog's mouth is usually removed to ensure that all of the cancerous tissue has been taken out.
Risk Factors
-
Though all dogs are at risk of developing oral tumors, larger breeds are at a greater risk. Also, dogs such as the Chow Chow, which have a darkly pigmented mucosa, tend to be at greater risk for melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma are most common in Poodles, Labrador Retrievers and Samoyeds while fibrosarcomas do not seem to favor any breed. Dogs between the ages of 7 and 12 are most often affected by malignant oral cancers and both sexes seem to be affected equally.
-
