Signs & Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Dogs

Gastrointestinal cancer can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, stomach and rectum.

The gastrointestinal tract includes the rectum, the large and small intestines, stomach, esophagus and oral cavity. Therefore, gastrointestinal cancer can refer to cancer affecting any portion of the dog's gastrointestinal tract, such as esophageal cancer, oral cancer or stomach cancer. Symptoms are often specific to the site of the cancer.

Rectal Cancer

In dogs, the main symptoms of rectal cancer are difficulty or straining during defecation and often blood in the stool.

Cancer of the Small or Large Intestine

In the small and large intestine, symptoms of intestinal cancer can include diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty with defecation, anemia, anorexia, dark stool, gas and vomiting.

Stomach Cancer

Also referred to as gastric cancer, stomach cancer can have symptoms such as dark feces, lack of appetite, weakness, loss of protein, weight loss and vomiting, with blood often present in the vomit.

Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is relatively rare in dogs, but signs can include excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, weight loss and regurgitation.

Oral Cancer

Symptoms of oral cancer include bleeding from the mouth, difficulty eating, facial swelling, nosebleeds, excessive drooling and halitosis (bad breath).

References

• Gastrointestinal Neoplasia in Dogs
• Oral Cancer in Cats and Dogs
• Esophageal Cancer in Cats and Dogs

Resources

• Stomach (Gastric) Cancer in Cats and Dogs
• Intestinal Tumors in Cats and Dogs