Canine Gum Cancer
Canine gum cancer, also identified as canine mouth cancer, is one of the most common kinds of cancer for dogs. It is often identified through tumors on the gums but it can quickly develop into the jaw. Although, this may result in unsightly partial removal of the animals jaw, canine gum/mouth cancer has a high survival rate if treated.
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Speculation of Causes
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Although there is no conclusive evidence for why dogs get gum cancer, it has been speculated that they take in carcinogens when they are sniffing. Other speculation has been that certain types of dog food chemical preservatives may cause cancer.
Initial Identifications
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Some identifiers of canine gum and mouth cancer are bad breath, difficulty eating and decreased appetite, drooling, bleeding from the mouth and localized swelling. Also, any lumps on the gums would be the strongest indicator to take the dog to the vet for a possible cancer diagnosis.
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Diagnosis
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The vet can diagnose with a biopsy. Not all tumors on the gums are malignant, but the only way to identify is with a biopsy.
Types of Canine Gum/Mouth Cancer
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Some types of cancer that may appear on the gums are: oral epulis, that will not spread to the rest of the body;locally invasive malignant tumors, with a low tendency to spread; melanoma, that is locally invasive and osteosarcoma, that has a one year life expectancy following chemotherapy.
Treatment
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Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are all options for the removal of malignant tumors.
Mortality Rate
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Fortunately, due tothe nature of the disease, once the cancer is identified it likely is not a death sentence. Some dogs make a full recovery.
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References
- Photo Credit dog yawn, big mouth, weimeraner image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
