How to Treat Lymphoma in Dogs

Buddy had lymphoma.

Discovering your dog has lymphoma can be very distressing. While it can be difficult to treat lymphoma, it is one of the of the cancers that is treatable. While doctors don't understand why dogs get lymphoma, they understand how dogs get lymphoma. Lymphoma is a common type of cancer that affects the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and sometimes other organs as well. The cancer affects the lymphocytes, which are the cells that are responsible for the body's immune system responses. For owners who choose to treat their dog's lymphoma, they can expect their dog to live at least one more year; for those who don't, the life expectancy is about four to six weeks.

Instructions

1. Get a proper diagnosis. Some symptoms of lymphoma in dogs are tumors in the lymph nodes. If it's the kind of lymphoma that settles in the intestinal system, it can manifest symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and weight loss. If it manifests in the chest, the symptoms can be shortness of breath and muffled heart sounds. If the lymphoma manifests as the skin form, the dog can get lumps that itch and can become red and lacerated. Because the symptoms of lymphoma can manifest in many different ways, it's important to get your dog to your vet when you start noticing any combination of these symptoms.

2. Have your dog treated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for lymphoma in dogs and has a good success rate since it can extend a dog's life by one year. Chemotherapy is where your dog is given powerful drugs that kill cells. One of the problems with this, and why some owners choose not to pursue this form of treatment, is that in addition to killing the bad cells it also kills the good cells.

3. Give your dog an immune booster with the help of your vet. An immune booster given during chemotherapy is one way vets can help to increase your dog's chances of living longer. Most of the immune boosters that are given to dogs contain glyconutrients, which are a special blend of sugars designed to help the body's immune system function better.

4. Put your dog on a healthy diet. Since carbohydrates feed cancer cells, you should feed your dog a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in Omega 3 fatty acids. The fatty acids nourish your dog and not the cancer cells. You also want to feed your dog a moderate amount of proteins along with the Omega 3 fatty acids, and a small amount of carbohydrates.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider making your own healthy dog food so that you can be sure what your dog is actually ingesting. While this may take a bit longer, it will help to ensure that your dog gets the proper nutrition that will help him live longer.

References

• Treatment Options for Canine Lymphoma
• Lymphoma in Dogs

Resources

• Fight Cancer With Nutrition