If your dog has been diagnosed with lymphoma (cancer), you will be facing the heart-breaking question of whether treatment is a viable option or whether euthanasia would be the kinder option. Understanding dog lymphoma symptoms, treatment options, and, perhaps more importantly, lymphoma life expectancy in dogs can help you make a more informed decision that will ultimately be the right thing to do for your pet, so here’s everything you need to know about lymphoma in dogs.
What is Lymphoma in Dogs?
Usually originating within a dog’s lymphoid tissues (i.e. lymph nodes, bone marrow & spleen, although it can occur within any of a dog’s body tissue), malignant lymphoma (also referred to as lymphosarcoma) is among the most common tumours (neoplasms) found in dogs.
Accounting for 7 to 24 per cent of all new tissue formation (neoplasia) and around 83 per cent of all blood cell (haematopoietic) malignancies in canines, lymphoma generally tends to be found in dogs during the latter half of their life (middle to old age), with the median age of dogs diagnosed with lymphoma being 6 to 9 years. Younger dogs can, however, also be affected.
Some dog breeds (including, for example, Airedales, Basset Hounds and Boxers; Bull Dogs, Saint Bernards, Bull Mastiffs and Scottish Terriers) are believed to have higher lymphoma incidence than others (like, for instance, Dachshunds and Pomeranians), and the prognosis tends to be better for neutered females.
Canine Lymphoma Types
There are five different canine cancer (lymphoma) types:
Cutaneous Lymphoma – Originating within the skin, this type of lymphoma is usually the easiest, most obvious condition to diagnose, as it is often manifested by reddened lumps than can be both felt and seen on the skin.
These lumps can be intensely itchy and cause dogs a great deal of discomfort. They may also appear as nodules, ulcers or plaques; erythraemia (redness or cyanosis –blue colouring – of the skin) or exfoliative dermatitis.
Extra-Nodal Lymphoma (ENL) – This, the rarest of dog lymphomas, can affect a pet’s breast, bone (osteo) and liver (hepatic); orbital and ocular (eyes), mouth (oral) and skin (cutaneous) tissue., with affected organs showing signs of degeneration of (0rganomegaly).
During the early stages, loss of hair (alopecia), and scaling may also occur. As the condition advances, erythraemia may increase, skin may thicken, ulcerate and ooze fluid. The dog’s mouth may also become affected, with plaque-like lesions and/or nodules developing on the lips and/or gums.
Diagnosing ENL and determining its stage can involve numerous tests and the prognosis is rarely good, although it should be said here that no thorough investigations into this have been carried out so far.
Gastrointestinal Lymphoma – Gastrointestinal, or alimentary, lymphoma occurs, as the name suggests, within a dog’s gastrointestinal tract, where it can be the cause of numerous related health issues.
If a tumour is located close to the large or small intestine, restriction of the bowel passage may pose further health risks and could render this condition fatal.
Mediastinal Lymphoma – Usually developing within the chest’s (cardiothoracic region) lymphoid tissues, this type of lymphoma causes breathing problems and, if left untreated, may restrict lung function to potentially fatal levels.
Multicentric Lymphoma (MCL) – Mostly affecting external lymph nodes, this type of lymphoma has frequently (in most cases, to be precise) been observed to eventually invade an affected dog’s organs and replace their healthy tissues with diseased ones.
Known as metastasis, this process of malignant growths developing at sites away from the original cancer’s site renders organs dysfunctional, and death consequently mostly occurs as a result of organ failure.
Metastasis of MCL can also lead to CNS (Central Nervous System) lymphoma, symptoms of which may include seizures, paresis (a condition characterised by partial loss of movement) and paralysis.
While the effects and symptoms of these lymphoma types vary, what they all have in common is that they all go through numerous stages – and that the question whether treatment is a viable option depends a great deal on which stage your furry companion’s condition has reached at the point of diagnosis.
Treatment Options and Lymphoma Life Expectancy in Dogs
As canine lymphoma can progress and cause a dog to deteriorate very quickly, the typical life expectancy of dogs with this condition is approximately 4 to 8 weeks from when symptoms first become noticeable.
Including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, extensive medication or any combination thereof, currently available treatment options can, if successful, often merely extend this life expectancy to a maximum of 18 to 24 months.
There are, however, situations when a positive outcome can be achieved. This especially applies when the dog in question is quite young and otherwise in good general health and/or when the condition was diagnosed at an early stage.
You can learn more about canine lymphoma, the varying types and stages thereof, as well as potential treatment options and prognoses (chance of successful treatment, life expectancy) at WeAretheCure.com, but ultimately, your vet will be your most reliable source of information and advice concerning your beloved pet’s condition.
Is Treatment a Viable Option?
Being told that your beloved pooch – who seemed just fine for his or her age only a few days ago – has a condition that could snatch him/her away from you within a matter of weeks is without doubt one of the most heart-breaking experiences you will ever have to face – and making any kind of sensible decision at this point may seem impossible.
For your dear pet’s sake, it is however, imperative to do so as quickly as possible, because the longer you put your decision off, the:
- Further the condition will progress;
- Lower the chance of treatment being successful, and the
- Longer and more your four-legged friend will suffer.
- The sooner you can start palliative care to make your dog comfortable if you choose this option rather than aggressive treatment
Whether treatment is the right option for your pet depends on numerous factors, including your dog’s:
- Age and overall health. Naturally, the younger and generally healthier your pet is, the greater the chance of treatment being successful will be.
- Potential quality of life both during and after treatment. Lymphoma treatments can be very distressing, potentially painful (i.e. surgery) and certainly very uncomfortable for dogs, and if there is little to no chance of success, putting him/her through this experience will only add to their already great suffering.
- Unfortunately, treatments for dog lymphoma can be expensive, so your budget will sadly also play an important role in your final decision.
While this decision is yours – and only yours, without feeling pressurised by anyone to decide one way or another – to make, it is important for you to know exactly what you are dealing with, so make sure to ask your vet lots of questions and get him/her to explain exactly where you stand, what your options are, how treatment is likely to affect your pet and whether it is likely to be successful, etc. Also do consider having a second opinion from a recommended vet that friends/family use as this will give you a better more neutral overview.
You can then use this information and these vets’ professional opinion to decide whether to try to fight this disease, choose gentle but effective palliative care and pain relief for the best comfort for as long as possible or whether euthanasia, fairly soon, once you get your head around it all, would be the kindest solution – which would certainly be the case if the lymphoma has already reached its final stage and his/her quality of life has deteriorated to unacceptable levels, compromising life.
Final Stage Dog Lymphoma Symptoms
The final stage of any type of lymphoma in dogs is undoubtedly the phase where your poor furry friend will be suffering the most. The signs and symptoms of this stage include, among others, but are most often linked to pain, as cancer IS painful no matter what any vet may say. We, as palliative care trained specialists, know this to be as true for animals as it is for humans, but animals just don’t “show pain” in a way that many humans recognise and therefore is often overlooked:
- Breathing difficulties (which is frequently indicated by laboured panting)
- Glassy eyes
- Restlessness and discomfort
- Unwillingness or inability to move or even stand
- Incontinence or inability to reach usual “bathroom” areas
- Complete lack of appetite
- Disorientation and/or inability to recognise you/family members
- Behavioural changes (i.e. fear even within a familiar environment, desire to hide, unusual aggression when approached, etc.)
If your beloved companion is showing any or all these signs, it may be time to allow him/her to have either a pain medication adjustment by your vet or it may even be time for a peaceful, pain-free and dignified end.
Peaceful Pet Goodbyes
If your dog has been diagnosed with lymphoma and you are facing the decision to put an end to his/her suffering, contact our team of fully qualified and experienced palliative care and home pet euthanasia vets today:
Being dog lovers ourselves, we fully understand how distressing and at times confusing a diagnosis of canine lymphoma can be for loving dog “parents” and, able to provide you with all the helpful information, advice and quality of life assessment you need to make the right, or the best decision for your pet, we can also help him/her have the stress- and pain-free end you would like him/her to have within the comfortable environment of his/her own home and in the presence of the people he/she knows and loves.