Articles By LIVS

Spontaneous pneumothorax can be seen in both dogs and cats and occurs with no history of trauma or iatrogenic penetration into the thoracic cavity. The normal physiologic negative pressure within the thorax that maintains inflation of the lungs is lost, air will accumulate within the thorax and the lungs will collapse. There are two access …

Thyroid tumors are uncommon tumors in dogs accounting for about 1-3% of all tumors. They often occur in middle-aged dogs and no sex predilection has been found. The breeds commonly seen with this cancer include Boxers, Golden Retrievers, and Beagles, but it has been found in a number of other breeds. The cause of this …

Melanoma is a common tumor in dogs and may occur in the mouth, skin, toes, and eyes. These tumors commonly occur in Poodles, Dachshunds, Scottish terriers, Golden retrievers, Schnauzers, and Rottweilers. The behavior of the tumor depends on the location and grade. Call Us Subungual (nail bed) melanoma is uncommon in dogs but represents one of the …

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in cats are tumors occurring in various parts of the body. The tumors commonly arise from squamous epithelial cells within the skin and “wet tissues” of the nose and mouth. Tumors on the skin and ear tips may be solar-induced and it has been postulated that viral infections may be associated …

Spindle cell sarcomas are also known as soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and in general, this term acts as an umbrella for a variety of tumors including (fibrosarcoma-connective tissue, chondrosarcoma-cartilage, liposarcoma-fat tissue, hemangiosarcoma-blood vessel cells, nerve sheath tumor, hemangiopericytoma-cells supporting blood vessels, malignant fibrous histiocytoma). These tumors range in their behavior based upon their cell of …

There are two common types of skin lymphoma in dogs: epitheliotropic and non-epitheliotropic. Epitheliotropic lymphoma is a cancer of immune system cells (lymphocytes). In this case, the cancer is born of lymphocytes residing in the skin (or other superficial sites such as the lips and oral cavity) thus it is generally localized. This disease is similar …

Plasmacytomas are solitary collections of cancerous plasma cells. Normal plasma cells are immune system cells that are responsible for the production of many different types of antibodies that fight infection. The proliferation of cancerous plasma cells results in a population of plasma cell clones that may produce a high number of one specific types of …

Pheochromocytoma is a special type of endocrine tumor that arises from the adrenal gland. The cells that give rise to this specific tumor secrete certain hormones that regulate various functions within the body. Tumors typically occur in middle-aged to older dogs. Many cases may have the tumors diagnosed incidentally, but up to half of the …

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumor in dogs accounting for nearly 85% of all bone tumors. There are two forms of OSA: 1) the appendicular form which occurs in the limbs and 2) the axial form which occurs within the skull, ribs, and pelvis. The incidence of this cancer in dogs is about …

Nasal tumors are relatively uncommon in veterinary medicine accounting for less than 1% of all feline tumors. Middle to older aged cats are most commonly diagnosed with nasal cancer. To date, no specific breed or sex predisposition has been noted. The most common types of nasal tumor are either a carcinoma or lymphoma, which are …

Mast cell tumors are common skin tumors in dogs. They account for 20-25% of all skin tumors in dogs. They are a cancer of mast cells, which are cells important in regulating inflammation and immune responses. The tumors may occur in dogs that have a history of allergic skin disease. About 50% occur along the …

Feline mammary gland tumors (MGT) are the 3rd most common tumor in cats. It has been shown that spaying animals when they are young can decrease the formation of MGTs in both cats and dogs. Up to 85-90% of feline MGT are malignant. The most common type is an adenocarcinoma (tubular, papillary, solid, ductular). They …

Lymphosarcoma (lymphoma) is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in cats. It is a cancer of the lymphocytes (a type of blood cell) and lymphoid tissues. Lymphoid tissue is normally present in many places in the body including lymph nodes, spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow. The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) has been shown …

Primary lung tumors are relatively uncommon in dogs and account for only 1% of all tumors in this species. There has been a potential association with dogs developing lung tumors in a household of people who smoke as a result of second-hand smoke inhalation. The most common history of dogs with lung tumors is to …

Primary hepatobiliary tumors (tumors of the liver and bile ducts) are rare in dogs, accounting for less than 2% of all canine neoplasms. They most often occur in older animals with no breed or sex predilection. Most neoplasms are malignant and no causative agents have been identified, however, the detoxification role of the liver may …

Infiltrative lipomas (tumors arising from fat cells, which are also called adipocytes) are uncommon in dogs and cats with limited information available in the veterinary literature. Simple lipomas are benign, well encapsulated, and can often be cured with surgery. However, infiltrative lipomas are very locally invasive and have a high tendency to recur following surgery …

Canine histiocytic proliferative disorders include a wide spectrum of diseases characterized by different biologic behaviors. The causes for development of these diseases are largely unknown but suspected to be due to genetic abnormalities. Two of the more common forms we encounter are a benign and a malignant form. Both tend to occur in similar breeds …

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a cancer that arises from malignant blood vessel cells and is an uncommon cancer in cats. It is a very aggressive cancer that spreads (metastasis) early and is associated with a poor prognosis. The underlying cause of HSA is unknown. HSA has the potential to affect any tissue in the body with …

The incidence of intestinal tumors in dogs is low in comparison to people. These tumors tend to occur in older dogs (>9 years) and signs vary from anorexia, vomiting, weight loss, lethargy to diarrhea, depending on the location of the tumor. Males and females tend to develop these tumors at equal rates, although there is …

Fibrosarcomas are a type of soft tissue sarcoma (STS), and in general, this term acts as an umbrella for a variety of tumors including (fibrosarcoma-connective tissue, chondrosarcoma-cartilage, liposarcoma-fat tissue, hemangiosarcoma-blood vessel cells, nerve sheath tumor, hemangiopericytoma-cells supporting blood vessels, malignant fibrous histiocytoma). These tumors range in name based upon their cell type (as above) as …

Brain tumors are uncommonly diagnosed in dogs. The cause for brain tumors is unknown. Although a broad spectrum of tumor types has been reported in dogs, the two most commonly diagnosed primary tumors are gliomas, which tend to occur more commonly in short-nosed breeds, and meningiomas, which tend to occur in medium nosed breeds. Brain …

Cancer of the urinary tract in dogs can affect the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, prostate, or urethra. In the urinary system, the bladder is affected with cancer most commonly. Compared to cancer in other locations in the body, bladder cancer is unusual, comprising 1-2% of all cancers in the dog. The most common cancer of the …

Tumors of the anal sac are uncommon a represent a small percentage of all tumors in dogs (<1%). The most common malignant tumor of the perianal region is the anal sac (gland) carcinoma accounting for 16.5% of all perianal tumors. These tumors are locally invasive and metastasize early in the course of the disease. There …