What Are Mast Cell Canine Tumors And How Are They Treated

Mast cell tumors are among the most common tumors in American dogs, but fortunately most forms of this cancer are very treatable. They also may be called mast cell sarcoma, or mastocytomas. Don't worry too much about the exact name they put on the dog's disease. The information given here applies to all forms of Mast cell tumors. And the treatments are similar.

GOOD news for dog lovers!

About 80% of dogs with Mast cell canine tumors can be put into remission through the use of modern methods of treatment.

The "typical" canine mast cell cancer patient is generally an older larger breed dog. The first sign of trouble is usually one or more tumors on or under the skin. The ones you can see are the most treatable but they can crop up anywhere and the deeper they are the more dangerous they can become. The tumors often change size from day to day and, because their normal function is releasing histamine as an immune reaction they tend to over do it and swell, or cause a rash or hives when disturbed.

Tumors on Dogs - are they all canine cancer?
Symptoms of the more serious metastasized mast cell cancer may include: loss of appetite, vomiting; sometimes bloody, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dark or black feces, itchiness, lethargy, anorexia, irregular heart rhythm and blood pressure, coughing, labored breathing, bleeding disorders, delayed wound healing, or enlarged lymph nodes.

The prognosis for a dog with mast cell cancer depends on the stage and grade of the tumor. The skin tumors are considered to be quite curable and about half never reoccur after being surgically removed.

Other more aggressive types like bone, groin or oral tumors are harder to defeat. But modern treatment including immune support can dramatically increase the odds of remission, and in many cases, produce a long term positive outcome. Dogs that are otherwise healthy have a good chance to become their old selves again.

We all want predictions... how long will my dog last before the disease wins out? Before you put too much stock in the answer, keep in mind statistics are useful in a general way, but the only thing that really counts is THIS patient. We care about the health of YOUR dog.

No matter how much training and schooling a doctor gets, they still are not very good at predicting the future. So don't give up hope because the statistics don't look too good. If your dog survives this disease, that is a 100% success rate! Most mast cell cancers respond very well to a combination of today's therapies and immune support.