Mast Cell Tumor in Dogs
In dogs these mast cells exist in most of the tissues with higher presence in skin, digestive tract, nose, lungs lining and mouth. These cells are part of a dog’s immune system and play their role in allergy reactions as well as inflammations.
Mast cell tumor in dogs is also called as Mastocytoma and it develops when abnormal proliferation of these cells occurs. The tumor cells can release excess amounts of active chemicals like heparin & histamine which are damaging for the body. Mast cell tumor in dogs can be very malignant or in the benign form as well.
Body parts which are affected by a tumor
Skin MCT is the most common form of mast cell tumor that occurs in dogs with 15% to 20% of all dogs getting affected by it and liver, bone marrow, hind limbs, neck and spleen are some of the other body parts which get affected by MCT.
Symptoms of mast cell tumor in dogs
The common symptoms are raised lumps on skin of different forms such as wart like mass, lumps which are soft or ulcerated skin mass. In most dogs the tumors appear as a single mass but in some cases multiple tumors have also been found. Due to fluid accumulation the surrounding tissues get inflammation and small nodules develop around the tumor. The chemical secretion from tumor may also result in open sores which are called as gastrointestinal ulceration resulting in anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark feces.
Diagnosis of mast cell tumor in dogs
WHO has made staging system used in mast cell tumor in dogs which reflects progression of tumor in the body and works as a guide in proper diagnosis of the disease.
- a. Grade I: 1 skin tumor not spreading onto the lymph nodes.
- b. Grade II: 1 skin tumor that is spreading onto the lymph nodes.
- c. Grade III: More than one tumor which might be or might not be spreading onto the lymph nodes.
- d. Grade IV: Tumor that is spreading on to other parts of the body, called as metastasis.
The initial diagnosis is done using FNA cytology which stands for fine needle aspiration. But for knowing the grade of the mast cell tumor in dogs FNA is not totally useful and biopsy is required.
Prognosis of mast cell tumor in dogs
The prognosis depends on various factors like size of the tumor, its location, the grade it falls in, age of the dog and the visible symptoms. The grade of the tumor is considered as the consistent factor for prognosis of the disease in dogs. Undifferentiated tumor which fall into high grade mean tumors which are highly aggressive and it is likely that the dog will not survive more than one year after going through surgery because of recurrence of the tumor.
Conclusion
We can conclude here by saying that mast cell tumors are quite common in dogs and knowing the symptoms is important for correct therapy as well as cure for your dog.
