Oral Cancers in Dogs
Who doesn’t love dog kisses? So, if your primary care veterinarian suspects cancer in your pup’s mouth, consider an immediate consultation with an oncology specialist.
One type of oral cancer common in dogs is melanoma, which can exist in the skin in the mouth, as well as other parts of the body. Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Cocker Spaniels, and Poodles tend to get melanoma more often than other breeds.
Melanoma inside of the mouth can be aggressive. Without treatment, survival times may be limited because eating becomes difficult. Staging tests are recommended as step one in managing melanoma. These tests often include chest radiographs, aspirates of the draining lymph nodes, bloodwork, and an abdominal ultrasound.
Immunotherapy Offers New Hope for Dogs
Merck Animal Health’s Esther Chon, DVM, DACVIM, Board Certified in Oncology, delivered “Updates on Immunotherapy,” as the last summer webinar in ACCC’s annual “How to Navigate through the Cancer Diagnosis” series for primary care veterinarians. A recording of her presentation is available HERE. Merck Animal Health has sponsored the summer series for the past three years.
Dr. Chon’s talk focused on the promise of immunotherapy as the new fourth pillar of treatment options in the fight against cancer in pets. In addition to the traditional protocols of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, immunotherapy offers new hope, thanks to promising immune checkpoint inhibitors, including Merck Animal Health’s gilvetmab.
Canine Lung Cancer Insights
Lung cancer in dogs is not commonly discussed among veterinarians, according to ACCC’s oncologist Ashlyn Williams, DVM, Practice Limited to Oncology. However, she has seen an alarming rise in such cases recently at ACCC’s headquarters and Fort Lauderdale clinic and decided to prepare “The Cough That Broke the Camel’s Back: Canine Pulmonary Carcinoma” for the third webinar in the summer series, “How to Navigate Through the Cancer Diagnosis.”
A record number of primary care veterinarians from across Florida attended the August 20th talk, which can be reviewed in its entirety. Below are highlights from her presentation.
ACCC Oncologist Explains Blood Cancers in Dogs
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a malignant tumor of the cells that line blood vessels, was the topic of ACCC’s Summer Webinar offered to primary care vets across Florida and the country. ACCC’s own Ashlyn Williams, DVM, Practice Limited to Oncology, delivered the presentation and provided insights valuable to dog owners who want to learn more about this type of cancer, including its causes, treatment options, and promising emerging discoveries.
Dr. Williams explained that this form of cancer is often highly malignant but depends on how the disease presents itself and where it is located.
