Lymphoma in dogs is a general cancer of the lymphocytes, which occurs in the liver, lymph nodes, spleen and other organs. This cancer is very belligerent and if left untreated it can result in a high mortality rate for dogs. Cure with the help of chemotherapy has been an extreme success adding months and seldom years to an infected dog's life.

Lymphoma mainly affects dogs that are middle aged or older. There is no sex or breed preference. Out of the dogs brought to a veterinarian because of newly developed lumps or swellings, only 10 to 20 percent of the dogs turn out to be clinically ill on examination.

Though people know how lymphomas form, they still do not know the reason for their formation. According to certain veterinarians' environmental elements such as powerful magnetic fields, genetic correlation or exposure to pesticides increases the occurrence of lymphoma in dogs, however there is no strong proof to support this.

Symptoms And Treatment:

The symptoms of lymphoma in dogs depend on the site of the tumors that arise in the lymph nodes are frequently present as lumps with no other symptoms. Diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss and vomiting are certain symptoms of Lymphoma in dogs.

The mediastinal chest form involves muffled heart sounds and briefness of breath. The skin (cutaneous) form is generally present as multiple or single swellings on the mouth or skin. These swellings are red, itchy and ulcerated.

The diagnosis of lymphoma in dogs includes a combination of different tests such as excellent needle aspirates of the tumor, blood tests, X-rays, biopsies, ultrasounds and so on. The site of the tumor determines the number of tests to be performed.

The treatment for lymphoma in dogs involves chemotherapy. Radiation and surgery are ineffective and impractical, since lymphoma is a systemic disease. The treatment of lymphoma involves a large range of chemotherapy drugs and procedures.

The treatment for Lymphoma in dogs normally contains a mixture of injectable and oral drugs provided on a weekly basis. Some frequently used drugs consist of vincristine, prednisone and doxorubicin. The precise treatment procedure varies depending on the veterinary oncologist.

Some owners prefer not treating this condition in their dogs. For such dogs, the life expectancy varies from four to six weeks. Though oral prednisone therapy reduces the discomfort and swellings, it will not substantially extend a dog's life span.

Note that conducting this treatment for Lymphoma in dogs before chemotherapy is not advisable, since it will reduce the efficiency of chemotherapy.

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