This articles talks about symptoms of lymphoma in dogs. Lymphoma is a common cancer in dogs, accounting for as many as twenty percent of all cancers, across all breeds and all ages. A dog can be diagnosed with any of several subtypes of canine lymphoma, better referred to as lymphosarcoma or LSA. These subtypes typically have to do with the region of the dog's body that is affected—for instance, gastrointestinal LSA affects your dog's GI tract, which could mean the stomach, liver, intestines, and abdominal lymph nodes, while a cutaneous LSA would be found on the skin of your dog.
Treatments and prognoses vary for LSA, with one of the most important aspects being when the LSA is discovered and when treatment can begin. All of this begins with the topic of this entry, the symptoms of lymphoma in dogs.
Symptoms of Lymphoma in Dogs
Diligence is necessary to find a dogs lymphoma. While the initial suspicion that something's wrong with your dog will come from you, most often the initial suspicion of LSA will likely come from your vet. The most obvious symptoms of lymphoma in dogs will be swollen lymph nodes, notably those that can be felt under the neck of the dog, in front of his shoulders, or behind his knees. However, the absence of swollen nodes in these areas does not exclude lymphoma in your dog, since not only are there lymph nodes that can't be felt, there are other ways of developing LSA, as well as other symptoms of lymphoma in dogs, including:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Unexplained weight loss
- Labored breathing
- Visible fatigue or lethargy
- Excessive thirst and frequent urination
Generally speaking, if your dog is symptomatic, he's not going to feel too well. However, don't leave the diagnosis of your dog to yourself; if you have any reason to think your dog is feeling unwell, bring him to your vet immediately.
Sources
CanineCancer.com: Lymphoma
WSU: Canine lymphosarcoma
CanineLymphoma.net: Symptoms
