Oral tumors in dogs: what you need to know
Mouth tumors in dogs can be cancerous (or malignant) or benign. They can develop on his lips, his gums, his palate, his jaw, his oral mucosa, his tongue, his teeth, or even his tonsils.
However, 50% of oral tumors in dogs are malignant and they occupy the 4th place of cancers in frequency in dogs. They also represent 6% of all cancers combined in dogs.
Often, oral tumors in dogs are not detected (or detected late) by their owner because of their location.Indeed, it is rather rare that one opens the mouth of his animal to examine the interior. It is then common for you to realize that something is wrong with your dog because he:
- starts drooling profusely (ptyalism),
- he has trouble swallowing his food normally (dysphagia) or refuses to eat (anorexia),
- he has bad breath (halitosis),
- he's bleeding from the mouth.
These signs may be indicative of the presence of a tumor in your dog's mouth. It is then advisable to take them very seriously and to consult a veterinarian without delay.
The main tumors of the mouth in dogs
Malignant tumors
Malignant tumors are cancerous tumors. As they grow, they invade the surrounding tissues and their cells spread throughout the body via the bloodstream to produce metastases in other organs such as the heart, lungs or liver.
Malignant melanoma
Malignant melanoma is the most common malignant oral tumor in dogs. It represents 30 to 40% of cases. It is a tumor that tends to metastasize in the dog's lungs and lymph nodes.
Carcinoma
Carcinomas represent 20 to 30% of cases of oral cancerous tumors in dogs. These are locally very aggressive tumors that tend to invade the bone and underlying structures.
Fibrosarcoma
Fibrosarcoma is a cancerous tumor, often locally aggressive, which develops mainly on the maxilla and mandible of the animal. It represents 10 to 20% of cases and preferentially affects large dog breeds.
Mycosis fungoides or epitheliotropic lymphoma
Epitheliotropic lymphoma is a rare skin tumor in dogs due to the infiltration of the skin and mucous membranes by tumor T lymphocytes. It can take a mouth form.
Other malignant tumours
Dogs can also be affected:
- tonsillar carcinoma, a tumor that rapidly and preferentially metastasizes to the lungs,
- various types of tongue tumours.
Benign tumours
The fibroid
Fibroma is a benign tumor of dermal fibroblasts that can develop anywhere, especially in the dog's mouth. It mostly develops in middle-aged to older dogs.
Oral papillomatosis
Oral papillomatosis is a viral disease that is transmitted orally and is mainly transmitted to young dogs. It is responsible for the appearance of multiple greyish warts in the animal's oral cavity, the size of which can vary from 2mm to 2cm.
The Epulis
Epulis are gum tumors that have a smooth, pink appearance and are often pedunculated. Brachycephalic breeds such as Boxers or Bulldogs are more often affected.
Canine oral eosinophilic granuloma
Eosinophilic granuloma is a condition characterized by the presence of nodules and plaques in the mouth, tonsils or on the skin. Quite often it affects Siberian Huskies and affects the top or sides of the tongue.
What to do in case of oral tumor in dogs?
If you discover a tumor in your dog's oral cavity, the only thing to do is to consult a veterinarian without delay. The only observation of the mass does not alone allow to know the benign or malignant nature of the tumor. To determine this, your veterinarian will need to biopsy the mass for histological analysis.
In the event of a proven or suspected malignancy, additional examinations may be necessary to find out if the tumor has invaded the underlying bone structures or if metastases are already present.These may include chest x-rays, skull x-rays, punctures of the tonsils or lymph nodes as well as a CT scan.
What are the possible treatments?
The treatment to be considered depends on the benign or malignant nature of the mass, its size and its extent.
It may involve surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or even cryosurgery.