Nose cancer, also called nasal cancer or nasosinal cancer, could strike your dog at any time. Although a tumor can start out small in the nose, the metastic rate of the tumor can be as high as 50 percent at the time of a dog’s death, according to petcancercenter.org. That means that the tumor can grow and spread to other organs. The most common sites affected are the lymph nodes and lungs. Nasal cancer accounts for 1 percent of all tumors in dogs, so it is not very common. Larger breeds may have a greater risk than smaller breeds.
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Nasal Discharge
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Chronic bouts of sneezing and nasal discharge may indicate a problem. Nasal discharge can be clear, cloudy, bloody or any mixture of these. It is also categorized by nostril. Unilateral means it is dripping from one nostril, while bilateral means it is dripping from both nostrils. It also may be diagnosed as chronic versus acute. Nasal bleeding could indicate a variety of things like seasonal allergies. It is not a problem unless it is occurring constantly and causing your dog a great deal of distress.
Other Symptoms
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There are other symptoms to consider when diagnosing nose cancer. They include rubbing the nose or pawing at the face, gagging, reversed sneezing or explosive high-pitched sucking noises, excessive swallowing, bleeding from one or both nostrils, a bad smell from the mouth or nose, pain in nostrils or face, swelling on the bridge of the nose, loud and noisy breathing, loss of appetite and weight loss and lack of energy. If your dog experiences any of these, take him to a veterinarian.
Tumors
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The nasal cavity in dogs is a large, air-filled place above and behind the nose. The most common type of tumor to strike in this area are carcinomas and sarcomas, which usually metastasize. Diagnosis of these tumors usually begin at three months with signs such as swelling, facial deformity, bleeding and discharge from the nose, tumor growth, sneezing, difficulty breathing and discharge from the eyes. CT scans and X-rays can both locate cancerous growths such as tumors, and are both acceptable means of diagnosis. However, in order to tell if your dog has nasal cancer, a tissue biopsy is crucial. There are a variety of techniques to do this. They include flushing out the nasal area to dislodge a piece of the tumor or inserting a small needle into the nose cavity and into the tumor.
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