Lung Tumors in Dogs

Even though lung tumors in dogs are relatively rare, these tumors often grow without noticeable signs. It's critical that you contact your veterinarian with any changes in your dog's behavior since your dog has a better chance surviving a smaller tumor.

  1. Signs &Symptoms

    • Outward symptoms of lung tumors include chronic coughing and weight loss. The dog may have difficulty breathing and may also cough up blood. Many times, lung tumors will show no signs until a chest X-ray or other diagnostic testing is done for other reasons. According to The American College of Veterinary Surgeons, "about 25 percent of animals with a primary lung tumor will have no signs."

    Types of Lung Tumors

    • The two types of lung tumors are primary lung tumors and metastatic lung tumors. Primary tumors start in the lung and are relatively uncommon. Metastatic tumors come from cancer cells from another part of the body, such as cancer in glands or blood.

    Risk Factors

    • Canine risk factors for lung tumors include those similar for humans, such as living in a home with smokers. Older dogs are at a greater risk for lung tumors. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons also says that canine breeds with shorter noses are at more risk than breeds with long noses.

    Diagnosis

    • When a lung tumor is suspected, your veterinarian will do an X-ray or a CT scan. If the tumor is in an accessible location, your vet may take a biopsy. This is typically done by using a needle to pull out samples from the tumor; these samples are then tested to help diagnose the type and extent of the tumor.

    Treatment

    • Treatment options vary and depend on the type of tumor, the number of tumors and the overall health of your dog. When a single primary tumor is present, surgery is an option. If your dog has a number of tumors that are the result of cancer spreading from elsewhere in the body, your veterinarian will likely recommend chemotherapy.

    Prognosis

    • Dogs with primary lung tumors have a better prognosis than those with metastatic tumors. As well, the outlook is better for dogs with smaller lung tumors than those with large tumors.