Renal Carcinoma in Dogs

Renal carcinoma is a cancer of the kidney that occurs in the cellular lining of the vessels responsible for filtering waste from the blood. Carcinoma is a form of cancer that originates in the epithelial lining of organs and vessels and is a type of cancer that metastasizes faster. Renal refers to the renal vein of the kidneys, where waste is filtered from bodily fluids to produce urine. Although relatively uncommon in dogs, an understanding of renal carcinoma in dogs is important to ensure you can spot the signs of cancer in time to save your pet.

  1. Dogs and Cancer

    • Cancer in dogs occurs for many of the same reasons cancer occurs in humans. Genetic damage to the cells of a dog's body can create a carcinogenic atmosphere and can be caused by radiation, chemical exposure, hormone imbalance or age. Dogs can have a genetic predisposition toward contracting cancer, and purebreds with cancer history in their lineage are at risk. German Shepherds have been found to be genetically predisposed towards a greater renal carcinoma risk. When a cell is damaged to the point that it begins to grow abnormally, it blocks the growth of other cells and is considered to be cancerous. Renal cell carcinomas are relatively rare in dogs, accounting for about 1 percent of all cancer diagnoses in canines.

    Renal Carcinoma and Related Cancers

    • Renal carcinomas are a fast spreading strain of cancer and can metastasize quickly to the lungs and liver. In over half of all dogs diagnosed with renal carcinoma, cancer has already spread to those organs. Although renal carcinomas themselves are relatively rare, a variety of cancerous disorders in dogs can produce the same symptoms and effects. Embryonal nephroma is a form of kidney cancer that is congenital in dogs. Bladder cancers, both benign and malignant, can create symptoms in the urinary tract.

    Symptoms

    • Renal carcinomas are difficult to spot because there are no visible early signs, such as cancerous growth visible on the skin. Common clinical symptoms of canine renal carcinoma include a loss of appetite, extreme weight loss and pain due to producing urine. At later stages of renal carcinoma, abdominal distension can be visible. The presence of blood in a dog's urine can be another symptom of renal carcinoma.

    Diagnosis

    • The most common procedure for diagnosing any type of cancer in dogs is by using X-ray capabilities to find a tumor or other associated abnormality. An intravenous pyelogram, a kidney-specific X-ray procedure, can visualize the kidney tissue and vessels for a veterinarian. A blood test can find if the dog's kidneys are producing excess erythropoietin, a hormone used to produce red blood cells that can increase in production if the kidneys are malfunctioning. Histiopathology is a procedure of examining tissue from a biopsy to find the presence of cancer. Histiopathology can define if a tumor is benign or malignant.

    Treatment

    • Kidney removal is the most effective treatment for renal carcinoma. Neutered dogs have higher survival rates for kidney removal surgery, and females have a higher survival rate than males. Nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can decrease the cancer's production of prostaglandins, which create inflammations in the dog's body tissues. NSAIDs have been able to produce cancer remission in certain cases. Chemotherapy drugs can help prevent recurrence of tumor or can prevent the cancer metastasizing elsewhere in the dog's body. Renal carcinoma in both kidneys is incurable in dogs.