Not many people know that cancer does not only occur in humans, but also in pets, including a dog that’s commonly referred to as cancerous mole on dog. The good news is most of cancer cases on dogs are treatable as long as you can identify them soon.
Skin cancer is the type of tumor that most commonly diagnosed among dogs because this cancer is easy to spot with the naked eye. Bringing your dog outside to get sunlight does not always good, especially on white dog breeds. This can make them in a high risk of getting squamous cell carcinoma. The main cause of cancerous mole on dog is genetics, but the other factors (the amount of sun exposure, viruses, hormonal, etc.) can be significant as well.
Types of dog’s cancerous mole
The types of skin cancer in dogs are various, such as the squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanomas, mast cell tumors, and basa cell carcinoma. But somehow, the last type is rarely found in dogs. The first type of skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) is often caused by exposure to the sun, and it may lead to some damages to the tissues around the tumor. However, this type usually doesn’t spread to any other organs. It is different to malignant melanomas that tend to grow quickly and spread to other organs (including lungs and liver).
Dog melanoma usually occurs in the mouth and gums area, nail bed, or toes. Male dogs are known to be riskier in getting this type of skin cancer. Meanwhile, mast cell tumors are the most common one in dogs, and the causes are genetic and hormones (including estrogen and progesterone).
The symptoms
The symptoms are different, depending on the type of cancer, but you have to be cautious if you notice some red itchy spots (they can be caused by some allergies, but they can also be tumor cells) on your dog’s skin, or when your dog seems to be in pain on certain part of its body.
Therefore, if you see any suspicious lumps or bumps, or scars on your dog’s skin, be sure to see a vet soon to get a proper and fixed diagnosis. Therefore, your dogs will get proper surgery, chemotherapy, or medication as soon as possible. In fact, this disease is better to be treated in the early stage. Cancerous mole on dog may be irresistible, but we can always do the right treatment.
