Although it is rare, female dogs can develop breast cancer. It usually develops in the mammary system, which is made up of glands that run from a dog's chest to her genitals.
Dogs Affected
According to Peteducation.com, female dogs that have not gotten sprayed are most at risk for developing breast cancer. Usually the cancer affects dogs that are between five and 10 years old, but occasionally dogs under two years old get the disease.
Symptoms
Dogs with mammary cancer often develop abnormal growths in their glands. A tumor causes glands to bleed, develop an irregular shape and/or become attached to the skin or tissue in the mammary system.
Diagnosis
A veterinarian will usually perform a biopsy, removing a tumor to have it analyzed in a laboratory for malignancy. If the cancer has spread, a veterinarian may take an X-ray to get pictures of the inside of a dog's body.
Treatment
Tumor-removal surgery is possible in dogs if cancerous cells have not spread to other parts of the body. Some veterinarians will remove mammary tissue and lymph nodes along with the tumor. During a surgery called a radical mastectomy, a dog's breasts, skin around the breasts and four lymph nodes are removed.
Prevention
It is possible to reduce a dog's chance of getting breast cancer by getting her sprayed before the first time or second time she goes into heat.
Tags: breast cancer, dogs that, female dogs, lymph nodes, mammary system
