Sarcomas in Dogs Karri Miller

SARCOMAS UNDER YOUR DOG'S SKIN

Last month, I discussed how cats can develop sarcomas under their skin that are rarely associated with vaccines.  This month, I will address sarcomas that can occur under the skin in your other furry family member, the dog.  Unlike in the cat, the development of these tumors is not linked to vaccines.  

These tumors may first be noticed as a small lump or swelling under the skin in any location.  The appearance of a soft tissue sarcoma can be very similar to other common tumors under the skin, such as benign fatty tumors (lipoma) and mast cell tumors.  It is important to realize that you cannot diagnose the tumor type by the way it feels.  Some people think that any soft mass under the skin is a lipoma, while any mass that is more firm is a malignant tumor.  This is not always the case, as some soft tumors are diagnosed as mast cell tumors or soft tissue sarcomas.  On the other hand, some lipomas can feel firm if they form under a thin layer of muscle.  The good news is there are easy diagnostics that can be performed to differentiate between these different tumors.  A sample of cells from the mass can be obtained by sticking a small needle into the mass and smearing the cells onto a slide.  The slide can be evaluated by your veterinarian or a clinical pathologist to determine the tissue of origin.  

If your pet has a soft tissue sarcoma under the skin, the best treatment option is surgery.  Prior to surgery, it is recommended that your pet have basic bloodwork performed to make sure they are healthy enough for surgery and chest x-rays to make sure the tumor has not spread to the lungs.  Most of these tumors will have a low rate of metastasis, but it is very important to determine they are metastasis-free before pursuing treatment.  Just as with the cat sarcomas, the first surgery is usually the best attempt to rid your pet of the entire tumor.  Sarcomas have microscopic finger-like projections that extend out from the mass you can feel.  Therefore, surgery will involve taking a few centimeters of normal tissue to ensure the entire tumor has been removed.  If the entire sarcoma is removed with a large margin of normal tissue around it, your pet may be cured.  

In some cases, it is not possible to remove a large amount of normal tissue.  Sarcomas that occur on any of the legs can present this problem.  In those cases, it is still recommended to remove as much of the mass and normal tissue that is possible.  If wide margins were not obtained, radiation therapy may be recommended.  Side effects of radiation therapy are confined to the area that is treated.  If surgery is followed by radiation therapy, there is a 75% control rate of the tumor at 5 years.  When radiation therapy is not possible, metronomic chemotherapy may be a viable option.  This type of chemotherapy involves a low dose chemotherapy pill and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that slows tumor blood vessel growth.  This has been shown to delay the time it takes for the tumor to regrow and is associated with minimal side effects.  If your pet’s tumor is not completely removed and no other treatment is pursued, the tumor most likely will regrow in that area.  The time it will take to regrow depends on a number of factors including:  how much of the tumor was removed, tumor location, and tumor grade.

As you can see, treatment options are available for long term tumor control or cure for dogs with soft tissue sarcomas.  Pursuing diagnostics and treatment when the mass is first noticed and small in size, can be very beneficial.  It is important that any new masses on your pet should be evaluated by your veterinarian to determine their origin and a treatment plan.  

Blog by:

Karri Miller DVM, MS, DACVM (Oncology) 

http://www.lapoflove.com/default.aspx?sid=8

www.lapoflove.com

Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice 

Dr. Karri Miller provides Skype and Phone consultations to families across the United States whose pets have been diagnosed with cancer. As a Board Certified Oncologist, she will be able to provide your family with information about cancer, treatment options, and expectations.

Blog originally prepared for the Lakeland Ledger (Florida)

Posted by Vet Mary Gardner

Heat Stroke in Dogs and Cats

HEAT STROKE

Hyperthermia, also known as heat stroke, is a life-threatening condition, and requires immediate help.  A dog or cat’s normal body temperature is 101.5°F plus or minus 1 degree, and any time the body temperature is higher than 105°F, it is an EMERGENCY.  The most common cause of heatstroke occurs in summer when dogs are left within cars.  However, heatstroke may also occur in other conditions, including:

1. When any animal is left outdoors in hot/humid conditions without adequate shade.
2. When the animal is exercised in hot/humid weather.  
3. When left in a car on a relatively cool (70°F) day; a recent study found the temperature within a vehicle may increase by an average of 40 degrees Fahrenheit within one hour regardless of outside temperature.  Yup, you read that right, 110 degrees or more!!!

Other predisposing factors may be obesity and/or conditions affecting a pet’s airway, including laryngeal paralysis and other diseases of the throat region and having a brachycephalic (short-nosed) breed: (Pekingese, Pug, Lhasa apso, Boston terrier, Persian, Himalayan, etc.) These pets may suffer from heatstroke more readily due to their inability to move air properly through their short crowded noses and throats.

SIGNS:

Initially the pet appears distressed, and will pant excessively and become restless.  As the hyperthermia progresses, the pet may drool large amounts of saliva from the nose and/or mouth.  The pet may become unsteady on his feet.  You may notice the gums turning blue/purple or bright red in color, which is due to inadequate oxygen.

WHAT TO DO:

• Remove your pet from the environment where the hyperthermia occurred. 
• Move your pet to a shaded and cool environment.
• Begin to cool the body by placing cool, wet towels over the back of the neck, in the armpits, and in the groin region.  You may also wet the ear flaps and paws with cool water. 
• Direct a fan on the pet for evaporative cooling, especially helpful if you can wet the pet down. 
•  Transport to the closest veterinary facility immediately.

What NOT to Do:

• Do not leave your pet unattended in a car or outdoors.
• Do not use cold water or ice for cooling. 
• Do not overcool the pet.  Most pets with hyperthermia have body temperatures greater than 105°F, and a reasonable goal of cooling is to reduce your pet’s body temperature to 102.5-103°F while transporting her to the closest veterinary facility. 
• Do not attempt to force water into your pet’s mouth, but you may have fresh cool water ready to offer should your pet be alert and show an interest in drinking.

While ice or very cold water may seem logical, it fails to cool the inside of your pet where all the vital organs are its use is not advised.  Ice or cold water will cause the blood vessels in the skin to shrink in response to the extreme cold and cooling will actually be slower. Cool tap water is more suitable for effective cooling.   

It is important to seek medical care immediately to prevent further organ damage and to address complications that result from heatstroke.

BLOG WRITTEN BY:

Dr. Dana Lewis

Dr. Dana assists families with Pet Hospice and Euthanasia in the Raleigh North Carolina area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the greater Triangle, as well as Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties.)

Click here for Dr. Dana's bio link

DrDana@LapofLove.com

www.lapoflove.com

Blog posted by:
Vet Mary Gardner

Cat Tumors from Vaccines

RARE CAT TUMORS FROM VACCINES

Many years ago, when I started my career in veterinary medicine as a veterinary technician, I remember being puzzled as to why we vaccinated cats in so many different locations on their bodies.  The rabies vaccine was given in one leg, while the feline leukemia vaccine was given in another leg, and the panleukopenia vaccine was given in yet another leg.  When I was brave enough to ask why we vaccinated cats this way, I was given my first taste of veterinary oncology.  It turns out that in about 1 out of every 10,000 cats, vaccines can cause something called vaccine-associated sarcomas.  

The notion that a vaccine can cause a type of tumor is scary for cat owners.  However, over the past 10-20 years, there has been a lot of effort by the veterinary community to decrease this risk.  Special task forces have been developed in an effort to determine the best location to vaccinate your cat, how often to vaccinate, and the safest vaccine.  You may have noticed that your veterinarian used to vaccinate your cat between the shoulder blades and now they do it on a leg or on the tail.  This practice was developed in order to make it easier to treat a tumor if it occurred.  Some vaccines are administered every year, while others can be administered every three years in an effort to decrease the risk of developing a sarcoma.  Vaccines, such as feline leukemia virus, may only be given to your cat if your veterinarian feels that your pet is at an increased risk of catching this virus.  

 

Vaccine-associated sarcomas can develop over weeks to years after a vaccine is administered.  These tumors are thought to occur from inflammation incited by the vaccine that causes these cells to divide.  The best results for tumor control occur when aggressive surgery and radiation therapy are combined.  Cats that undergo this type of treatment can be tumor free for approximately 2 years.  It is recommended that the tumor be removed by a board certified surgeon since these can be extremely difficult to remove completely.  In fact, advanced imaging, such as a CT scan should be performed prior to any surgery to remove a vaccine-associated sarcoma.  A CT scan can show the extent of the tumors in tissues that you cannot feel on the outside of your cat.  If the tumor was not completely removed or if you cannot pursue surgery and radiation therapy, there are other treatment options.  Injectable chemotherapy may help prevent the tumor from growing back if it was not completely removed.  Palladia, a medication approved for the treatment of mast cell tumors in dogs, is currently being investigated for use against vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats.  Preliminary results show that Palladia may slow the growth of this tumor in cats.  

The risk of developing a tumor from a vaccine may be much less than your cat catching a deadly virus that they could have been prevented with a vaccine.  In fact, the rabies vaccine is required by law for all dogs and cats.  Please discuss your cat’s vaccine needs with your regular veterinarian.  It is also important to alert your veterinarian to any masses you may feel when petting your cat at home, so they can be addressed in a timely manner.

Blog by:

Karri Miller DVM, MS, DACVM (Oncology) 

http://www.lapoflove.com/default.aspx?sid=8

www.lapoflove.com

Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice 

Dr. Karri Miller provides Skype and Phone consultations to families across the United States whose pets have been diagnosed with cancer. As a Board Certified Oncologist, she will be able to provide your family with information about cancer, treatment options, and expectations.

Blog originally prepared for the Lakeland Ledger (Florida)

Posted by Vet Mary Gardner

Lap of Love Video

Lap of Love Video

This year a dear friend of mine created a wonderful song for Lap of Love which exemplifies the bond our clients have with their pets and what our services embrace and honor.

The writer, composer, singer and musician who made the song is Zach Ziskin!  Thank you so much Zack for being able to capture the emotions of all us pet lovers feel when saying goodbye to a furry family member.

Many of the pictures were provided to us by an incredible photographer Robyn Kessler: http://robynkesslerphotography.com/rkp/dogs/     She is in the San Francisco area and does weddings, engagement and most importantly (to me at least) pet photography. Robyn had so many amazing pictures she allowed us to choose from – it was a difficult task.

The song and pictures were put together to make the video by Alex Mechlin from Chicago Pet Video. He did a fabulous job arranging everything and creating the finished product.  http://www.chicagopetvideo.com/

We hope you enjoy the song, pictures and video!  Thank you again to all involved!

Watch it on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiU9lvb9IXc&feature=plcp

Watch it on Vimeo:  https://vimeo.com/44178979

Dr. Mary Gardner

Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice

www.lapoflove.com

Veterinary Specialists Karri Miller

WHY DOES MY PET NEED A SPECIALIST?

When I tell someone what I do for a living, their response is usually the same, “You are a veterinary oncologist?  I did not know there was such a thing.  Do people treat their pets for cancer?”  This usually prompts a response about what my job entails and my passion for veterinary oncology.    

It is interesting that in today’s society where most households have at least one pet, so few people realize there is specialty care available for their pet.  Just as in human medicine, many specialties now exist in veterinary medicine.  Some examples of the specialties available for your pet include:  internal medicine, neurology, oncology, cardiology, surgery, ophthalmology, and dermatology.  The family physician is the equivalent of a general veterinarian, who your pet visits for basic wellness and vaccines.  If the family physician were to hear a heart murmur or irregular heartbeat on a patient, they would be sent to a cardiologist for tests and an evaluation.  It is very similar in veterinary medicine where a heart murmur or irregular heartbeat found by the general veterinarian, may be further evaluated by a veterinary cardiologist.  Your family veterinarian may be the first doctor to assess any medical problem that your pet has, but they may recommend your pet visit a specialist for additional help managing your pet’s medical condition.  

     

Another question that I get asked when telling people about my job is, “Did you have to undergo special training to do oncology?”  The answer to that is yes!  Any specialist, whether it is a human physician or a veterinarian, has to pursue special training after medical or veterinary school in order to specialize in one area.  This typically involves an internship and residency performed under faculty and mentors that have been specialists in the field for years.  There are also rigorous exams administered upon completion of a residency, to insure that each doctor is able to practice the specialty with a certain level of knowledge and standard of care.  It is only when all of these criteria are met, that someone can become board-certified in a certain field. 

While the comparisons between human physician specialists and veterinary specialists are numerous, there are some differences in the way people and pets are treated.  Sometimes treatments available for people may not yet be available for pets.  Treatments that are available to both people and pets, may be administered differently in pets.  Reasons for this difference include:  cost, availability of the treatment, and the ability to tolerate the treatment.  Dogs and cats metabolize medications differently than people, and some treatments can be ineffective or toxic in these animals.  Ultimately, the goal of any treatment in pets is to maintain a good quality of life, while extending their life span.  

If your pet has any special medical condition, from itchy skin to a growing mass, a board-certified specialist may be able to help.  Your family veterinarian and veterinary specialist work as a team to provide the best care for your pet’s medical condition.  Should you choose to seek a specialist’s help for your dog or cat, your family veterinarian will be able to help locate the right specialist to meet your family’s needs.

  

Blog By:
Karri Miller DVM, MS, DACVM (Oncology) 

http://www.lapoflove.com/default.aspx?sid=8

www.lapoflove.com

Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice 

Dr. Karri Miller provides Skype and Phone consultations to families across the United States whose pets have been diagnosed with cancer. As a Board Certified Oncologist, she will be able to provide your family with information about cancer, treatment options, and expectations.

Blog originally prepared for the Lakeland Ledger (Florida)

Posted by Vet Mary Gardner

PARVO IN DOGS KIM SIMONS

PARVOVIRUS IN DOGS

WHERE DOES PARVO COME FROM?

Parvovirus has been around since the 1970s, is hard to disinfect, and is shed in extremely large numbers by infected dogs. This means that there is virus everywhere: on every carpet, on every floor, in every yard and park. 

Parvovirus infection occurs primarily in puppies, however adult dogs can occasionally become infected.  The most important factors in whether parvovirus infection occurs seem to be the experience the dog’s immune system has had with the virus plus the number of viral particles the dog is exposed to. 

Restrict dogs  from public outdoor areas

until vaccinations are complete at 16 weeks of age.

INCUBATION
The virus enters the body through the mouth as the puppy cleans itself or eats food off the ground or floor. A minuscule amount of infected stool is all it takes.

There is a 3 to 7 day incubation period before the puppy seems obviously ill.

SYMPTOMS

1.  Vomiting

2.  Diarrhea (often with blood)

3.  Lack of appetite

4.  Abdominal pain

5.  Fever

Parvovirus is a deadly virus.  The vomiting and diarrhea resulting from the infection leads to extreme dehydration until shock and death occurs and/or the dog becomes septic from bacterial invasion into the bloodstream from a damaged intestinal barrier.  

TREATMENT

Treatment for parvoviral infection centers on supportive care. This means that the clinical problems that come up in the course of the infection are addressed individually with the goal of keeping the patient alive long enough for an immune response to generate. We do not have effective antiviral drugs and must rely on the patient’s immune system for cure.

BE PREPARED FOR A 5 to 7 DAY HOSPITAL STAY AND SUBSTANTIAL EXPENSE. INTENSIVE CARE IS NEEDED TO TREAT THIS INFECTION.
In order to achieve the usual survival rate of approximately 75-80%, the basic therapies must be instituted which includes IV fluid therapy, antivomiting medication, antibiotics, stomach protectants, and plasma transfusions.  

PREVENTION
Make sure your dog is fully vaccinated for parvo.  It is highly effective with minimal if any side effects.  Your puppy should be vaccinated every 2-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age starting at 6-8 weeks of age.  

Blog by:

Kim Simons, DVM

Lap of Love

drkim@lapoflove.com

Pet Hospice and In Home Pet Euthanasia

Dr. Kim Simons services all towns in and around Palm Beach county including Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, and Jupiter.