Dogs and cats can develop a variety of different types of soft tissue sarcomas, which include tumors of the connective, muscular, and neurological systems. The unchecked proliferation of these cell types is what causes malignant tumors. Due to the widespread presence of connective, muscular, and neurological tissues, these tumors can arise anywhere on your pet’s body, including the chest, back, sides, legs, and face. In spite of their diverse cellular origins, most soft tissue tumors share certain behaviors and therapies.
Causes
The cause of this or any tumor or cancer in a specific pet is not simple to pinpoint. Only a small part of tumors and malignancies have a clear-cut origin. It appears that many are caused by a combination of environmental and genetic or inherited factors.
No definitive reason for the emergence of soft tissue sarcomas has been identified in the vast majority of instances. Inject site sarcomas are more common in cats than in dogs. Sarcomas of the head and neck are a rare but possible outcome of infection with the feline sarcoma virus, a variant of the feline leukemia virus. You can ask the St Louis veterinarians for more information.
Symptoms
Typically, these tumors manifest as a hard or tender bump in a deep dermal layer, subcutaneous tissue, or the underlying muscle. In many cases, the owner will discover them, but in other cases, the veterinarian will. Most often, these growths are painless and appear covered by normal skin. Though they can show up anywhere, they most often do so on the limbs, chest, or abdominal wall.
Diagnosis
A sarcoma can be identified with a fine needle aspiration performed by a veterinary oncologist. A needle aspirate is a noninvasive procedure in which cells from the tumor are removed using a small needle and then examined under a microscope.
Your veterinary oncologist will suggest a series of tests to determine if the tumor has progressed to other organs. Lungs and liver metastasis are the most frequent destinations for sarcomas. Depending on the location of the tumor, further imaging, like a CT scan, may also be needed in addition to the standard battery of bloodwork, chest X-rays, and abdomen ultrasound. You can learn more information at stlouisanimalemergencyclinic.org.
Treatment
After the vet has finished the diagnostic testing, you’ll have a clearer idea of your alternatives for caring for your pet. You can treat your dog’s tumor with one of the following methods if it hasn’t spread.
Surgery
Soft tissue sarcomas are often treated through surgical excision. The tumor tissue must be completely excised during small animal soft tissue surgery, which requires a large incision. No additional therapy may be required once a tumor has been surgically removed with “clean” surgical margins. A second operation may be recommended to guarantee that all tumor cells were eliminated if the first one did not remove the tumor with sufficient margins.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation treatment is frequently employed as a means of halting or postponing tumor growth. Radiation therapy has temporary side effects that are localized to the treatment area. If a tumor is too large for surgical removal, radiation therapy may be used as an alternative.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is an option for patients whose tumors cannot be removed surgically. Chemotherapy isn’t meant to cure your dog but rather to help him live longer while he battles cancer.
