Welcome

Mesothelioma in dogs is being diagnosed at an increasing rate.

The use of veterinary services for dogs has dramatically increased since around 1980 and the amount spent on diagnosis and treatment of pets in general has increased twice as fast as average consumer expenditures have.  This has lead to the realization that our pets can contract some of the same diseases that we do and from the same sources that we do.

Some people work in areas that have hazardous levels of asbestos and dogs can find themselves sniffing and running in contaminated demolished buildings.  These scenarios are a concern and should be taken very seriously, but by far, the greatest source of asbestos exposure to us and our dogs is our own home.

Laws have been passed protecting against the use of asbestos, but prior use was so widespread that many houses that were built before the mid 1980s have products containing asbestos such as floor tiles, joint compounds, shingles, siding, insulation, texture and more.  The removal of asbestos products is closely regulated for safety but most people don’t know and have trouble identifying which products contain asbestos.  Therefore, they continue to tear down or renovate homes and buildings, and in the process, unwittingly, release asbestos particles into the air.  These particles can remain airborne for quite some time and then settle on to the surface of objects and the floor of the house.  It is easy to imagine how dogs can inhale these settled asbestos particles because dogs put their noses so close to whatever they are sniffing.

Watch Mesothelioma In Dogs

The cause of mesothelioma in dogs is mainly due to inhalation of asbestos.

Dogs are much more prone than cats to inhaling asbestos particles because dogs just naturally sniff more.  Once the asbestos particles become lodged in the lungs they remain as a constant irritant eventually developing into mesothelioma.

The early symptoms of mesothelioma in dogs are non-specific, which can lead to a delay in the diagnosis.  Showing no symptoms at all in the early stages, the dog can show subtle signs of viral pneumonia, chest pain, a persistent cough, and a build-up of chest fluids.  As the disease develops, more symptoms will appear, as listed below.

• Breathing problems, respiratory distress, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, coughing
• Lethargy, difficulty in moving, exercise intolerance
• Abdominal discomfort, abdominal distension (enlargement), enlarged heart, enlarged liver, fluids in the lungs
• Muffled heart sounds, decreased lung sounds
• Vomiting, weight loss, inability to eat
• Fever
• Sleeping problems
• Urinary abnormalities
• Weak peripheral pulse

The diagnosis of mesothelioma in dogs will usually begin with an x-ray showing some abnormalities in the lining of the dog’s lungs. Then a CT scan or ultrasound is sometimes in order along with a complete blood count, urinalysis, and a biochemical profile.  The veterinarian may also perform a biopsy, where a piece of the tissue from the lung area is removed and sent to a pathologist for study.

There are two ways to treat mesothelioma in dogs.

• Surgery:  When mesothelioma is diagnosed early, before metastasis (spreading) begins, surgery may successfully remove the tumors.  Surgery is not an option once spreading has begun.
• Medication:  Intracavitary cisplatin (a chemotherapeutic drug injected directly where the tumors are) seems to be the most promising chemotherapy.  Chemotherapy is the only practical treatment once the tumors have metastasized.

The study of treating mosothelioma in dogs remains quite limited as most dog owners choose to euthanize their pet when they find out he/she has a fatal form of cancer.  The reasons that they choose euthanasia are that treatment is very expensive and most importantly, during treatment, the dog would suffer unbearably.