Canine Lymphoma

CAUSES:

Canine Lymphoma can be a devastating experience and although considered a very dire condition many times, with swift treatment, it is not fatal. Of all the types of cancers, canine lymphoma is the most common with malignant tumors that develop on the dog’s lymph nodes, liver or spleen. Other areas of attack can be the digestive system and even the eyes and skin.

Although canine lymphoma can affect any breed, certain types of dogs have a greater tendency toward the disease. Golden Retrievers have a higher rate of the disease with 1 in 8 of these dogs being afflicted. Others such as Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Boxers, Scottish Terriers and Basset hounds have also been prone to coming down with canine lymphoma.

As with most cancers, the actual causes of canine lymphoma aren’t easily determined. Genetics can play a crucial role in whether or not some dogs will come down with the disease, however this is not a hard a fast rule. For dogs that have not been cared for properly; nutritious food, clean water, exercise and rest, these can be contributing factors for ill health in general. As with most opportunistic diseases, dogs with lymphoma have the bad misfortune of their immune system breaking down causing normally healthy cells to transform into malignant growths and tumors.

Although the type of breed can play a role in the susceptibility of canine lymphoma, gender has shown to be a non-issue. The age of dogs does set the stage for this disease as it does on many others with middle aged to older dogs being more inclined to come down with it. In the case of canine lymphoma, the reasons why a pet will come down with the disease are often not as important as a way to get them better.

SYMPTOMS:

Canine lymphoma can often not make itself known until either the pet is either in the vet’s office for a checkup or lumps begin to appear on the skin. Some symptoms may be indicators of the disease although they can also be attributed to a variety of other illnesses. 

·       Vomiting

·       Loss of Appetite

·       Laziness

·       Weight loss

·       Lumps

·       Fever

·       Diarrhea

Canine lymphoma is an aggressive disease as it more rapidly throughout the body once it has established itself within an organ. Just like cancers in humans, dogs with lymphoma that reach the lymph nodes themselves can quickly incapacitate your pet. The further along the disease develops the more pronounced these symptoms will make themselves known.

When lymphoma attacks the digestive system it wreck havoc on the animals ability to digest food causing many dogs to vomit their meals. Food that cannot be digested properly is flushed through the intestinal track and results in bouts of diarrhea. After a while the pet will simply not have the desire to eat at all which will manifest in malnutrition, a lack of energy and weight loss.  Often this is accompanied by a fever that can last for at least three days.

Except for the development of tumors or lumps on the skin, which can be see or felt, indicators of canine lymphoma usually won’t reveal themselves until after it has begun to spread. Some dogs may begin to show signs of the illness through unusual behavior. Dogs that normally are energetic, playful and eager to discover new things often times take the exact opposite position.

Canine lymphoma is not the only reason behind such personality changes but the fact that your dog doesn’t act the way they would normally, should be all the reason needed to investigate. 

COMPLICATIONS:

Because canine lymphoma is a blood disorder, it has the ability to quickly spread all throughout the body.  Lymphoma begins when radical changes occur within the animal’s DNA. This becomes a chain reaction that swiftly develops into lymphoma cancer.

Canine lymphoma can present itself as lumps on the skin and/or tumors within the body. As with any type of cancer, the mere presence of lymphoma, because of its attack of vital organs, will create numerous complications. Lymphoma tumors that develop on organs will put severe stress on them causing eventual break down of tissue and organ function.

Dogs with lymphoma can expect, with the disease attacking the lymph nodes and causing inflammation of the nodes, a breakdown of their immune system. Damage done to the immune system has far reaching effect on the general health of dogs as well as specific harm to individual organs and their functions. Just like the digestive track, the lymph nodes are key parts of the body’s immune system.

The skin is often affected by canine lymphoma. The onset of red, scaly and flaky skin will cause dogs to itch and scratch the infection will can lead to hot spots. As the lymphoma becomes more aggressive, tumors and lumps may appear on the skin.  These tumors can be painful and with the inflamed skin sometimes the affected dogs can start losing some of their hair. Hair loss in and of itself is not usually a factor in lymphoma but complications from inflammation of the skin, the scratching of the skin for relief can cause the condition.

Canine lymphoma can spread to lungs causing problems for dogs that rely on their extraordinary lung capacity for running and daily activities. Repertory infections due to mediastinum, which is a special aggregation of lymphoid tissue in the chest, can be cause dogs difficulty in breathing. This condition also develops into a need for frequent urination and an increase in thirst. 

Attacking bone marrow is a major concern for dogs afflicted with canine lymphoma as the function of marrow is vital for immune defense. As the disease continues to destroy marrow, other diseases such as inflamed joints (arthritis) and osteoporosis will develop.

PREVENTION:             

There are very few things we can do to prevent canine lymphoma considering that this, like all cancers, is a disease without any particularly rhyme or reason. However as with the health of humans, making sure the body and mind are in good health and condition can give your dogs a fighting chance. Proper care and regular check up are fundamental for maintaining health. Being observant of out of the ordinary behavior provides the owner with an opportunity for early detection. The early lymphoma can be discovered the better chance of recovery and survival your pet will have.

The primary recourse for trying to prevent canine lymphoma is to maintain a healthy pet.  Canine lymphoma generally gains a hold when their immune system, the first line of defense, is weakened. This can come from a variety of sources such as poor diet, lack of exercise, injury and/or sickness. Your dog’s natural defense is their own body’s ability to fend off against minor infections and irritations. If this first line is broken more severe damage is done and it becomes a slippery slope.

Proper nutrition for dogs is vital for a strong immune system which is the key factor for all around health and vitality.  Good food that isn’t filled with grains and “meat by-products” will go a long way in stopping the weakening of the immune system and canine lymphoma from ever invading organs or the intestinal track where they can burrow in and generate secondary illnesses.  In addition to your dog’s food, giving them a quality vitamin supplement can help boost their internal defenses and provide nutrition for blood, bone and skin.

NuVet Plus is the safe, fast way to control the spread of canine lymphoma once and for all. Recommended by thousands of top breeders and veterinarians, NuVet Plus can boost the immune system and curtail canine lymphoma in just weeks, keeping your pet healthy and protected against cancer and disease – for the rest of their lives.

NuVet Plus is produced in an FDA approved laboratory used to produce human pharmaceuticals. The use of this kind of high-tech, superior quality manufacturing facility is unheard of for nutritional supplements for dogs in the pet industry but NuVet Labs knows that no greater value can be placed on our beloved four legged member of the family. 

NuVet Plus is 100% guaranteed for purity, safety and effectiveness. As one of the oldest and most respected companies in the pet industry, NuVet Labs pledges that our NuVet Plus product will eliminate or dramatically reduce your dog’s allergy symptoms within weeks or we’ll refund your purchase. With more than 12 years of service and reliability to our customers and over a million pets helped in their quest for health and vitality, NuVet Labs proudly offers our Risk Free Guarantee for the world’s most revolutionary solution to dog canine lymphoma – NuVet Plus.

NuVet Plus – quality, assurance combined with safety and effectiveness provides your dogs with the kind of health giving care they deserve.

REMEDY/TREATMENT:

Because canine lymphoma is a life threatening disease, early detection is paramount. When discovered early on, lymphoma treatments can be less intrusive and the response more encouraging. This is because the disease is still in the beginning stages and hasn’t ravaged vital organs making the fight against harder. Also your pet’s immune system is still working properly and is a strong adversary against the lymphoma.

Once the canine lymphoma has invaded organs and the lymph node system, more drastic and aggressive measures need to be applied. The rule of thumb is basically the further along the lymphoma is the more intense the therapy.

1. Chemotherapy – While this common canine lymphoma treatment attacks the cancer cells it also damages healthy cells as well making the treatment a double edged sword. The good news is that dogs respond well to this kind of treatment. Plus, unlike humans who often times have a very hard time dealing with the side effects, dogs seem to tolerate it very well.  This treatment is usually accompanied with radiation treatments.

2. Surgery – Canine lymphomas with malignant tumors are extremely dangerous and can spread quickly. The option to surgically remove them is not taken lightly but is a sound recourse of action to prevent them from doing further damage to the body as well as preventing their proliferation.  Most times surgery is coupled with Chemotherapy sessions.

3. Strengthen the Immune System – When the decision to use Chemotherapy against canine lymphoma is given it is equally important that supplemental nutrition is provided that will counter act the damage the drugs will be doing to healthy cells and digestive track’s intestinal flora.

Fundamentally the first line of any remedy is to ensure your dog has a fighting chance against canine lymphoma is a proper diet and balanced nutrition. Providing good food that is full of quality protein and low on grains, corn and possibly tainted meat by-products is paramount for your pet to achieve a healthy digestive system and strong immune system. When you supplement dogs with a vitamin supplement that has been engineered to support vital organs and have ingredients that can attack disease causing free radicals which can make a big difference in their battle against canine lymphoma.

Nutritional supplements that contain a rich supply of vitamins, mineral and essential enzymes offer a matrix of antioxidants that help protect dogs from the ravages of opportunistic lymphoma, free radicals and chemicals that assault them on a daily basis. Formulas that contain quality calcium, a full range of amino acids, Blue Green Algae as one its source of protein and chlorophyll plus L Methionine as an essential amino acid that help to detoxify the blood stream. Shark Cartilage has been shown to help canine lymphoma by shrinking tumors all together.

As with any vitamin and nutritional supplement, the quality of ingredients combined with the manufacturing process is what determines how effective it will be for your favorite dogs. Supplement makers that are willing to put in the time to develop a truly scientifically based formula that has been proven positive results against canine lymphoma are the only kind to consider.  But it should also be noted that superior formulation can only go as far as the processing practices will take them.  Companies that use human grade ingredients begin on the best foot and when combined with manufacturing operations that are approved for human products production by the FDA, this equates to a supplement that goes beyond mere commercial value. It shows a company that puts the health of dogs ahead of everything else.