Mammary Gland Tumors – The basic ‘Need to Know’
Labradors, like humans, can suffer from tumors. The most common being mammary gland tumors.
It is believed that this type of tumor accounts for about 52 percent of the total tumors reported in dogs. However, the number of tumors has decreased in recent years due to the increased amount of spayed puppies.
This tumor is most likely to affect your dog once the begin to go on heat. Spaying a dog prior to their first heat gives them an almost zero percent chance of getting a tumor of this description. However once they have experienced their first heat they have just over a 25 percent chance of getting the tumor.
Unfortunately Mammary Gland Tumors have a high rate of being malignant.
When a tumor is malignant it means that it can spread to other parts of the body. This is very dangerous as a dog that suffers from this can have several tumors rather than just the one.
Also, in the case of this type of tumor, the size of the tumor does not dictate its aggressiveness. It is very possible for the smallest of tumors to spread. This is an important point. You must not assume that just because your dog has a small tumor that it will not spread.
Most dogs are diagnosed during the latter stages of their life. Signs of being affected are swellings or lumps around the glands. They can be both firm or soft.
If you think that your dog may be suffering from a Mammary Gland Tumor get in contact with your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian will most probably recommend treatment.
Treatment will most certainly involve the removal of all the mammary gland masses. Once this is done the tissue sample will determine whether or not the tumor is malignant or benign.
