Posted on March 29, 2010.
Brain tumors in Dogs and the Cats
Although comparatively rare, a brain tumor always did a harsh prognostic for the unfortunate animal that is diagnosed with the one. Traditionally they often were supposed but rarely were confirmed, but since to examine MRI and CT became more principal current than they correctly can be diagnosed. Here we discuss the different types of tumor of brain that affects dogs and cats, the investigations clinics that can be executed, the available treatments and the probable exits.
The brain tumors seem to be more common in the dogs than the cats, and the certain types are on represented as the Boxers, the Gilded Retrievers, Dobermans, Scottish and Old Terriers Dogs of English shepherd.
Primary against Secondary
The brain tumors can be primary or secondary (the metastasis of the other sites). The primary tumors of brain are of solitary ordinary, the one the more town in the dog is gliomas and meningiomas. In the cats, the type more common is meningiomas and these can arrive to the multiple locations.
The secondary tumors in the dogs include the extension of a nasal tumor, a breast metastasises, cancer of lung or prostate, hemangiosarcoma or the extension of a tumor of pituitary gland. The tumors of sheath of nerve and the skull tumors also were retrieved.
The secondary tumors in the cats include the tumors of pituitary gland, the carcinomes of metastatic, the local extension of nasal tumors, the tumors of skull and the tumors of cavity of ear of the environment.
What does it cause a brain tumor?
The cause of tumors of brain is not known. The system, the environment, the chemical, genetic, viral, immunologic product and traumatism all was considered. In the cats with meningiomas, because they arrive often in the very young animals, a genetic element is suspected.
Benign against Cunning
The benign and cunning terms must be used with care while referring itself to the brain tumors. Normally these terms apply to the various characteristics on a cell level, but on a biological level, a brain same benign tumors can kill the animal because of the secondary effects as the pressure of increased intracranial or the cerebral edema. In runs, any tumor of brain can kill.
Which are the symptoms?
There can be the huge variety here. A lot of animals will present with the vague signs, as one or more of the to follow:
1. The usually induced losses
2. The diminished levels of activity
3. The diminished frequency of ronronnement in the cats
4. Disorientation
5. Confusion
The more specific symptoms are dependent on where exactly the tumor is localized in the brain, the size of the tumor and how quickly it growing. As a tumor enlarges, the symptoms tend to become harsher. These can include:
6. The seizures (indicates often a tumor in the cerebral cortex)
7. The face paralysis (can indicate a tumor of brainstem)
8. The tremblings (can indicate a tumor in the cerebellum)
9. Wobbliness (can indicate a tumor in the cerebellum)
10. Full or partial blindness (can indicate the tumor in the hypothalamus or the nerve view)
11. The odor loss (can indicate the tumor of olfactory system)
The physical presence of the tumor can cause the blow on the effects because of the inflammation and the edema of the surrounding sector. This can cause symptoms as:
12. The changes in the behavior or the temperament (irritability, the lethargy)
13. Obligatory walk
14. Encircle
15. The urgent head against a wall or a surface lasts
The animals can carry sometimes the tumors of brain for several years before to present to a veterinary clinic, if the tumor is to grow slow. In these cases that the symptoms develop little by little, and the owner tends to obtain that is used for them for that the time the animal is examined, the tumor attained a considerable size.
How a brain tumor is it diagnosed?
The history and the Examination Clinic
The first step for a veterinarian is to take a meticulous history of all the signs clinics, and when they developed. This is followed by an examination clinic, general and full and a full neurological examination.
Blood
After that, the blood should be taken for the haematology of routine and the biochemistry profiles. This is to look for any disease outside the brain. The results will be normal for the brain tumors, with the possible exception of some tumors of pituitary gland.
Xray
Xray them simple skull (xrays) under the anesthetic general has the small value in to detect a brain tumor, but they can be useful if there is a tumor in the nasal cavities or the environment ear that could spread in the skull. On the rare occasions, they can identify bony changes in the skull that can accompany a brain tumor, or the mineralization in the tumor himself. Xray them and the ultransonic sounds of the chest and of abdomen are useful to look for a tumor elsewhere in the body, if the brain tumor is a secondary metastasis.
The MRI and CT Examine
The confirmation of a can of tumor of brain only is attained using of ordinary the techniques of advanced imagery, CT examines or the MRI. These two has professionels and of the against when compared. CT is better for the bony changes, while MRI is better for the definition of soft fabric, for the detection by far suddenly on the effects of tumors of brain as the edema, the cysts and bleeding. The MRI is the favorite option to diagnose the tumors of primary brain.
Biopsy
This is the only means definitively to diagnose a brain tumor. The advanced techniques of imagery above the offer a lot of information, but they can confuse time in time a tumor with a no the cancerous mass or a cyst, and they do not say us also the exact type of present of tumor, and therefore the treatment and the fitting prognostic. The better type of biopsy is the CT directed the system of biopsy of brain of stereotactic, that is quicker, more precise and more completely surer.
Since exploratory surgery is high the risk, it is not any ordinary attempted unless there is a reasonable chance to remove the entire tumor with the damages subsidiaries minimal. A lot of tumors of brain in the cats and the dogs are not classified on a cell level to mortem of post.
The Liquid cedredbrospinal (CSF) the Analysis
The analysis of CSF is useful to eliminate the inflammatory causes of the symptoms, but the tumor cells are identified rarely here. The increased levels of white globules and of levels of increased protein can be present in the CSF with a lot of tumors of brain, although this is not diagnostic. This test can be the top risks when the pressure of intracranial is increased, as brain herniation can arrive.
Treatment
The treatment is aimed at is curative or palliative. The curative treatment eliminates the tumor or reduced his size, while palliative therapy reduces to surround it the cerebral edema and slows down the tumor growth. Palliative therapy implies also the drugs of antiepileptic managing, if the seizures arrive following the tumor.
Surgery
If this is an option depends on health general of the animal, and the precise location, the size, the range, the strength invading and the tumor nature. The tumors as meningiomas in the cats can be removed with success by surgery. Nevertheless, the surgery to remove tumors in the certain locations as the brainstem can be extremely dangerous, probably to have for result the death. The partial same abduction can take advantage the animal nevertheless, notably if the tumor is to grow slow.
Radiotherapy
This probably is forms it the most widely used treatment for the brain tumors. Radiance therapy can be alone used or in the combination with the other treatments. The this is so useful in the treatment of tumors of secondary brain. The objective is to destroy the tumor without harming normal fabric too.
Chemotherapy
The principal problem with the chemotherapy for the brain tumors is that a lot of drugs do not cross the barrier of brain of blood. Besides, the tumor can be only sensitive to the high doses, the doses that are toxic to the fabric of normal brain and therefore not very fitting for the usage. Nevertheless, several drugs were used to this effect that can cross the barrier of brain of blood with the retrieved success, including cytosine arabinoside, lomustine and carmustine.
Probable exit
The animal studies that receive the palliative treatment (the corticoa¯des) for the brain tumors shows a diagnosis of post of range of survival of 64 to 307 days. This shows the inability precisely to predict the life expectancy in these cases. Which is some is that the survival times significantly increase with surgery, the radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Radiance therapy seems to offer the better results, only or in the combination with the other treatments. Generally, the harshest the symptoms, the shortest life expectancy.
