Dogs and cats can get a selection of different forms 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 growth. Because of the widespread presence of connective, muscular, and neurological tissues, these growths can occur anywhere on your pet’s body, including the breast, back, sides, legs, and face. Despite their unique cellular origins, most soft tissue tumors share particular behaviors and therapies.
Causes
The reason for this or any growth or cancer in a specific pet is not simple to detect. Only a small part of tumors and malignancies have a specific origin. It appears that many are triggered by a combination of environmental and genetic or inherited factors.
No definitive reason for the emergence of soft tissue sarcomas has been found in the vast majority of instances. Inject site sarcomas are more prevalent in cats than in dogs. Sarcomas of the head and neck are an uncommon but possible result of infection with the feline sarcoma virus, a variant of the feline leukemia infection. Visit some websites like stlouisanimalemergencyclinic.org to learn more.
Symptoms
Typically, these lumps manifest as a hard or tender bump in a deep dermal layer, subcutaneous tissue, or the underlying muscle. In many cases, the owner will identify them; however, in other instances, the veterinarian will. Most often, these growths are pain-free and appear covered by normal skin. Though they can show up anywhere, they usually do so on the limbs, chest, or stomach wall.
Diagnosis
A sarcoma can be distinguished with a fine needle aspiration carried out by a veterinary oncologist. A needle aspirate is a noninvasive treatment in which cells from the growth are eliminated using a small needle and checked out under a microscope.
Your vet oncologist will suggest a series of veterinary laboratory to determine if the tumor has progressed to other organs. Lungs and liver metastasis are the most common locations for sarcomas. Depending on the location of the lump, further imaging, like a CT scan, may also be required in addition to the basic battery of bloodwork, chest X-rays, and abdomen ultrasound.
Treatment
After the vet has completed the diagnostic examination, you’ll have a clearer idea of your choices for taking care of your pet. You can treat your dog’s growth with one of the following approaches if it hasn’t spread.
Surgery
Soft tissue sarcomas are commonly treated through surgical excision. The tumor tissue should be entirely excised during surgery, which requires a large cut. No additional treatment might be needed once a lump has been surgically removed with “clean” surgical margins. A second operation might be recommended to guarantee that all tumor cells were removed if the first one did not eliminate the tumor with sufficient margins. Search for “soft tissue veterinary surgeons near me” if you choose this treatment for your pets.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation treatment is commonly utilized to halt or delay lump growth. Radiation therapy has short-term negative effects that are localized to the treatment location. If a tumor is too large for surgical removal, radiation treatment might be used as an alternative.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a choice for patients whose tumors can not be removed surgically. Chemotherapy isn’t meant to heal your dog but rather to assist him live longer while he battles cancer.
