As dog owners, we all want our dogs to be healthy and live a long life. But unfortunately, cancer has become the number one killer affecting dogs’ quality of life and longevity. Among them, nasal cavity tumors are a common and dangerous type of cancer. The onset is insidious and difficult to detect in the early stage. Once diagnosed, it is often at an advanced stage, making treatment difficult and the prognosis poor.

So, what are the symptoms of nasal tumors in dogs? How to detect and diagnose them as early as possible? What are the treatment options? How can we prevent them? This article will comprehensively answer these questions for you and provide you with the latest prevention and treatment guidelines in 2024. , to help you protect your dog’s health.

1. Overview of Dog Nasal Tumors

Nasal tumors are a type of malignant tumor that occurs in the nasal cavity of dogs, accounting for about 1%-2% of all canine tumors. It may originate from any tissue within the nasal cavity, including epithelium, glands, bone, cartilage, etc. The most common type is adenocarcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and sarcoma.

High-risk factors

• Age: It mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly dogs over 8 years old, and the incidence rate increases with age.

• Breed: The incidence rate of long-nose breed dogs such as Doberman Pinscher and German Shepherd is higher than that of short-nose breed dogs.

• Environment: Long-term exposure to second-hand smoke, chemical pollutants and other harmful gases may increase the risk of disease.

Cause and pathogenesis

The exact cause of nasal tumors is not yet clear, but it is generally believed to be related to the following factors:

1. Inherited gene mutations: certain Mutations in genes such as p53 and PTEN lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation.

2. Chronic inflammatory stimulation: Long-term inflammatory reactions such as rhinitis and sinusitis may induce malignant transformation of cells.

3. Chemical carcinogens: Tobacco, asbestos and other harmful substances can cause DNA damage and promote canceration.

4. Viral infection: Canine distemper virus may be related to the occurrence of nasal tumors.

2. Common symptoms of nasal tumors in dogs

The early symptoms of nasal tumors are not obvious and are often mistaken for a common cold or rhinitis. As the disease progresses, the following symptoms may appear:

1. Nose bleeding: The most common initial symptom is intermittent unilateral nose bleeding, which is small in amount and easy to be ignored.

2. Nasal congestion and sneezing: Tumors block the nasal cavity, causing persistent nasal congestion and increased sneezing frequency.

3. Nasal discharge: Increased nasal secretions, which are clear liquid at first and then become purulent or bloody.

4. Facial asymmetry: Advanced tumors invade surrounding tissues and can cause swelling and deformation of the bridge of the nose and eye sockets.

5. Eye symptoms: The tumor compresses the tear duct, causing tearing, conjunctivitis, etc.

6. Systemic symptoms: loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, etc., indicating that the tumor has metastasized.

The above symptoms lack specificity and are difficult to distinguish from other nasal diseases. Therefore, if your dog develops any persistent nasal abnormalities, you should seek medical attention promptly to obtain a clear diagnosis as early as possible.

3. How to diagnose nasal cavity tumors in dogs?

The diagnosis of nasal cavity tumors requires a comprehensive analysis of clinical manifestations, imaging examinations and pathological examination results. Commonly used diagnostic methods include:

1. Rhinoscopy

Under sedation or general anesthesia, the doctor enters the endoscope through the nostril, looks directly into the nasal cavity, and makes a preliminary judgment. Tumor location, size and extent of invasion. However, rhinoscopy cannot penetrate deep into the sinuses, skull base and other parts of the body, and it is difficult to obtain biopsy specimens, so its diagnostic value is limited.

2. CT/MRI examination

CT and MRI are the gold standards for diagnosing nasal tumors. They can clearly display the specific location, size, extent of invasion of the tumor, as well as the presence of intracranial and orbital involvement and lymph node metastasis. CT is more sensitive to bone destruction, and MRI shows soft tissue infiltration more clearly. The combination of the two can comprehensively assess tumor staging and guide the formulation of treatment plans.

3. Pathological biopsy

Biopsy is the key to a clear diagnosis. Under rhinoscope or imaging guidance, doctors use special instruments to take tumor tissue samples and send them for pathological examination. Microscopic examination can determine the histological type and degree of differentiation of the tumor, which is helpful for prognosis judgment and treatment selection. Some specimens can also be used for immunohistochemistry and genetic testing to provide a basis for precise treatment.

It should be noted that nasal biopsy has risks of complications such as bleeding and infection, the scope of sampling is limited, and negative results cannot completely rule out tumors. Therefore, the appropriate biopsy method should be selected based on the specific situation, weighing the pros and cons.

4. Treatment plan for nasal cavity tumors in dogs

Once a nasal cavity tumor is diagnosed, an individualized treatment plan should be formulated as soon as possible. At present, there are three main treatment methods: surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and a comprehensive treatment model is often adopted.

1. Surgical treatment

Surgery is the preferred treatment for early stage nasal tumors. However, due to the special anatomical position of the nasal cavity, it is difficult to completely remove the tumor and it is easy to relapse after surgery.

• Endoscopic nasal surgery: less invasive and fast recovery, but only suitable for small-scale tumors.

• Rhinectomy: Complete resection of the nasal cavity on the affected side can remove the tumor to the maximum extent, but it is highly invasive and has many postoperative complications.

• Combined craniofacial resection: For advanced tumors that invade the skull base and orbit, craniotomy and eyeball removal can be combined, but the risk is high and the prognosis is poor.

In general, surgery alone is difficult to cure nasal tumors and needs to be combined with other treatments.

2. Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy is currently recognized as the most effective treatment for nasal tumors. It uses high-energy rays to precisely irradiate the tumor site, destroy the DNA of cancer cells, inhibit tumor growth, and protect surrounding normal tissues to the maximum extent.

• Conventional radiotherapy: total dose 40-50Gy, irradiation divided into 20-25 times, treatment course 4-5 weeks.

• Stereotactic radiotherapy: a large dose of precise irradiation, a short course of treatment, few side effects, and better efficacy than conventional radiotherapy.

• Particle radiotherapy: Using charged particles such as protons and heavy ions, the dose distribution is more concentrated and more lethal, especially suitable for advanced tumors.

Radiation therapy can be used to shrink tumors before surgery, clear residual lesions after surgery, or for palliative treatment of advanced tumors. Although it can significantly prolong survival, there is still a risk of recurrence and metastasis, and regular follow-up is required.

3. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment method that uses cytotoxic drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Nasal tumors are less sensitive to chemotherapy and their efficacy is uncertain, so they are often used as palliative treatments.

• First-line regimen: cisplatin + gemcitabine, 4-6 courses of treatment, objective response rate 30%-40%.

• The second-line regimen: doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide, the efficacy is equivalent to the first-line regimen, but the toxic and side effects are greater.

• Targeted therapy: Small molecule inhibitors targeting specific gene mutations (such as EGFR), such as gefitinib, erlotinib, etc., the efficacy needs further clinical verification.

The main adverse reactions of chemotherapy include bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal reactions, hair loss, etc., which require close monitoring and symptomatic treatment. In addition, attention should be paid to the nephrotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs and renal function should be tested regularly.

4. Other treatments

• Traditional Chinese medicine treatment: Traditional Chinese medicine such as Scutellaria barbata and Hedyotis diffusa have anti-tumor and immunity-enhancing effects. Acupuncture, massage and other therapies can relieve cancer pain and improve quality of life. However, traditional Chinese medicine treatment lacks large-scale clinical research data support and is mostly used as auxiliary treatment.

• Immunotherapy: Tumor vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, etc. can activate the body’s anti-tumor immunity and delay tumor progression. However, it is still in the clinical trial stage, and the long-term efficacy remains to be seen.

• Palliative treatment: For dogs with advanced nasal tumors that cannot undergo surgery or radiotherapy and chemotherapy, palliative treatment should be given, including analgesics, nutritional support, psychological comfort, etc., to improve the quality of life.

In summary, the treatment of nasal tumors requires multidisciplinary collaboration, taking into account the age, body condition, tumor stage and other factors of the dog, formulating an individualized treatment plan and making timely adjustments according to the efficacy.

5. Prognosis of nasal cavity tumors

The prognosis of nasal cavity tumors depends on many factors, including tumor type, stage, treatment plan, etc. Overall, nasal cavity tumors have a poor prognosis, with a median survival period of approximately 6-18 months.

• Tumor types: Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have better prognosis than sarcoma and melanoma.

• Tumor staging: Early stage tumors without metastasis have a better prognosis than late stage tumors with metastasis.

• Treatment options: The median survival time of surgery + radiotherapy can reach 18-24 months, radiotherapy alone is 12-16 months, and chemotherapy alone is only 6-9 months.

Nevertheless, individual differences vary greatly. Studies have reported that dogs who receive active comprehensive treatment can survive for up to 3 years. Therefore, when it comes to nasal tumors, we should not give up lightly, but should actively seek effective treatment based on a comprehensive evaluation to give our dogs more chances of survival.

6. Preventive measures for nasal tumors

"Prevention first, prevention is better than cure". Although the pathogenesis of nasal tumors has not yet been fully elucidated, we can minimize the risk of our dogs getting sick by taking the following measures:

1. Regular physical examination: insist on physical examination at least once a year, especially for those over 8 years old. Middle-aged and elderly dogs. Early detection and early treatment are the keys to improving the cure rate of nasal tumors.

2. Avoid contact with carcinogens: stay away from second-hand smoke, asbestos and other harmful substances. Choose natural, non-toxic pet products to create a healthy living environment.

3. Balanced diet: Provide high-quality protein, appropriate amount of fat, and rich dietary fiber to avoid overfeeding and maintain ideal body weight.

4. Moderate exercise: At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day, such as walking, jogging, etc., to enhance physical fitness and improve anti-tumor ability.

5. Mental health: Spend more company and interact more, create a safe and comfortable living environment, reduce stress, and prevent the occurrence of tumors.

Of course, no amount of preventive measures can completely eliminate nasal tumors. Once unfortunately the disease develops, we should face it bravely, actively cooperate with treatment, and accompany our dogs with love and patience to defeat the disease, prolong life, and improve quality of life. This is not only respect for the life of our pet dogs, but also our responsibility as owners.

7. Nursing care during the recovery period of nasal cavity tumors

The treatment process of nasal cavity tumors is long and arduous. Nursing work during the recovery period is crucial and directly affects the efficacy and quality of life. The following suggestions are for reference:

1. Wound care: Keep the wound clean and dry after surgery, and change dressings regularly to prevent infection. If there are any abnormalities such as bleeding and swelling, you should seek medical treatment in time.

2. Dietary conditioning: Provide high-protein, high-energy, easy-to-digest soft food, and provide nasogastric feeding or intravenous nutritional support when necessary. Give more fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement vitamins and minerals.

3. Medication guidance: Strictly follow the doctor’s instructions when taking medications. Chemotherapy and targeted drugs need to be reviewed regularly, and adverse reactions must be closely monitored. Symptomatic and supportive treatment such as analgesics and nutritional drugs are indispensable.

4. Prevention and treatment of complications: prevention and timely treatment of bone marrow suppression, intestinal reactions, etc. caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Check regularly to be alert for tumor recurrence or metastasis.

5. Functional training: Carry out functional training such as swallowing and walking step by step according to the recovery situation to prevent muscle atrophy and promote body recovery.

6. Psychological counseling: cancer is not only a physical trauma, but also a psychological trauma. Give your dog more companionship and comfort, create a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, and encourage it to regain its confidence in life.

In short, the care of nasal tumors during the recovery period requires a lot of time and energy from the owner, but these efforts are worth it. Let us use responsibility and love to help our dogs overcome the disease and live a wonderful life.

8. Conclusion

Nasal cavity tumor is a dangerous disease, but we should not be intimidated by it. As long as we increase our vigilance, detect it as early as possible, and treat it actively, we will definitely give our dogs more chances of survival and a higher quality of life.

As dog owners, we must learn to face diseases calmly and arm ourselves with knowledge and love. Regular physical examinations, scientific feeding, increased exercise, and avoidance of carcinogens can prevent the occurrence of tumors to the greatest extent. Once you unfortunately get sick, you should actively cooperate with the treatment and provide meticulous and thoughtful care so that your dog can feel the meticulous care.

In 2024, with the continuous advancement of medical technology, the diagnosis and treatment model of nasal tumors will become more accurate and efficient. But no matter how advanced technology becomes, our love for dogs will never change. Let us go hand in hand and light up life with love, so that every angel dog can live a carefree life and grow up healthily and happily.