What are Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths?
A growth in the mouth of your dog is defined as either malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous). Diagnostic tests are the most accurate way to determine the origin of the growth, and to decide on the best plan of action. It is very important to bring your dog to the veterinarian for regular check-ups in order to assure quality and timely oral care.
Cancerous tumors, along with other types of swelling of oral tissues in the mouth are a somewhat common occurrence in dogs. Many oral growths in dogs, fortunately, have a high success rate of complete resolution if the growth is found early. Identification of the tumor is crucial. Benign lumps generally grow slowly and do not spread to other parts of the body. Malignant growths can spread quickly to lymph nodes and organs, thus proving the need for prompt removal upon diagnosis.
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Symptoms of Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths in Dogs
Not all dogs who have an oral mass will display obvious symptoms. You may discover it as you brush their teeth (this should be a part of your daily dog care routine). Your canine may show pronounced symptoms of a growth as follows:
- Pawing or rubbing at their face (usually indicates pain)
- Visible sores
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Tooth displacement
- Chattering of teeth (can indicate pain)
- Not wanting to chew (may mean pain)
- Drooling
- Redness in mouth
- Swelling and ulceration in mouth
- Halitosis (unpleasant odor in the mouth)
Types
There are many types of growths that can be found in the canine mouth.
Cancerous (Malignant)
A cancerous mass will often invade the underlying tissues of the mouth. The most common forms are:
- Melanoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Fibrosarcoma
- Acanthomatous ameloblastoma
Noncancerous (Benign)
A noncancerous lump can occur due to instances of infection in oral tissue and are often tooth associated. These growths can be seen as:
- Osteomas
- Odontomas
- Fibromas
- Granulomas
Causes of Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths in Dogs
The growths found in a dog’s mouth may be identical in outward appearance. However, the severity of the harm they can do will depend on the type of tumor. Further investigation is paramount in order to assure a return to full health for your dog. Causes for a growth may be:
- Older, male dogs are diagnosed with oral cancer more so than younger canines, or their female counterparts
- Dogs with dark pigmented mucosa are more often diagnosed with cancerous growths
- Periodontal disease can lead to a noncancerous lump
- A damaged salivary gland may prompt the development of a growth
- The most common noncancerous growth is a tumor of the periodontal ligament (called an epulid)
Diagnosis of Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths in Dogs
The diagnosis of the growth will include the answer to a very important question. How far does the growth extend into the surrounding tissue? Dental radiographs of the mass will be done first. A biopsy taken from the growth will be necessary in order to get a microscopic view of the growth.
It should be noted that sometimes a growth can be removed at the time of biopsy (excisional biopsy). Although, in the majority of cases the veterinarian will resort to an incisional biopsy. An incisional biopsy will be performed to accurately determine the type of growth and the best avenue of treatment. The biopsy will be transferred to a pathologist for examination.
Depending on the initial diagnosis of the growth, further tests may be required such as chest x-ray, abdominal x-ray, and lymph node biopsy, particularly in the case of a cancerous growth. It is imperative to determine the extent that the cancer has spread.
Treatment of Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths in Dogs
A growth in the mouth is abnormal, no matter what the cause. Fortunately, noncancerous growths have a good prognosis for complete eradication. This is because benign lumps do not invade bone or spread to other tissues and have well-defined borders. Removal is often a simple surgery. Note, these growths can return.
Cancerous growths are more complicated. Surgery will most often include a removal of some of the surrounding oral tissue along with the growth, in order to eliminate the mass in it’s entirety. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may follow the surgery.
For example:
- Melanoma
- This cancer appears in the soft tissue cells of the tongue, cheeks, and jaws. There is a high rate of metastasis (spread) to the lymph nodes and lungs. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are the usual courses of treatment.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- This is a painful cancer that is found in mouth and throat tissues. Though the prognosis of recovery can be good, metastasis can be aggressive if not caught early. Due to the wide range of cancers and their unique characteristics, veterinarians must decide on a treatment course case by case. There are oral cancers that have a rare chance of spread, such as Fibrosarcoma. Others, like Osteosarcoma (originating in the bone) are extremely aggressive necessitating a longer, more invasive treatment.
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Recovery of Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths in Dogs
The length of recovery time for your dog will depend upon the surgery, as well as the need for follow-up radiation and chemotherapy.
A noncancerous growth can often be removed quite easily. It has been shown that canines recover fairly quickly from oral surgery and may be back to normal behavior within a day or two. Medication will be prescribed for pain if needed. A change in diet may be recommended until your dog’s mouth has completely healed from the surgery. Daily brushing of teeth and a weekly inspection of your pet’s mouth should be the norm, in order to check for a new or returning growth.
A canine cancer patient has a longer road of recovery ahead. Frequent visits to the clinic will be needed in order to assure that your dog is responding to the cancer treatments. As well, a dog who has had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor will have had in many cases, a large amount of tissue or bone that surrounded the growth, removed. This may mean a period of adjustment for your dog. It is known, however, that dogs often adjust to oral changes quickly without too much interruption to their eating habits.
Paying to treat cancerous and non-cancerous mouth growths out of pocket can be a major financial burden. Fortunately, most pet insurance companies reimburse claims within 3 days, putting 90% of the bill back in your pocket. In the market for pet insurance? Compare leading pet insurance companies to find the right plan for your pet.
Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths Average Cost
From 17 quotes ranging from $4,000 - $15,000
Average Cost
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Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Miniature Schnauzer
Finn
12 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Bleeding
Sneezing
Coughing
Tires Easily
Sore Eye
Pressure On Eye
My miniature Schnauzer Finn is nearly 13 years old. I had taken her to a vet over a month ago after noticing a lump under her eye. They sent her home with a course of antibiotics and agreed with me that this was more than likely an abscess.
Within the next few days she pulled a carnassial tooth out by pawing at her face. Another trip to the vets saw her going through a procedure to remove five additional teeth. She was sent home with Metacam and further antibiotics to recover.
Over the weeks following she seemed to not be recovering very well (as I thought was due to her age) also the size of the lump on her face did not go down even with the medication, I noticed this was applying pressure on her eye as well as the growth on the roof of her mouth being still quite visible, with concerns that she may also have kennel cough as she was having issues with breathing (coughing and sneezing quite alot).
I visited a different vet for a second opinion and bloods were taken as they were concerned there was an underlying issue and these came back with no causes for concern. She also was given further medication.
In the next few days the lump inside the mouth started to bleed for a day and this was evident on the inside of her mouth and was visible on the fur around her mouth, this was coming from what I was told was an abscess. There was no foul smell in her mouth that I could smell.
Again not happy as I could see that the dog was evidently in pain I visited a third vet, who did an overall inspection and confirmed that there was no smell in her mouth but indeed that the 'abscess' was still there, so all the antibiotics had not worked. The vet wanted Finn back for an X-ray as now she seemed to be quite limp in her back legs. They also were able to X-ray her mouth and jaw at this time without mediation.
She could not see any indication as to why she was quite limp on her back legs but was concerned with the mouth X-ray. It showed that the bone below the eye where I had first saw the lump seems to be gone (if this is the correct term).
She hinted this could be a tumour and may be cancerous.
We left with steroids further antibiotics and eye drops and have to monitor her over the next few days.
I absolutely adore this member of my family but am well aware of her age and the last thing, I want is to be selfish and her suffer in pain as a result. The vet is giving us a few days to hope for an improvement but I'd rather make the best decision for my pet and not prolong the suffering if there is little or no chance of improvement. The vet said a biopsy would be the next step and I'm reluctant to take this path due to her age and seeing how she found it hard to recover from her last sedation.
I would just like an honest opinion on whats best for my dog..
Thanks so much in advance.
July 17, 2018
0 Recommendations
This does sound like there may be a tumour or other process causing deterioration of the bone surrounding the jaw (and including the jaw); without a diagnosis being confirmed we cannot really recommend any specific course of action apart from supportive and symptomatic care along with pain management and control of any secondary infection. It may be worth sending the dental x-rays for review by a Specialist (PetRays) to see what their interpretation is. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
http://petrays.com/services/
July 18, 2018
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Miniature Schnauzer
Ben
10 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Bleeding
Halitosis
Is an oral tumor that is black in color always melanoma? The Vet removed the tumor. We are pending a pathology report. Our miniature schnauzer had bleeding after eating and halitosis. They discovered an oral tumor on the side of his mouth.
May 4, 2018
0 Recommendations
Black tumours are typically melanomas due to the pigmentation of cells, but some tumours may be black for other reasons which may include original pigmentation of gums in some dogs. You should wait for the histopathology report before deciding on any further course of action. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 5, 2018
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Dog-dog, maybe a mix of Jack Russel, dachshund
Gromit
8 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Difficulty Eating, Halitosis
My almost 8 year old rescue little man has a growth on his upper pallett. I just found it this morning and it looks like wad of bubble gum but no one in the house chews bubble gum. We attempted to pull a little bit just to make sure that Gromit have some sort of food, but it didn't budge. Grom's been off his food for the past few days but when I broke his soft treats into tiny pieces and hand feed him, he seemed to ok eating. However, I watched every bite, and Grom was moving those little bits to the side of his mouth. Since it's Sunday, his vet's office is closed, so I'm planning to take him tomorrow. I know you can't see it, but I was hoping that you'd have experience with something similar. Thank for your help...Gromit is my little man who thinks everyone, including new cats and dogs. I lost my husband 3 years ago to metastatic lung CA...If I lose my best friend...well I think my heart will permanently broken.
April 8, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
1 Recommendations
Until you have a dianosis, it would be best not to panic about Gromit. Your veterinarian will be able to examine the growth in his mouth, determine what might be going on, and give you a plan. It may be a tumor or growth that can be surgically removed, or at least biosied, and chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be an option for him. I hope that everything goes well for him.
April 9, 2018
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Cancerous and Noncancerous Mouth Growths Average Cost
From 17 quotes ranging from $4,000 - $15,000
Average Cost
$10,000
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