Fibrosarcoma
Overview
Fibrosarcoma is a condition that describes tumours originating from cells known as fibroblasts. These tumours are aggressive by nature and tend to cause significant health issues in dogs that are suffering from the condition.
These tumours are cancerous and bare the traits of other cancers in both dogs and humans.
Fibroblast cells are commonly found in or around connective tissue. Skin and bone as well as the surrounding tissue all contain fibroblast cells and subsequently are vulnerable to fibrosarcoma.
Whilst the tumours are very aggressive, fibrosarcoma itself is relatively uncommon in UK dogs. With that being said it does still rank as the 3rd most common source of bone tumours in canines across the UK.
The real danger of fibrosarcoma comes when the tumours are left untreated . When the condition is ignored it has been observed to spread to other tissue within the dog regardless of whether that tissues contains fibroblast cells or not.
This is common for most cancers and fibrosarcoma is no different, treatment and timing can be everything in these situations.
Symptoms
Fibrosarcoma tumours in UK dogs tend to present themselves in a similar way to other common tumours and cancers.
That presentation is usually in the form of hard fleshy lumps on or a round the affected areas. Similar to boils or cysts in humans, these tumours can occur in the form of various sizes.
If a tumour is found on your dog then there are a number of ways that a UK veterinarian can diagnose the exact underlying causes.
These diagnosis methods include but are not limited to:
- A full physical examination
- Performing a CBC (complete blood count)
- Urinalysis
- Chest X-ray
- CT scan
Depending on the severity or the uncertainty surrounding your dog’s tumours, it will be really dependant which procedure is right for you and your dog.
Tumours are notoriously prevalent for many different conditions so being sure of the underlying causes of your dog’s tumours is a key first step in the process of recovering.
Affected Breeds
Fibrosarcoma has been observed in all popular UK dog breeds and it is currently not believed to be breed specific.
Whilst no dog breed in particular stands out as being more susceptible to fibrosarcoma, some breeds are predisposed when it comes to the health condition.
Dog breeds observed as a higher chance of developing the conditions are:
- Brittany Spaniel
- Doberman
- Gordon Setter
- Goldendoodle
- Golden Retriever
- Irish Wolfhound
- King Charles Spaniel
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
Treatment
There are a number of different options for treating fibrosarcoma in UK dogs.
Whilst many treatment options and recommendations have their place, the most common treatment in the UK is surgical removal of the tumour and affected areas.
Since fibrosarcoma is a form of cancer, chemotherapy is also often used after or in place of the surgical procedure.
Since this surgical procedure is intricate and extremely risky, the option of surgery should not be taken lightly by UK dog owners. Whilst it may be a difficult decision fibrosarcoma is a cancer and will likely spread if early diagnosis and treatment aren’t incorporated.
Further Reading
- Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrosarcoma
- UC Davis Book of Dogs – https://amzn.to/2MbwV32
- Dog’S Health From A To Z – https://amzn.to/36I2eft
