Most forms of skin cancer can be a little tricky to identify. More often than not this is as a result of confusion between dog skin cancer and other skin conditions like warts and skin tags. To help you out, here are some of the most obvious signs of dog skin cancer that you could use to tell if your dog is suffering.
Unusual Lesions On The Skin
These take different forms including wart-like lesions, open sores, raised bumps, skin hot spots and even protruding growths. As earlier mentioned, different tumors present differently depending on their specific pathological basis.
Rapidly Growing Skin Lesions And Ulcers
One of the best ways to differentiate between cancerous lesions and those from benign growths or infections is the time they take to grow.
Unlike infections, these lesions will appear slowly and progress over a few months. However, their growth is noticeably faster and more seemingly exponential than that of benign tumors.
Painful Lesion
These skin cancers also more often than not tend to be painful. This is because unlike the benign ones, they are invasive and tend to affect nerves making them particularly tender especially when touched which is the best way to know your dog is in pain from cancer.
Intense Itchiness
This is the case mainly with mast cell tumors that tend to produce histamine that causes irritation and itchiness. However, it could also be due to the other tumors in cases of ulceration and infection.
Non-Specific Symptoms
In addition to the specific signs and symptoms on the skin, you may also notice some vague changes in the pooch’s behavior. This is often a symptom that the canine skin cancer has spread and is affecting the functioning of other systems. The signs here include weight loss, fatigue, whining, and loss of appetite.