Brain Tumor Symptoms in Dogs
Brain Tumor Symptoms in Dogs. A skull is very rigid as it is enclosed and when something tries to grow inside such an enclosed and restricted space, it can cause problems. The cause of most of the tumors cases is still unknown. The tumors in brain can be cancerous which is malignant or noncancerous which is benign.
When these two tumors grow inside the brain, they can cause the pressure inside the skull to increase which can cause brain damage. The tumors are categorized into Primary tumor, which most of them are benign, originate or starts within the brain and then next is secondary tumor, also known as a metastases brain tumor, occurs when cancer cells spread to the brain from another organ of the body such as breasts or lungs.
Not only humans suffer and die from brain tumors but there are brain tumor symptoms in dogs also. Primary tumor in dogs originates or starts from the tissues of the brain or the membranes covering the brain whereas secondary tumor in dogs typically originates from cells that have travelled to the brain from another part of the body. There is no definitive cause of brain tumor symptoms in dogs but are it can be generally diagnosed by CTC Scan or MRI.
10 Brain Tumor Symptoms in Dogs
1. Seizures
Seizure or Convulsion, caused by brain tumors are the most frequently reported neurological conditions when it came to dogs. It is a temporary involuntary disturbance of normal brain function that is usually accompanied by uncontrollable muscle activity. When a dog gets repeated number of seizures it is called epilepsy. When a dog experiences seizures, it is nothing painful but the dog will be in confusion and perhaps panic. Epilepsy is unpredictable but if a dog gets frequent amount of seizures then immediate attention must be given.
2. Urinating in the house when dogs are normally house trained
Another symptom is urinating in the house when the dog is trained by dog trainer. When the dog is trained, it is taught to do many tricks as well as trained to be disciplined and a good listener. But if the dog starts acting abnormally like urinating in the house even when it is potty trained or even when it is warned then it may be caused due to the tumor in the brain.
3. Loss of Coordination
Another brain tumor symptoms in dogs is loss of coordination. They persistently fumble and stumble when walking, reaching for something or doing simple activities. As brain is the main part that aids in the body moving, if it is filled with tumors it can cause symptoms like this. If a tumor is found in cerebellum- the part of your brain involved in coordinating sequences of movements- then the dog may have trouble controlling arms and legs.
4. Abnormal Behavior/Mental Activity
When a perfectly acting dog shows abnormal behavior or some kind of mental activity then it can be a symptom of brain tumor and must be checked in the hospital immediately. As a brain tumor harms the brain which is the main part of a body, it can cause problems not just physically but mentally as well. Mental activity like stop doing regular activities, biting people around suddenly, not responding and many more can be seen.
5. Unexplained Vomiting
If a dog starts vomiting even when its stomach and the diet is fine then it may be due to brain tumor. Unexplained vomiting when the dog is healthy and is eating healthily can be because of how the brain tumor is affecting the body. How tumor is caused in dogs is still unidentified but there is treatment for early stages of tumor like when a symptom of unexplained vomiting is seen as a symptom.
6. Panting and Difficulty Breathing
Another symptom would be continuous panting or difficulty breathing in dogs. A dog pants either when it’s tired from an activity or when it wants to cool the body down from heat. But if a dog pants unusually without a reason or starts breathing difficultly then it means the owner of the dog must think it could be because of brain tumor. When the tumor makes the body function abnormally, it will hit on how a dog is breathing from normal.
7. Hypersensitivity to Neck Pain
Sometimes a brain tumor can make its presence known by causing pain to the body and the part where it pains will be hypersensitive to touch. It is not always in the form of headaches but can be in some sort of pain in a body part like maybe tooth or neck. Dogs wear collar in their neck and if that part is hypersensitive to touch then it can cause irritation to the dogs. If not checked for tumors then treating the pain aimlessly will not work.
8. Impaired Vision
If a dog becomes vision impaired when it is perfectly healthy then it can be a symptom of brain tumor. Normally dogs who are old start losing their vision but if a perfectly vision dog gets blind then the owner must check for a brain tumor to be a cause of this besides looking at another reasons. A tumor can cause vision impairedness.
9. Aggression
If a friendly dog suddenly turns aggressive and even shows aggressive behavior frequently then it may be a symptom of brain tumor. Tumor can change the perfectly functioning of both mind and body. Showing aggression in small things when the dog is friendly or trained to be disciplined then showing to a neurological specialist vet is a good choice. Biting, showing teeth, not backing off and other types of aggression will be shown by the dog.
10. Circling in One Direction
Circling in One Direction is also one of the brain tumor symptoms in dogs. Many dogs play with their tails and circle around in one direction but if the dog is circling round in aggression or is doing it regularly in an abnormal behavior then it may be a symptom of brain tumor. The owner must not let it slide thinking the dog must be playing if it is circling in just one direction for a good amount of time. As usually dogs do circle around but in both directions when playing so an unusual behavior like is seen then showing to the vet for a tumor checkup is not a bad thing.
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