Canine Leukemia

An Overview Of Acute And Chronic Canine Leukemia

Although it is not known what causes canine leukemia, it has been postulated that it could be related to toxins in the environment, or a virus.

Some dogs seem to get it more frequently. This group includes overweight dogs, larger breeds such as German shepherds and great Pyrenees, and certain breeds including Scottish terriers.

The 2 types of leukemia on dogs, acute and chronic, lead to increased white blood cells within the bone marrow or lymph nodes. The type in the lymph nodes is lymphocytic, and the type in the bone marrow is called myelogenous. Most cases of leukemia in dogs are lymphocytic.

It is diagnosed by blood tests, urinalyses and in some cases a biochemical profile, which is a more targeted type of blood test to determine the level of functioning of certain organs in your dog.

Visible Signs of canine leukemia - In both chronic and acute canine leukemia the most common symptoms visible to the pet owner include the following:

Loss of appetite and weight loss - This may lead to malnutrition, evidenced also by hair loss and lack of shine in the coat.
Repeated infections that are slow to heal
Bleeding easily, bruising easily (not easy to notice in long haired breeds). This is due to low blood platelets, which enable the blood to clot.
Lack of energy, less interest in activities the dog usually enjoys,
Lameness
A mid-grade fever that occurs only once or comes and goes. This symptom is not easy to spot.
Appearance will be anemic due to the decrease in red blood cells and iron deficiency
If the case is chronic, there may be no symptoms, or some minor ones

Treatment and Prognosis

In the chronic type of canine leukemia, blood cells are adversely affected over a long period of time. If there are more healthy than weak cells, the vet will monitor your dog as opposed to giving treatment such as chemotherapy. This can result in a continued lifespan for your dog. While monitoring, if the vet finds the cellular balance degenerating, he or she will treat the dog to increase the number of healthy blood cells. Some dogs live their entire lives with this type of canine leukemia without significant problems, other than the need for ongoing monitoring.

In acute leukemia, the onset is very quick. If the dog is moderately to severely anemic, it will get a blood transfusion before treatment of the leukemia begins. Since leukemia causes weakened immunity to infections, the dog may need treatment with antibiotics to heal infections. Once the treatments for secondary health problems are done, the leukemia can be treated. Acute leukemia treatment is usually chemotherapy, if agreed by the owner. This doesn’t typically increase the lifespan of your dog a great deal — about 120 days, sometimes more.

Unlike humans, a dog’s fur will not all fall out in chemo. It may become thinner or less shiny. The exception is when the dog is young and all the fur has not grown in yet.