By: Dr. Al Townshend
The nose is an often-underappreciated organ.
Tumors of the nose in dogs make up about 1-2% of all cancers and are even less common in cats. Approximately 80% of the time they are malignant.
Signs that there may be a problem include:
- Listlessness, inappetence and weight loss
- Nasal discharge is a common sign. It can be a clear discharge, cloudy, and even bloody
- Often the discharge is from just one side of the nose
- Excessive sneezing would suggest something is irritating the nasal area
- Rubbing the face and nose can also suggest irritation
- Open-mouth breathing is common as the tumor begins to block the nasal passages
- Bleeding that is hard to stop
- Seizures can occur if the growth extends into the bone surrounding the brain