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Cancer in lungs?

Species: Dog
Breed: Standard Pomeranian
Age: 8-11 years
Josie has had a persistent cough for over a year, so I took her to my vet for a check up. He did an x-ray which showed white spots on her lungs, fluid build up around her lungs and a distended liver. When we groom her we have a Lions cut and her fur has become wirery and her skin is flaky along her back. He put her on antibiotics and water pills thinking see might have pneumonia but this doesn't seem to be helping. she has a good appetite and normal stool , could this be a fungal infection or lung cancer???

Thanks for any help.

Mike


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh dear, this does not sound good.

This is a tough question to answer without being able to examine your dog and see her test results, but the symptoms that you are describing sound quite serious. Do you know if any blood tests were done? I would likely want to be running some tests to see if there is obvious liver damage.

My biggest concern would be that there is cancer present and the cancer is spreading to the liver or other parts of the body. We don't see a lot of primary lung cancer in dogs. It usually starts somewhere else and moves to the lungs.

The poor coat is probably because the body is fighting trying to deal with all of the disease processes that are going on.

A fungal infection is definitely a possibility. Usually fungal infections in the lung have a very distinct pattern that is different than cancer. But it is certainly possible to have difficulty distinguishing the two.

It sounds like more tests are in order so that you can get some definitive results. If things are not improving with the antibiotics I'd want to do some blood tests and also an ultrasound to look for cancer in the liver.

Unfortunately if there is cancer in the lungs and liver then treatment options may be limited.

I'm so sorry for this bad news.
Dr. Marie


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Thanks for the quick response...
I called my Vet and going to do some blood work on Monday.
I would like to keep you in the loop if this is okay?
Based on the blood work I will talked to him about an ultrasound.

Again, thanks

Mike


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sounds good. I'm looking forward to hearing what the test results say.

Dr. Marie



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.