What Are The Symptoms of Liver Cancer in Dogs? (+ Causes, Treatment, and Prognosis)
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- What Is Liver Cancer in Dogs
- What Are the Types of Liver Tumors in Dogs
- How Common Is Liver Cancer in Dogs
- Symptoms of Liver Cancer in Dogs
- Metastatic Liver Cancer in Dogs
- 4 Treatment Options for Liver Cancer in Dogs
- How Does Liver Cancer in Dogs Typically Progress
- How Long Do Dogs Live With Liver Cancer
Liver cancer in dogs is a serious but relatively rare condition, with primary liver tumors accounting for only 0.6% to 1.3% of canine tumors.
Because the liver plays a vital role in digestion, metabolism, and filtering toxins from the blood, cancer can significantly affect a dog’s overall health.
Early symptoms can be hard to spot and may include a reduced appetite, weight loss, vomiting, weakness, or swelling in the belly. The outlook for your dog depends on the type of liver cancer, how much it has spread, and if surgery can be done.
Knowing the signs, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options can help you make the best choices for your dog’s care.
What Is Liver Cancer in Dogs
A liver tumor is an abnormal growth that happens when cells in the liver start multiplying out of control. Since the liver has several types of cells, different kinds of tumors can form.
Liver tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Benign tumors stay in one place and do not spread, but malignant tumors can grow into nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
Malignant liver tumors can appear in 3 ways: as a single large tumor (massive), as several tumors scattered throughout the liver (nodular), or as a more evenly distributed pattern (diffuse).
In dogs, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor and usually appears as a single, massive tumor. Other types include bile duct carcinomas, neuroendocrine tumors, and sarcomas such as hemangiosarcoma.
Primary liver tumors are not very common. Often, tumors found in the liver actually started somewhere else in the body and then spread to the liver. These are called metastatic tumors.
What Are The Types of Liver Tumors in Dogs
There are 4 main types of primary liver cancer in dogs, and each one acts differently. That’s why getting an accurate diagnosis is important.
1. Bile Duct Carcinoma
This cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma, starts in the bile ducts. These are the channels that move bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.
As the tumor grows, it can block these channels. This backup can cause pain and disrupt normal digestion. Bile duct carcinoma can also spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes.
2. Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in dogs and makes up over half of cases. It starts in liver cells called hepatocytes.
The massive form of HCC is a single large tumor in 1 part of the liver and usually doesn’t spread much. If a vet can remove it completely with surgery, the outlook is often good.
Nodular and diffuse types of HCC are less predictable and more likely to spread. In rare cases, HCC can spread to places like the lymph nodes, lungs, or other organs.
3. Mesenchymal Tumor Sarcoma
Mesenchymal tumors come from connective tissue, which includes cells that make up fibroblasts, blood vessels, and muscle.
These tumors are less common than HCC but tend to be more aggressive and more likely to spread.
4. Neuroendocrine Tumor Sarcoma
Neuroendocrine tumors start in hormone-producing cells found throughout the liver. As they grow, they become part of the liver’s nerve tissue.
Like mesenchymal tumors, neuroendocrine tumors can be aggressive. Each one is graded separately to help decide on treatment.
It’s important to know the difference between primary liver cancer, which starts in the liver, and metastatic cancer, which starts somewhere else and spreads to the liver. In dogs, primary liver tumors are rare, but the liver is often affected by cancers that spread from other organs.
How Common Is Liver Cancer in Dogs
Liver cancer is rare in dogs and makes up about 1% of all dog cancers. It is usually found in older dogs, especially those 10 years or older.
Unlike some other cancers, liver cancer does not seem to affect a breed or sex more than another. Both male and female dogs, and all breeds, can get this disease.
Liver tumors often don’t cause clear symptoms at first, so they might be found by accident during blood tests or scans done for other reasons. That’s why regular vet checkups are especially important for older dogs.
Metastatic Liver Cancer in Dogs
Not every liver tumor begins in the liver. Metastatic liver cancer is when cancer stems from another part of the body and spreads into the liver.
Common cancers that metastasize to the liver include mammary carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer.
This difference is important for treatment. If the tumor is metastatic, it means there is cancer somewhere else in the body, so treatment needs to focus on all organs that have been affected.
Symptoms of Liver Cancer in Dogs
Liver tumors can cause many different signs, or sometimes none at all. You might notice your dog has less appetite, a fever, low energy, or changes in weight.
Some dogs may have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drink and urinate more than usual, or develop yellow skin and eyes (jaundice).
Sometimes, dogs may show neurological symptoms like seizures, confusion, stumbling, or weakness.
In some cases, the first sign of a tumor is sudden weakness, tiredness, or collapse. This can happen if the tumor ruptures and bleeds into the abdomen. If this occurs, your dog’s gums may look pale and they may have trouble breathing as their blood pressure drops.
Other serious symptoms that need immediate veterinary care include:
- Changes in urination
- Low-grade fever or excess body heat
- Low energy and extreme lethargy
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent vomiting
- Seizures that come and go
In the later stages, some dogs may have bleeding in the abdomen.
This happens when necrotic tumor cells damage nearby blood vessels, leading to internal bleeding. It’s a medical emergency and the one reason vets do blood tests if they suspect liver cancer.
4 Treatment Options For Liver Cancer In Dogs
There isn’t one cure for all types of liver cancer in dogs, but treatment can improve your dog’s quality of life and sometimes help them live longer. The best treatment depends on the type, location, and spread of the cancer.
- Surgery
Surgery is often the preferred treatment when the tumor is confined to one liver lobe and can be safely removed. Imaging tests such as a CT scan can help determine whether surgery is possible.
Dogs can do well after part of their liver is removed, and recovery often takes just a few weeks. For some tumors that haven’t spread, surgery can lead to a good long-term result.
- Stereotactic Radiation
If surgery isn’t possible, stereotactic radiation therapy may be another option. This treatment uses focused radiation to target the tumor and tries to avoid harming healthy tissue.
This treatment is usually done in just a few sessions. Depending on the tumor, it may shrink slowly over months or respond more quickly.
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy might be used if cancer is in several parts of the liver or has spread elsewhere. How well it works depends a lot on the type of cancer.
For example, lymphoma often responds well to chemotherapy, while hemangiosarcoma may be less responsive. Your veterinarian or veterinary oncologist should be the one to determine whether chemotherapy is appropriate.
- No Treatment or Palliative Care
In some cases, particularly older dogs, treatment is too aggressive and can generate other issues.
meaning that your dogs final months/years could be carried out with a significantly lower quality of life
some pet parent decide to settle for palliative care in these cases.
The outlook can vary a lot. A slow-growing tumor in one spot may take a long time to get worse, but aggressive or spreading cancers can move quickly.
Your vet can help you keep track of your dog’s quality of life and make decisions as things change.
How Does Liver Cancer in Dogs Typically Progress
How liver cancer progresses depends mostly on whether the tumor is benign or malignant, and on the exact type of cancer.
Benign liver tumors, like bile duct adenomas, don’t spread to other parts of the body. But they can still cause trouble if they get big enough to press on nearby organs or blood vessels. These tumors can also be fragile and might rupture, which can lead to dangerous internal bleeding.
Malignant liver tumors are more likely to grow into nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. For example, hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) can spread to lymph nodes, the lungs, or the lining of the abdomen.
Massive HCCs usually grow in one area and can get quite large. As they grow, they might press on the bile duct, other organs, or major blood vessels. Still, they are less likely to spread than nodular or diffuse HCCs.
Other cancers, like bile duct carcinomas, neuroendocrine tumors, and sarcomas, can spread faster and may already be advanced when they are found. Bile duct carcinomas can also block bile flow, which can seriously damage the liver and gallbladder.
How Long Do Dogs Live With Liver Cancer
How long a dog lives with liver cancer depends mostly on the type of tumor, if it has spread, and if it can be removed.
Dogs with a single, slow-growing tumor like massive hepatocellular carcinoma can have a good outlook. Since the liver can regrow, surgeons may be able to remove the tumor and leave enough healthy liver. If the tumor is removed successfully, some dogs can live for several years after treatment.
The outlook is not as good for nodular or diffuse liver tumors, or for cancers that have spread from other places. If surgery isn’t possible, dogs may live about 3 to 6 months, but this can vary depending on the cancer and the dog.
Chemotherapy can sometimes slow down certain cancers, but it doesn’t always cure them.
In advanced cases, treatment may focus on easing symptoms and keeping your dog comfortable.
Sources:
Approved by:Dr. Ivana VukasinovicDoctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade
Ivana Vukasinovic grew up in Serbia and attended the University of Belgrade where she received a degree in Veterinary medicine in 2012 and later completed surgical residency working mostly with livestock. Her first year of practice was split between busy small animal practice and emergency clinic, and after two more years of treating many different species of animals, she opened her own veterinary pharmacy where an interest in canine and feline nutrition emerged with an accent on fighting animal obesity. In her free time, she acts as a foster parent for stray animals before their adoption, likes to read SF books, and making salted caramel cookies.
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