Cancer
This is a disease too frequent among females of the dog tribe, and occasionally seen in the male. Its symptoms, local and general, are various. They are usually very obscure in their commencement; they increase without any limit; they are exasperated by irritants of any kind; and in the majority of cases their reproduction is almost constant, and perfectly incurable.
regard to the female, it is mostly connected with the secretion of milk. Two or three years may pass, and at almost every return of the period of œstrum, there will be some degree of enlargement or inflammation of the teats. Some degree of fever also appears; but, after a few weeks have passed away, and one or two physic balls have been administered, everything goes on well. In process of time, however, the period of œstrum is attended by a greater degree of fever and enlargement of the teats, and at length some diminutive hardened nuclei, not exceeding in size the tip of a finger, are felt within one of the teats. By degrees they increase in size; they become hard, hot, and tender. A considerable degree of redness begins to appear. Some small enlargements are visible. The animal evidently exhibits considerable pain when these enlargements are pressed upon. They rapidly increase, they become more hot and red, various shining protuberances appear about the projection, and at length the tumour ulcerates. A considerable degree of sanious matter flows from the aperture.
tumours, however, after a while diminish in size; the heat and redness diminish; the ulcer partly or entirely closes, but, after a while, and especially when the next period of œstrum arrives, the tumour again increases, and with far greater rapidity than before, and then comes the necessity of the removal of the tumour, or if not, the destruction of the animal. In the great majority of cases, the removal of the cancer does not destroy the dog, but lessens its torture. The knife and the forceps must usually be resorted to, and in the hands of a skilful surgeon the life of the animal will be saved.
When the cancer is attached to the neighbouring parts by cellular substance alone, no difficulty will be experienced in detaching the whole of it. The operation will be speedily performed, and there will be an end of the matter; but, if the tumour has been neglected, and the muscular, the cellular, or even the superficial parts have been attacked, the utmost caution is requisite that every diseased portion shall be removed. Mr. Blaine adds to this that
"it must also be taken into the account, that, although in the canine cancer ulceration does not often reappear in the intermediate part, when the operation has been judiciously performed, yet, when the constitution has been long affected with this ulcerative action, it is very apt to show itself in some neighbouring part soon after."
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