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Tumors in the Nail Beds of Dogs: Amputation is Sometimes the Best Option |
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July 2006
-Eliot Kaplan, DVM -
Tumors at the interface between skin and the nail beds of dogs are not rare. Some are fairly benign and small. These may be gently dissected off the underlying tissue and removed keeping the affected toe intact. However, some of these tumors are malignant and the best way to maximize the chance of a cure is to remove a portion of the toe or in some cases the entire toe.
The most common such tumor I see in dogs is called a squamous cell carcinoma. It occurs mainly on black colored toes, often causes the patient severe pain and lameness, and is seen most commonly on the toes of standard poodles although I have seen them quite a bit on Bouvier dogs also. There is often no discreet lump on the affected toe, but the dog is usually presented very lame with the toe swollen. On radiographs, toe bone destruction is often evident indicating that the tumor has invaded bone.
The good news is that this tumor does not usually spread to the lungs and is almost always cured by amputation of the toe or a portion of the toe. Dogs tolerate toe amputation very well and are usually using the affected limb well within 2 weeks of surgery.
The second malignant tumor seen on the nail bed is more dangerous: malignant melanoma. The symptoms can be the same as squamous cell carcinoma, but sometimes they are subtler and there is often a discreet pigmented mass visible. The treatment is the same---toe amputation.
Unfortunately, the chance of cure with a malignant melanoma is not very good. About 50% of dogs are dead within a year of diagnosis. Yet, that means 50% are still alive and are helped a great deal by the surgery. Even in the 50% that did not survive a year, the surgery helps stop their pain for a while.
In my opinion, the cure rate with respect to malignant melanoma on the nail bed could be improved upon simply by earlier intervention. If an owner can bring in the dog to the veterinarian when symptoms first occur (the dog just licking the affected toe is often an early sign) the veterinarian can then take immediate and aggressive action and the chance of a cure is increased. |
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