A Primer On Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Squamous cell carcinomas are cancers that arise from squamous cells.

Squamous cells are one of the three cell types that make up epithelial tissue—skin cells.

A Primer On Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Dalmatians are one of the susceptible breeds.

These cells are flat and appear throughout the body. They are present in large numbers on dogs’ skin, nose, mouth, ear tips, and nails. They also form the lining of many body cavities.

What does it look like

Clinical signs depend on the location of the primary or metastatic tumor. Typically, squamous cell carcinomas show up as a single lesion. It is not usual for dogs to suffer from a disease that involves multiple locations.

Oral, nasal, or tonsills

Dogs with oral, nasal, and tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas often have difficulty eating and swallowing, drool, and have bad breath.

Coughing, a nasal discharge, and a deformed nose or muzzle are also common. In addition, large masses can sometimes appear in the mouth or nose.

Skin, ear, or nail bed

Squamous cell carcinomas of the skin, ear tips, or nail beds often enlarge rapidly, ulcerate, and become easily infected.

Lungs

Squamous cell carcinoma in the lungs can cause difficulty breathing.

Liver

In the liver, squamous cell carcinoma causes liver disease or failure.

Treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The primary treatment for squamous cell carcinoma is the surgical removal of the lump.

Squamous cell carcinomas on a digit usually require amputation of the toe. Squamous cell carcinoma in the mouth can require surgical removal of part or all of the jaw. Your dog will need a biopsy of the mass to grade the tumor, i.e., to determine its aggressiveness.

Your veterinarian may also recommend blood work, x-rays, ultrasound, and examination of lymph nodes to help determine prognosis. The veterinarian may recommend chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Further reading:
Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Dogs

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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