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Dogs + Surgical Conditions

  • Cysts are hollow spaces containing liquid or solidified secretion. A few cysts form within cancers but only non-cancerous cysts are considered here.

  • The spinal cord is one of the most important and most sensitive organs in the body. If it is damaged the nerve cells do not regenerate but are replaced with scar (fibrous) tissue resulting in permanent loss of function.

  • Muscle (called smooth muscle) and fibrous connective tissues form the framework (stroma) that holds other tissues together in the organs of the body. A number of different tumours can develop from the cells of these tissues.

  • Docking may be defined as the removal of whole or part of a dog's tail. From 2010 this procedure has been illegal under Australian law unless carried out by a registered veterinarian for valid medical reasons.

  • These tumours are polyp-like growths with a narrow base or a stalk. Some are nodular overgrowths secondary to inflammation but others are benign or malignant cancers of the glands found in this area.

  • Tumours of the cortex of the adrenal glands may be overgrowths (hyperplasias) or benign (non-spreading) or malignant (spreading) cancers. Usually they are producing hormones that will have secondary clinical effects elsewhere in the body.

  • Tumours of the medulla of the adrenal glands may be hyperplasias (non-cancerous cell overgrowths) or be cancerous. Few are diagnosed until late in the disease because, unlike tumours of the adrenal cortex, medullary tumours do not produce clinical signs.

  • An epulis is a benign oral tumour that affects the gum. It arises from the periodontal ligament which lines the tooth cavity and surrounds the tooth.

  • These are tumours arising from structures within the eye. They tend to result in an increase in the internal pressure (glaucoma), which then leads to blindness.

  • Melanocytic tumours are formed by abnormal melanocytes. Melanocytoma is a benign (non-spreading) melanoma. Malignant (spreading) tumours are sometimes called 'melanoma' or more specifically malignant melanoma or melanosarcoma.