The type and location of the cancer and the nature of the presenting signs are all factors in diagnosis. The use of endoscopes, scintigraphy and computed tomography, as well as magnetic resonance imaging, may be of considerable assistance.

In malignant cancer, cells usually have a primary location, but if untreated, secondary growths, called metastases, may develop in other parts of the body by a process called metastasis.

In dogs the incidence of tumours generally (including non-malignant ones) is said to be higher than in any other animal species, including the human.

They include: repeated irritation, by mechanical friction or radiation (e.g. X-rays, ultra-violet rays); chemical carcinogens; hormones; or viruses.

Your veterinarian will give your pet an overdose of an anesthetic drug called sodium pentobarbital, which quickly causes unconsciousness and then gently stops the heartbeat. Your veterinarian will draw the correct dose of the drug into a syringe and then inject it into a vein. In dogs, the front leg is most commonly used. In cats, either the front or rear leg may be used. The injection itself is not painful to your pet. Often, veterinarians will place an intravenous (IV) catheter in the pet’s vein before giving the injection. The catheter will reduce the risk that the vein will rupture as the drug is injected. If the vein ruptures, then some of the drug may leak out into the leg, and it will not work as quickly. Your veterinarian may give your pet an injection of anesthetic or sedative before the injection of sodium pentobarbitol. This is most often done in pets that are not likely to hold still for the IV injection. An anesthetic or sedative injection is usually given in the rear leg muscle and will take effect in about five to 10 minutes. Your pet will become very drowsy or unconscious, allowing the veterinarian to more easily perform the IV injection. Once the IV injection of sodium pentobarbitol is given, your pet will become completely unconscious within a few seconds, and death will occur within a few minutes or less.

He has lost interest in all or most of his favorite activities, such as going for walks, playing with toys or other pets, eating treats or soliciting attention and petting from family members. He cannot stand on his own or falls down when trying to walk. He has chronic labored breathing or coughing.

He has frequent vomiting or diarrhea that is causing dehydration and/or significant weight loss.

quality of life:

the radiation therapist will create a soft mesh mask that is custom-fitted to the patient’s face. This comfortable and non-invasive mask helps the patient keep his or her head and neck still during treatment.

The CT data then will be used by the CyberKnife team to determine the exact size, shape and location of the tumor.

During the CyberKnife treatment planning phase, the CT, MRI and/or PET scan data will be downloaded into the CyberKnife System’s treatment planning software. The medical team will determine the size of the area that must be targeted by radiation and the radiation dose. They also will identify critical structures where radiation should be minimized. Using this information, the CyberKnife System calculates the optimal radiation delivery plan to treat the tumor. The treatment plan will take full advantage of the CyberKnife System’s extreme maneuverability, allowing for a safer and more accurate treatment.

The doctors may choose to deliver the treatment in one session, or stage it over several days. Typically, brain cancer treatments are completed within five days.

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System improves on other radiosurgery techniques by eliminating the need for stereotactic frames. As a result, the CyberKnife System enables doctors to achieve a high level of accuracy in a non-invasive manner and allows patients to be treated on an outpatient basis.

*This table was created using data from 2 large retrospective studies in dogs by Snyder, et. al. that reviewed 172 dogs with primary brain tumors and 177 dogs with secondary brain tumors. The data for the cats came from a study by Troxel, et. al. that reviewed 228 cats that had 244 brain tumors (10% of the cats in the study had multiple tumors).

Meningioma average survival times in dogs Surgery alone: approximately 7 months Radiation alone: approximately 7-8 months Surgery followed by RT: approximately 18-24 months Hydroxyurea: 6-12 months  

For most brain tumors, patients treated with palliative measures have an average lifespan of 3-6 months.

They joy of having normal bodily functions. The ability of the body to do what it is supposed to do is a joy in life.  Try taking away your ability to urinate if you don’t believe me.  The discomfort is excruciating. How about removing the ability to obtain oxygen? Breathing is a joy in life.  When normal biological functions are lost, life quality goes down. The joy of having a healthy mental state.  Pain, having unmet needs, dementia, distress, depression, compulsivity, fatigue, and other unpleasant mental states take away this joy. Having a mental state that is normal is a joy in life that is underrated.

They joy of athletic stimulation and movement. Most dogs enjoy the use of their body and physical movement.  Not all are athletes, but all enjoy choosing a destination and getting there. Many like walks and play, enjoying the stimulation these provide.  Immobility and a lack of desire or ability to move are negatives.

The joy of social relationships with humans and other animals. The love and bonding experiences are joyful for your dog.  Depression, loneliness, and the loss of these social interactions are negatives.

The joy of eating and drinking.   Having hunger satiated and thirst quenched are delightful and are joys.  Cancer cachexia (weight loss due to cancer) and dehydration are negatives.

but it shed some clarity on whether Roxy was enjoying her life as a dog should. She was still content laying her head on my lap, but the physical struggles were hard and I felt that she was very tired from the simple task of (fully assisted) getting out of bed to the sofa. I was fearful that her brain was shutting organs down as well as her  motor function. I am not sure if it was fear or premonition that something global was going to go really bad and she wouldn't have the luxury of having some last moments of enjoyment.

I feel horribly guilty, racking my brain for something else I could have done. It has been confirmed by her veterinarians that there was nothing that we could have done for a different outcome.

her body was shutting down piece by piece. Her left legs did not know what they were doing, and as hard as she tried, her body was not working. Her sleep was restless and thrashing.

Tumors of the brainstem pose problems on both of these fronts. They are difficult to access because of the thick bone surrounding them, their location close to the floor of the cranial cavity, and because the brainstem does not have much redundancy of function so damaging it could be fatal.

Complete physical and neurological examination to identify any other health problems and to localize the neurological signs to a particular area of the brain Routine blood work to rule out a systemic problem and assess the anesthetic risk Thoracic radiographs to check there is no evidence of spread (metastasis) of cancer to the lungs (a common site of metastasis) CT or MRI of the brain. This has to be done under general anesthesia. As a general rule, MRI shows the brain in more detail than CT and is the test of choice when assessing for brain tumors. However, it is a more expensive test and less widely available. CT images will identify most meningiomas and choroid plexus papillomas but can fail to identify gliomas. CT images also have a lot of artifact when trying to assess the brainstem and cerebellum. We therefore strongly recommend an MRI if the animal has signs of brainstem or cerebellar disease, or if it is a breed of dog that is predisposed to gliomas, such as the Boston Terrier. Tumor type can be suspected from the appearance of the mass on CT or MRI, but can only be definitively identified by taking a sample of the tumor, either at surgery or by biopsy. Indeed, masses caused by infections (for example abscesses or fungal granulomas) can look like brain tumors on brain images (figure 8). It is therefore vital that a sample of the tumor is taken and examined with a microscope to identify the cell types involved. Not only will this identify the tumor type, but it will also grade the malignancy of the tumor. Many neurologists, particularly those working in university teaching hospitals, routinely perform CT guided biopsies of tumors.

Head tilt Leaning and falling to the side of the head tilt Drunken gait with loss of balance (ataxia) Circling to the side of the head tilt Involuntary flicking of the eyes (nystagmus) Loss of appetite and vomiting Abnormal eye position (strabismus) The Cerebellum – The cerebellum controls coordination of movements and interacts closely with the vestibular system to control balance and posture. Signs of cerebellar disease include: Uncoordinated gait characterized by dramatic goosestepping (hypermetria) Head tremors that are worst when the animal is intent on something (i.e., food) but disappear when the animal is relaxed (intention tremors) Swaying of the trunk Wide based stance Sometimes there can be vestibular signs such as a head tilt The animal’s strength remains normal

Behavioral abnormalities such as loss of learned behavior and depression Increased or decreased appetite and thirst Constant pacing or circling Decreased awareness and vision on one side of the body, causing misjudgement of openings to doorways and bumping of one side of the body Sometimes affected animals behave as if they are in pain Seizures are a classic sign of forebrain disease and in fact, new onset of seizures is the most common presenting sign of animals with tumors of the forebrain. These seizures can occur alongside any of the other signs listed above, or may occur as the only abnormality. Whenever a dog or cat that is greater than five or six years of age has a new onset of seizures, a brain tumor is a possible differential and ruled out by a full diagnostic workup.

Examples of tumors that may spread to the brain include hemangiosarcoma, mammary carcinoma and melanoma.

Primary brain tumors seen in dogs and cats include meningioma, glioma, choroid plexus papilloma, pituitary adenoma or adenocarcinoma, and others.

Brain tumors may be primary, arising from the cells of the brain and its lining (figure 2), or secondary, arising elsewhere and spreading to the brain.

Side effects of radiation are usually localized and fairly predictable. Depending on what type of radiation protocol is designed, dogs can develop skin burns (limited to the site of radiation). Tolerating skin burns for a few weeks may add years to a dog's life. Side effects of surgery are directly related to type, location, and extent of surgery. The most obvious side effect of surgery tends to be pain. Fortunately, veterinarians have become more progressive and are now willing to offer pain relief to surgical patients.

Chemotherapy can produce a vast array of side effects or none at all. Decreased appetite or nausea is to be expected for perhaps two to three days of the month on typical protocols, according to Meleo. "I tell my clients to expect a pretty normal life with an occasional poor day. I figure if the dog can have three poor days in a month and add many months or longer to his life, then treatment is well worth it," she says. After receiving chemotherapy, some dogs develop changes in their blood cells, such as decreased red blood-- cell production (anemia), decreased white blood-cell production, or decreased platelet production. Most of these effects are transient and begin resolving within days of their lowest point. Owners are usually unaware of the cell changes, but should know that dogs with low white blood-cells are more susceptible to serious infections. For this reason, Meleo strongly cautions against feeding raw-- meat diets to dogs in cancer treatment. The bacteria commonly found in raw meat can be life-threatening to a dog with a suppressed immune system

Radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy are the three basic components of cancer treatment, and they may be used alone or in combination. Surgery and radiation are limited to the local area affected bv cancer, while chemotherapy is systemic throughout the entire body.

Diagnosing cancer in the brain and spinal cord is challenging, but modern technology is changing that. In the last few years, the increased availability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography scan (CT scan) has meant more pets have access to these sophisticated imaging tests that see through the skull and the spinal column.

Cancers that develop internally usually cause insidious, vague symptoms. In addition to gradual weight loss, decreased appetite and decreased activity are common signs of internal cancers. Owners may feel that they are overreacting to imprecise signs, but careful observation is most likely to result in an early diagnosis. Other vague signs include exercise intolerance, collapse or fainting, coughing, bad breath, restlessness, or pain. Owners may also observe vomiting, bloody stool or urine, diarrhea, constipation, increased urine production, or thirst. Some types of cancer are associated with seizures, lameness, gait changes, or behavioral changes such as aggression or disinterest in regular activities.

Unfortunately, most cancers, whether in people or dogs, cannot be traced to any specific cause.

It used to be that when a dog was diagnosed with cancer, the immediate answer was euthanasia. Not anymore. Now veterinarians can offer their patients a variety of options. Advances in the field of veterinary cancer mean better, longer lives for many dogs that previously had few alternatives.

Prognosis

Palliative, or symptomatic, treatments are designed to relieve some of the secondary effects resulting from the presence of the tumor. Frequently used palliative treatments include steroids, which treat brain swelling and inflammation, and anti-convulsant drugs for those animals that are experiencing seizures. The goal of palliative treatment is to make the patient feel better, but these treatments do not usually have any specific or significant anti-cancer effects. Surgical removal of meningiomas is often possible, especially for those tumors located in the forebrain. Radiation therapy using a variety of dose prescriptions and techniques has been used safely and successfully for the treatment of meningiomas. Radiation has been shown to be beneficial if used as a primary treatment in those cases in which surgery is not possible, or in combination with surgery. There have been no large controlled studies clearly demonstrating the benefits of systemically administered chemotherapies to animals with meningiomas.

Meningiomas are classified into three types: benign (Grade I), atypical (Grade II), and anaplastic (Grade III or malignant). In dogs, the incidence of Grade I tumors is 50-60%, 40-45% for Grade II tumors, and < 5% for Grade III tumors.

Figure 1: MRI and pathologic features of canine meningiomas (Click or tap the image for a larger version) A- Cystic meningioma in the frontal region. B- Basilar meningioma in the brainstem. C- Temporal lobe cerebral convexity meningioma. D- Parasellar meningioma. E- Multiple meningiomas in a dog. F- Biopsy specimen of Grade I meningioma.

Meningiomas arise from cells within the lining of the surface of the brain and usually appear along the outer edges of the brain adjacent to the skull, and can form in numerous locations.

As Jared Diamond tells us, of all 148 large mammalian species who inhabit this earth, only 14 — sheep, goat, cow, pig, horse, Arabian camel, Bactrian camel, llama, donkey, reindeer, water buffalo, yak, Bali cattle, and mithan — have proven amenable to domestication or the taming that precedes it. Zebras have that nasty temper. Elephants, those gentle giants, mature too slowly, while deer and antelope panic in a pen.

That all across the animal kingdom this cross-pollination occurs

I was just 15 when I imbibed this sobering information — old enough to understand it but young enough to decide to discard it.

We adore our pets not because they love us, but because they prove to us, day after day after day, that we love them with a purity not possible in human-to-human encounters. Our animals prove to us how capacious the human heart can be, and in doing so they give us a great gift.

Amelia, in other words, was not following me because she loved me; she followed me because some dumb drive urged her to do so, the drive itself as wild as wings or water.

cathect

capacious

wax

an animal pulled from a parallel universe, living proof that two separate spheres could happily intersect.

I began to move, and she began to follow me with what seemed like total faith, scampering after me as I made my way down the stairs, at my heels as I traveled towards the kitchen.

There are many more wonders: the way they recognize my voice from anyone else shouting and how they hurry near when called; or follow me because they know I have food in my bulging hand.

The essay is not strictly about geese: it is about E. B. White. He compares the defeated gander to "spent old males, motionless in the glare of the day" on a park bench in Florida. He had shuttled back and forth from Maine to Florida; his anxiety is real. He mentions summer sadness twice in his essay, a melancholy that may sadden a person precisely because the day is sunny.

Their alliances within a flock, their bouts of aggression and spells of passivity, their concentration, their impulsive, low, skidding flights when they have a whole meadow to use as a runway, the way they stand their ground against dogs or humans—these are all wonders.

other

anthropomorphists

Animal lovers often tend to be misanthropes or loners, and so they transfer their affection to the creature in their control.

his naming of farm animals, making them domestic pets, dressing them in human clothes and giving them lovable identities, his regarding them as partners (and sometime personal antagonists).

more than that, they are in many cases more sensitive, more receptive, truer chums than many of White's human friends.

In just a minute, the two-dog baying competition would begin. In pairs, bay dogs would chase a hog, run him down, get on either side of him, herd and worry him, and try to hold him in one spot. The pair that held the hog best for the space of two minutes, in the judges' opinion, would win a tall trophy and a couple of thousand dollars. The hogs would run, snort, squeal, clack their teeth threateningly, charge the dogs, kick up dust, cause the handlers to dodge around trees. The hogs sometimes would be bitten, torn, grabbed, thrown, sat on, and finally shoved back into their pen. Many in the crowd would watch with an almost out-of-body concentration.

(but didn't kill)

"And he cut my bulldog's throat. Then he turned around and killed one of my bay dogs. I couldn't see no tree to get up, so I backed off. He looked at me and I looked at him, and I said, 'Bear, we'll be back.' And I swear the way he looked at me, he was saying, 'I'll be back, too.'

and destroy a yard that had previously won two "'Yard of the Month" awards on Robins Air Force Base

They just eat the eggs of the sea turtle, an endangered species, on barrier islands off the East Coast, and root up rare and diverse species of plants all over, and contribute to the replacement of those plants by weedy, invasive species, and promote erosion, and undermine roadbeds and bridges with their rooting, and push expensive horses away from food stations in pastures in Georgia, and inflict tusk marks on the legs of these horses, and eat eggs of game birds like quail and grouse, and run off game species like deer and wild turkeys, and eat food plots planted specially for those animals, and root up the hurricane levee in Bayou Sauvage, Louisiana, that kept Lake Pontchartrain from flooding the eastern part of New Orleans, and chase a woman in Itasca, Texas, and root up lawns of condominiums in Silicon Valley, and kill lambs and calves, and eat them so thoroughly that no evidence of the attack can be found.

John J. Mayer, the wild-hog expert, who was also called in, concluded that the hog had been pen-raised. The hog's long tusks (in the wild, boars break their tusks fighting over sows), its weight (that much food simply isn't available in the wild), and its hooves (their wear indicated a lot of time spent standing on concrete) contributed to Mayer's verdict.

feral

In frontier times, farmers let their hogs run loose, then collected them with the help of dogs on butchering day

Despite Keiko's progress, though, there was no irrefutable evidence that he would ever leave his bay pen permanently. During the winter, when the wild whales were gone, he was back in his pen full time, and he was the same tractable fellow as always, ready in a minute to put his big wet rubbery head in your lap. If he was getting an idea of what wildness was, he was still a bit of a baby, and certainly daintier than you might think a killer whale should be. Once, when the trainers instructed him to bring something up from the bottom of the bay, he presented them with a puffin feather when they were expecting something more like a boulder, and then he accidentally dropped it, dived back down, and brought up the same tiny feather. Another time, he came up with a little hermit crab that was blithely scurrying up and down the long row of his teeth, oblivious of the fact that it was inside the mouth of a killer whale. When seagulls stole his food, he got angry, but he usually just grabbed them, shook them a bit, and spit them out.

In a documentary film about Keiko, his Reino Aventura trainers, two beautiful young women, were nearly hysterical about his departure, saying he was not just a whale or a job but their closest friend.

More than a hundred and thirty orcas have been captured for display since Moby Doll's misadventures

Many of them came from Iceland, until all whaling in the country was halted in 1989

Sea World's Tillikum,

Iceland

But Keiko -- which means "lucky one" in Japanese

where the wind never huffs or puffs but simply blows your house down

After only nine generations, the researchers recorded fox kits born with floppier ears. Piebald patterns appeared on their coats. By this time the foxes were already whining and wagging their tails in response to a human presence, behaviors never seen in wild foxes.

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pig'sscreamsandwheezes

Exceptwhytakeallthetrou-bletobreedandcareforandtrainaspecialani-malandbringittotheIllinoisStateFairifyoudon'tcareanythingaboutit

tremblesandshuddersandmakestheframedank,lowing,itseyesrollingup.almosttothewhites

whoworkeddetasselingsummercornwithmeinhighschool

feldspar

Inside,they'regraycement,dimandyeasty,hugefansoverhead,workersinoverallsandwadershos-•ingeverythingdown

the-skyisthecolorofoldjeans

stunned,