With any sort of illness, being aware of the cause can bring a lot of understanding and comfort because you’re not left with an unanswered question. Unfortunately, when it comes to testicular cancer in dogs, the cause is not fully known.
Before we say anything further, it’s important to note that prostate cancer and testicular cancer are two different types of cancer in dogs. Since the prostate gland is close to the testicles, it is not rare that a dog will initially receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer that is later revealed as testicular cancer.
However, despite a lack of clarity surrounding the cause of testicular tumors, there is still a lot of public information about cancer in male canine testicles, including the types of canine testicular tumors.
Three main types of testicular tumors in dogs.
Interstitial Cell Tumors
The main differentiating factor between these cell tumors and seminomas is their origin. They all develop from different sources. Interstitial cell tumors, for example, stem from Leydig cells, which are responsible for producing testosterone in dogs when a hormone called LH is present. These tumors are the more common type of cell tumors in canine testicles.
Sertoli Cell Tumors
Sertoli cell tumors stem from canine Sertoli cells, which aid in the production of sperm in male canine testicles. Similar to Leydig cells, Sertoli cell tumors arise in situations where a hormone known as FSH is present.
Seminomas
Seminomas come from the cells that create sperm in a dog’s reproductive system. These cells are known as germ cells. In the formative stages, testicular cell tumors and seminomas are different, but they share many similar side effects.
Symptoms of Testicular Tumors in Dogs
Testicular tumors lead to many physical symptoms that reveal themselves over time. One main symptom of testicular tumors is weight loss. Another side effect of testicular tumors is hair loss, and a third symptom is the swelling of mammary glands.
Testicular tumors can also cause the lymph nodes to swell up and make dogs look puffy. Lymph nodes are located all over a dog’s body, and the swelling usually occurs near the location of the cancerous cells, so keep an eye out for puffiness near your dog’s testicles.
How Testicular Cancer is Diagnosed
When the number of WBC is lower than usual, it might indicate that cancer has entered into the canine’s bone marrow. Even if it’s not showing signs of disease, the low WBC count is worth noting. There are many different ways that veterinarians check dogs for testicular cancer. One of the most common methods of diagnosing this is by ordering a complete blood count exam. A blood count of the white blood cells (WBC) speaks volumes when diagnosing canine testicular cancer.
