Introduction
The most reliable way to diagnose lymphoma in dogs is to do a biopsy of affected lymph nodes or other affected tissue. A biopsy means taking a piece of the suspect organ or tissue (cutting a little slice of it) and then submitting it to a laboratory where skilled people can look at it and determine whether it is normal, or not.
Often, a veterinarian will first do a fine needle aspirate (“FNA”), which basically involves sticking a needle into the mass or affected tissue and pulling out cells that can be looked at under a microscope to assess whether they are normal or not. X-rays (more accurately referred to as “radiographs”), ultrasound, blood analysis and bone marrow biopsy might reveal other locations of lymphoma. Your veterinarian will “stage” the cancer, and that will help you and your doctor decide on a treatment protocol. Here is a really simplified breakdown of the stages of lymphoma.
Stages of Lymphoma in Dogs
- Stage I - only one lymph node (or lymphoid tissue in one organ) is involved.
- Stage II – a chain of lymph nodes in a particular area of the body are involved.
- Stage III –there is generalized lymph node involvement, meaning that most or all peripheral lymph nodes are affected.
- Stage IV - any of the above, plus liver or spleen involvement.
- Stage V - any of the above, with bone marrow involvement.
Each stage can further be classified as A (the animal has no clinical signs) or B (the animal is showing signs of illness, such as loss of appetite, lethargy, weight loss, etc.