Diagnosis and surgical management of mammary adenocarcinoma in a bitch

Abstract

Surgical management is considered as the primary option for the treatment of mammary tumors in dogs worldwide. A nine-year-old intact (unsprayed) female German Shepherd dog was brought to SAQ Teaching Veterinary Hospital at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh, with a history of gradually enlarging L-5 mammary gland since the last two months. Clinical examination revealed that the dog was active and alert; there was no swelling of prescapular and inguinal lymph nodes but the L-5 mammary gland had an elongated, well-capsulated hard mass with irregular borders. Complete cell count, serum biochemistry, radiography, and cytopathology were performed. Mild neutrophilia and lymphopenia were observed in the differential leukocyte count. Cytopathological features included hypercellularity, anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, coarse chromatin with one or more prominent nucleoli, and high nuclear cytoplasm ratio as considered as mammary adenocarcinoma. To justify the above clinical reports, L-5 mastectomy was considered. Mastectomy was performed successfully under general anesthesia. The surgical wound was healed within 10 days, and there was no evidence of any swelling or recurrence of the tumor up to 6 months post-surgery.