Clinical, Radiographic and Rhinoscopic Features of Primary Intra-Nasal Transmissible Venereal Tumour in Four Dogs and its Treatment

Abstract

Transmissible venereal tumours are contagious tumours that typically affects intact male and female canines. Four dogs were presented to Small Animal Out-Patient unit of Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital, Chennai with history of chronic unilateral epistaxis and sneezing. Leukocytosis with neutrophilia was a consistent finding in all dogs whereas the serum biochemical values where unremarkable. Lateral and dorsoventral radiograph of skull revealed space occupying lesion suggesting soft tissue mass in the nasal cavity. Rhinoscopy confirmed the presence of tumour mass occluding nasal passage. Nasal cytology revealed the presence of characteristic transmissible venereal tumour cells. Chemotherapy was initiated with Vincristine sulphate at the dose rate of 0.7 mg/m². All the four dogs showed complete clinical recovery after four weekly doses of vincristine chemotherapy. Radiography repeated after four weeks confirmed the absence of space occupying mass in nasal cavity. The present study describes the clinical and diagnostic imaging changes in dogs with intra-nasal transmissible venereal tumour and its therapeutic management.