Brain Tumors in Dogs
Source: veterinarypartner.com
The meningioma is probably the most common cause of seizures in dogs over age 6 years of age.
The meninges are the membranes that line the skull and vertebral column, effectively surrounding the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord.
Meningiomas are generally benign, meaning that they do not create cancer. They do not spread to other areas of the body or invade and destroy tissue local to them. The reason they are a problem is that there is a limited amount of space within the skull. The brain and its bath of cerebrospinal fluid take up almost all the room and when a tumor begins to grow, the brain tissue is compressed. Inflammation can result leading to more swelling and soon nerves of the brain are damaged.
Signs of Meningioma
Seizures are the most common sign
Walking in circles
Blindness
Dragging toes
Drunken gait
Behaviour changes
Ataxia
Head Tilt
Nystagmus ( eyes flickering back and forth uncontrollably)
Paralysis (partial or full)
Oddly, meningiomas contain high numbers of progesterone receptors. In dogs, the number of progesterone receptors a meningioma contains correlates to more aggressive progression. This means that anti-progesterone medications may be helpful. In cats, there is no such correlation. Anti-progesterone therapy is still under investigation at this time.
• 95% of canine meningiomas occur in dogs over age 7 years.
• Dogs with long noses (particularly collies) seem to be predisposed.
• In dogs, most meningiomas occur in the front of the skull. This is the area where the olfactory lobes (which control the sense of smell) are located. Altered sense of smell may easily lead to a behavior change or appetite change.
Conventional Treatment
Medication
If the goal is palliation, in other words just keeping the pet comfortable and minimizing seizures, prednisone can be used to relieve swelling in the brain tissue and anti-seizure medication such as phenobarbital or potassium bromide can be used to control seizures. Prednisone is surprisingly effective in shrinking a meningioma simply by decreasing tumor blood flow. In one study the tumor’s blood volume was 21% reduced within 24 hours of beginning prednisone. Eventually, the tumor will grow too big to respond to these tactics but for a time they are usually effective (3-6 months survival in one study).
A more definitive therapy involves surgical removal of the tumor and/or radiation therapy, both very expensive treatments.
Alternative Treatments
1. MCT oil/Keto diet - no carbs, fat, and protein. 1 teaspoon of MCT oil/10lbs daily. This can decrease incidence of seizures, and lower cancer growth by limiting glucose.
2. CBD oil - natural anti-inflammatory, can help for cancer, and decrease seizures. Dose of 3mg/10lbs twice daily. Avoid THC as it can increase seizure activity.
3. Medicinal Mushroom Reishi: studied for serious brain tumors in people, proven immune boosting – 400mg/30lbs daily
4. Vitamin D was shown to be beneficial in people for long term survival, brain cancer treatment. Dog dose of 100IU/10lbs daily
5. Ivermectin for Cancer. Current studies showing it to be beneficial for brain cancer. Dog dose of 1mg (.1cc) per 10lbs daily
