During the last 2 years (2018-2020), we have successfully treated 30 dogs both males and females suffering from Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumors (TVT). The prognosis for the dogs if not treated is a very painful and drawn-out death.

 
These cancerous tumours are most commonly seen in sexually active dogs in tropical and subtropical climates. They are transmitted among dogs through mating or licking, biting and sniffing tumour affected areas. Many dogs in Bangsaphan are either born wild or abandoned resulting in large groups of unneutered dogs who can spread the tumours unheeded.

 
The tumours are easily detected. The female will have a cauliflower shape tumour on her vulva which can grow painfully large and bleed with a discharge. The male suffers an equally painful tumour, swelling his penis which he can’t contract allowing other infections to set in.  Both male and females can reach a stage where they can’t urinate. Signs of a nasal TVT tumour include nosebleeds and other nasal discharge and facial swelling, These tumours can move along the nasal passages and lodge in the area above the eyes causing blindness or on the outer surface of the brain causing brain damage.

Cancer can spread to regional lymph nodes, skin, brain, eye, liver, spleen, testicle, rectum and muscle. As a single male can produce dozens of litters over his lifetime the tumour can affect many females who in turn can pass the virus to her puppies often causing blindness.

Surgery may be difficult due to the location of these tumours and surgery alone often leads to recurrence. Chemotherapy is very effective for TVT. The prognosis for complete remission with chemotherapy is excellent. We treat most dogs suffering from TVT with 4 or 5 chemotherapy injections once a week. The majority respond very well but we have had cases where treatment had to stop after 2 injections as the dog wasn’t strong enough.  We give high dose vitamin injections for several weeks and liver tonic until the dog’s health has improved enough allowing treatment to resume.

We treat most dogs at their homes or where they are cared for such as temples as the dog is less stressed in the environments. In the case of feral dogs, we need to bring them into our Healing Centre where we have a large isolation pen.