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Vet Pathol 44:355-361 (2007)
© 2007 American College of Veterinary Pathologists

Diagnoses and Clinical Outcomes Associated with Surgically Amputated Canine Digits Submitted to Multiple Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories

B. K. Wobeser, B. A. Kidney, B. E. Powers, S. J. Withrow, M. N. Mayer, M. T. Spinato and A. L. Allen

Departments of Veterinary Pathology (BKW, BAK, ALA1) and Small Animal Clinical Studies (MNM), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (BEP) and Animal Cancer Center (SJW), College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado, Prairie Diagnostic Services (MTS,2), Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Amputation is commonly performed to both treat and diagnose conditions affecting the digits of dogs. Although histopathologic evaluation of these digits is routinely done, data on the prevalence and prognosis of neoplasms of the digit are scarce. The records of multiple veterinary diagnostic laboratories were searched to identify submissions of amputated digits from dogs. Four hundred twenty-eight separate submissions were reviewed for diagnosis, age, sex, limb of origin, and digits affected, and the original submitting clinics were surveyed to determine clinical outcome of the animal. No diagnosis could be agreed upon in 24 animals, and these were excluded from the study. Kaplan-Meier product-limit method was used to determine the disease-free interval and survival time. Neoplastic disease was identified in 296 of 404 submissions, with exclusively inflammatory lesions composing 108 cases. A total of 30 different neoplastic processes were identified. In 233 (77.7%) of the neoplastic cases, a malignant tumor was identified. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most commonly identified tumor (n = 109, 36.3%), and 11 of 42 dogs for which clinical follow-up information was available developed metastatic disease. Squamous cell carcinoma of the digit appears to have a greater metastatic potential than that occurring elsewhere in the body. Other common diagnoses included melanoma (n = 52, 17.3%), soft-tissue sarcoma (n = 29, 9.7%), and mast cell tumor (n = 20, 6.7%). Melanomas were associated with poor prognoses, with a median survival time of 365 days.

Key words: Melanoma; neoplasia prevalence; squamous cell carcinoma.

Request reprints from Dr. A. Allen, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4 (Canada). E-mail: andrew.allen{at}usask.ca




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