You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

There are many possible causes of acute dyspnoea and, in older animals in particular, local tumours should be included on the differential diagnosis list

Secondary and local tumours can lead to clinical problems and acute respiratory signs including dyspnoea. Some of the tumour types are summarised in this table :

 

Cause(s)	Tumour Types
Upper airway obstruction	Squamous cell carcinoma - larynx Lymphoma - tonsils or submandibular lymph node lymphoma Mediastinal neoplasms Thymic tumours
Compression of the cranial vena cava	Bronchial carcinoma Mediastinal lymphoma Thymoma
Pleural effusion, haemothorax, chylothorax, pyothorax, modified transudate	Mediastinal lymphoma Thymoma Mesothelioma (rare) Carcinomatosis
Cardiac tamponade due to percardial effusion	Heart base tumour Haemangiosarcoma Lymphoma - right atrium
Sudden loss of lung capacity	Malignant secondary spread due to multiple microemboli (seeding)

Localised tumours may be amenable to treatment by surgery and/or other methods and the earlier they are detected and treated the better the prognosis.

Last updated : October 2013