Surgical Approach (Excision and Biopsy) for Intestinal Tumors in Dogs - Part 1: How do Signalment, clinical and pathohistological Findings influence the postoperative Course and Prognosis?

Data from 93 dogs that presented with an intestinal tumor and underwent surgery at the Clinic for Small Animals of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, between 2001 and 2017 were reviewed. Overall, 20% of the patients were euthanized either intraoperatively or while hospitalized. The median survival time for the entire patient population studied was 567 days (95%-confidence interval 155-1,196 days). About half (53%) the dogs with intestinal tumors did not survive the first six months after surgery, while a quarter of the patients (25%) lived longer than three more years. Lymphopenia, hypalbuminemia, inflammatory changes in the abdominal cavity and metastases had a negative effect on the postoperative course in this study. Although advanced age and tumors with a diameter of more than 2 cm were significantly associated with a shorter survival time in this study, these factors did not influence the postoperative course