QUALITY OF LIFE AND PAIN IN DOGS WITH EARLY-STAGE MAMMARY TUMOURS

Quality of life (QOL) was evaluated in bitches with mammary tumours (MTs) by applying a scale to assess QOL in dogs with pain secondary to cancer. Two groups were constituted: Group 1 with 80 bitches with MT, oncologically classified as stage I (mean age +/- SD = 9.9 +/- 3.8 years), and Group 2 consisting of 80 healthy bitches without MT (mean age: 7.7 +/- 1.8 years). The results were based on responses from owners using a standardised, internationally accepted pain-scale questionnaire. This prospective and descriptive study showed that 63% of the dogs in Group 1 had a change in QOL due to the presence of MT. The risk of QOL impairment was 2.1 times higher in Group 1 animals than in bitches without MT. Mammary tumour increased the presence of pain 8.3 times and defecation difficulties 10 times. It can be concluded that even small MTs can elicit pain in dogs, which interferes with their quality of life.