Abstract
Nasal adenocarcinomas in domestic dogs are known for their insidious onset, lack of visible nasal deformity, and local aggression.1 Indeed, nasal discharge is often the only clinical sign seen until very late in the neoplastic disease process. Limited reports of adenocarcinomas are present in wild canids. This case report describes a nasal adenocarcinoma in two 11-year-old male captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Clinical signs included chronic, intermittent, non-antibiotic-responsive epistaxis for seven months. Other signs included slowly progressive anorexia, and palpable bone disruption late in the disease. Diagnosis was made using bloodwork, physical exam, skull radiography, cytology and histopathology of a nasal biopsy, as well as nasal computed tomography (CT). Due to the poor prognosis and declining condition, euthanasia was elected. The masses were excised at necropsy and confirmed as a nasal adenocarcinoma without evidence for metastasis. These cases can be compared to nasal adenocarcinomas in domestic dogs, with implications for screening and diagnosis in wild canids.
Literature Cited
1. Dobson J, Morris J. Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. In: Dobson J, Morris J. Small Animal Oncology. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science Ltd.; 2001:98–104.