Can an X-ray detect a brain tumor in my dog with behavior problems?

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question. X-rays produce images of the structures inside the body. Bone is the most dense, so it shows up as a white. X-rays are the best for visualizing bones. You can see organs and tumors, they will show up as shades of gray. In order to better visualize them, however, ultrasound, an MRI, or CAT scan would be better. I hope this helps.

The neurological exam should be able to determine if the disease is in the brain. Age (older pets with new neurological symptoms) and signalment can help prioritize differential diagnoses but ultimately imaging (MRI) is required to make a definitive diagnosis.

In my opinion, it is a long shot to diagnose brain tumor based on one episode like that. First of all, it should be established if the episode was a seizure or not (it could have been a muscle spasm or a bout of neck pain, maybe ?). I assume that neurological examination at the time of your visit at your vet was all ok. If Sookie has another similar episode, ideally you should record a video of that and play it back to your vet. It will help to establish if this is a seizure or not. Even if the episode was an epileptic seizure it is not necessary because of brain tumor. Problems like blood clot in the brain vessel, bleeding from a brain vessel, inflammation of the brain, infection or even diseases distant from the brain (for example diabetes, heart diseases) can result in seizure-like episodes. So, the best approach for confirmed seizure is to run blood test first to rule out diabetes, drop in blood glucose level, liver/kidney function etc. If the results are negative AND your dog is experiencing similar, frequent epsidoes you can consider MRI of the brain. Lastly, brain tumors do not respond well to chemotherapy/radiotherapy therefore this mode of treatment is usually not recommended. However, some brain tumors can be surgically removed.

I can appreciate an increase in size/swelling above the right eye in your photos here. A brain tumor itself normally wouldn't cause a visible swelling, as the brain is encased in the bony skull and a tumor would just cause increased pressure on the brain but not cause changes in the shape of the skull. That being said, we can have bony tumors of the skull that can change the skull shape. We can also have tumors of the soft tissue (skin, muscle, connective tissue) that could be seen on the head, and also tumors of the eye/muscles behind the eye. Your dog should definitely have an examination done by the vet. They may recommend an aspirate of the swelling to help tell what is causing it, an x-ray of the skull, and possibly more advanced imaging like a CT scan. This problem may be something easily fixed or may be more involved, but we won't know without further testing.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm so sorry to hear that your veterinarian suspects that Sky has a brain tumor. There are some clinical signs/neurologic abnormalities that can increase suspicion for a brain tumor, such as abnormal behavior, circling when walking, seeming blind or staring off into space, seizures, etc. Advanced imaging such as a CT scan or an MRI would be the way to definitively diagnose a brain tumor. Prednisone is a common steroid medication with anti-inflammatory properties that can help decrease some of these clinical signs and make dogs feel better. Making the decision to euthanize a pet is never easy, and I'm sorry that you are faced with this right now. If Sky is improving, it is not wrong to delay her euthanasia. I recommend thinking about Sky's ability to do things she normally enjoys, and if she is still able to do a lot of those things, maybe it isn't time to euthanize just yet. I hope this is helpful - my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Abdominal x-rays are sometimes helpful in determining if there is a mass in the cranial (front part) of the abdomen, near the spleen or liver. Sometimes this is obvious, but masses can be more subtle on x-rays, and it can be difficult to determine from what organ a mass is originating. If there is concern for an abdominal mass on x-rays, an abdominal ultrasound may be recommended to better determine what organ the mass is associated with. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Teddy!

Without seeing the x-ray it is hard to say. On x-rays all black areas are air, white areas are bone/metal and gray areas are soft tissue structures or non-radiopaque objects. A tumor, hair or grass would all look similar. Dogs almost never have hairballs. A lump of grass would not make it all the way to the colon as it would be digested before it got there. If there is a lump inside the colon or around the outside of the colon then it is most likely cancer however, it could be a hernia, an enlarged lymph node or other soft tissue structure. I cannot tell you without seeing the x-ray. If you do not trust the vet's interpretation then I suggest you get a second opinion from another vet. You can take the x-rays with you for them to review. Also, most vets have a board certified radiologist they can x-rays to for review. You can always ask your vet to do that for you as a second opinion.