Prevalence of tumors in dogs from the municipality of Toluca, México, from 2002 to 2008

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of tumors in biopsies of owned dogs sent to the pathology laboratory from the municipality of Toluca. Tissue samples (n = 172) were received at CIESA laboratory from 2002 to 2008. The estimated prevalence was 1.23/1000 dogs, with values of 1.37 for bitches 1.08 for males. The frequency of tumors per age group was: 59.3% in dogs of 7-15 years old, 33.7% in dogs of 2-6 years old and 7% in dogs younger than 2 years old. Skin tumors were the most prevalent (0.65), followed by mammary gland tumors (0.24). These results suggested that age could be associated to the presence of malignant tumors, and that UV radiation could be associated to the appearance of certain types of skin tumors. This study contributes to the understanding of the epidemiology of tumors in dogs from Toluca, in order to establish the first registry of dog tumors in Mexico.