7 May 2021
Vets at Axiom Veterinary Laboratories alarmed about an increase in confirmed CTVT cases, most of them in dogs imported from Romania – and have urged colleagues to be alert.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © TheOtherKev / Pixabay
Vets have been warned to be alert to signs of canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) following a rise in cases in dogs imported from eastern Europe.
CTVT, largely eradicated in the UK, is most common in tropical and subtropical regions where it usually affects young, entire and sexually active stray dogs.
But it is being seen increasingly in parts of Europe, and is a problem in Romania where it can affect up to 10% of all dogs.
One testing company in the UK said it was on course to see nearly double the number of cases in 2021 compared to 2020, with five cases already confirmed between January and April.
Axiom Veterinary Laboratories noted an increase in cases this year, with the number projected to top 15 for 2021. It saw 8 last year and in 2017, 5 in 2019, 4 in 2015 and 2016, 3 in 2018 and 2 in 2014.
Of the 39 confirmed cases in that time, 35 have been in dogs imported from Romania, with single cases in dogs from Serbia, Egypt, China and Hungary.
Axiom is now warning vets to be on their guard for clinical signs of CTVT, which, although typically transmitted by coitus, can be passed on through licking, sniffing and biting of tumour-affected areas.
In a letter to Vet Times (full version available at CPD+), vets Niki Skeldon and Kate Sherry said: “We have seen an increase in the number of cases of CTVT in samples submitted to our laboratory, predominantly in dogs imported from Romania, and wish to alert colleagues to this fact. The majority of the tumours are benign, with metastasis reported to occur in less than 15% of cases.
“CTVT is unlikely to become established as an endemic disease in the UK due to stringent dog control laws and widespread neutering. However, an imported dog harbouring CTVT poses a potential risk to non-travelled dogs, even if neutered, due to the possible transmission of tumour cells during non-sexual contact.
“The veterinarian may, therefore, act as the first line of defence against a cluster of cases occurring in a non-endemic country.”
Speaking to Vet Times, Mrs Skeldon said the surge in interest for dogs during the pandemic could be behind the increase.
She said: “I believe it’s to do with the massive surge in dogs (not just puppies) imported from Romania.
“I think this trend was happening before the pandemic, but the increased demand for dogs due to the pandemic could be accelerating even further the demand for imported dogs from eastern Europe. I don’t know the latest imported dog figures to prove this, however.
“A dog with CTVT could potentially pass it on to another dog within the UK. It’s relatively unlikely, because the imported charity dogs are likely to be neutered, and CTVTs are mostly transmitted during coitus (abrasions of mucous membranes facilitate the implantation of tumour cells). However, there’s a small chance transmission can take place via non-sexual contact.
