Brain Tumor Support Group Brain tumor Information in dogs and cats Tumors involving the brain can occur in dogs and cats just as in people. Older animals are usually most affected, however, occasionally tumors may occur in younger animals. While it is not truly known what percentage of dogs get brain tumors in their lifetime , it has been estimated that brain tumors occur in dogs with a frequency of 14.5 per 100,000 at risk. A tumor is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth or proliferation of cells in a part of the body.
Tumors can occur in the brain of both dogs and cats.
Tumors that arise from cells within or covering the brain are called primary brain tumors. Tumors that reach the brain as a result of metastasis or local growth of tumors in the skull or nose are referred to as secondary tumors. Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor in dogs and cats. These tumors develop from outside the brain and tend to grow inward toward the brain. In dogs, meningiomas tend to more infiltrative to the brain in comparison to cats, where meningiomas are often well encapsulated and push into the brain.