Oral tumours are common in dogs and cause significant pain and functional impairment requiring welfare-focused assessment and often surgical management.
Dogs with oral cancer experience chronic pain from tumour growth and ulceration. Difficulty eating reduces food intake causing weight loss and nutritional welfare impairment. The welfare assessment of oral cancer treatment involves weighing surgical morbidity against the relief of chronic tumour pain. Partial jaw resection sounds dramatic but dogs adapt remarkably well and pain relief from tumour removal typically produces significant welfare improvement. Quality of life assessment before and after treatment informs ongoing management decisions. Melanoma carries poor prognosis but treatment extends quality time. Palliative pain management is the welfare priority when curative treatment is not pursued.