Tracing the clinical profile of female dogs with mammary tumors: a decade of cases at the veterinary teaching Hospital of Universidade Federal Fluminense

ABSTRACT Mammary cancer is the most common neoplasm in female dogs, characterized by high variability in biological behavior. This observational and retrospective study analyzed the clinical profile of 404 female dogs diagnosed with mammary cancer between 2013 and 2023 at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Professor Firmino Marsico Filho of Federal Fluminense University (HUVET - UFF), in Niterói, RJ, Brazil. The average age was 9.8 years, with a predominance of mixed-breed (34.16%) and non-spayed females (70.05%), highlighting the impact of reproductive status on neoplasia prevalence. Carcinoma in mixed tumor was the most common histological type (n=220), and clinical stage I was the most frequent (44.80%). There was a high rate of non-adherence to chemotherapy (78.8%), despite the predominance of early-stage diagnoses (55.68%). Early diagnosis, educational policies focused on reproductive health in female dogs, and access to specialized treatment are crucial for better prognosis and quality of life in these animals.