Cancer and Your Pet
Just say the word cancer and any of a host of undesirable thoughts will pop in your mind- and with good reason. Cancer is one of the most common of diseases among pets and increases as the pet ages. In dogs, the frequency of getting cancer is equivalent to that of a human being getting cancer. Additionally, it accounts for close to half the deaths of pets over the
age of 10. Just what is cancer and what causes it? Basically, cancer occurs when cell growth
rates go out of control on, or inside, the body. What causes this chaos inside the
system of the cell is still unknown-but the results have been well documented and
the reputation is well known.
Some cancers such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer or testicular cancer can be
largely prevented by spaying or neutering your pet while it is still very young( 6-12
months or so). Other types, however, are not as easy to detect, causing difficult
preventive methods.
Following are many common types of cancers seen in pets. Skin tumors in dogs
should always be checked by a vet. Breast cancers have a high rate of malignancy in
dogs- often 50%. Lymphoma is common and is characterized by an enlargement of
the lymph nodes. Testicular tumors are common in dogs- especially those having
retained testes. Cancers occurring in the head and/or neck are common in dogs and
often malignant. Aggressive and quick therapy is required. Abdominal tumors are
harder to detect and very common. Watch for weight loss or abdominal
enlargement.
Testing for cancer can be done in a variety of methods - from x-rays or blood tests
to actual biopsy samples(tissue samples). Most often, biopsies are required to
diagnose cancer. Treatments run the gamut in cancer therapy. Since each cancer may be of a different
type from animal to animal, and each animals system may react differently to the
same drug, the care is highly individualized. Your veterinarian may choose from
such options as chemotherapy, radiation, hyperthermia, surgery, immuno-therapy,
or cryosurgery(freezing) to treat your pet, although combinations of the above
methods are quite common.
Now for the big question. Just what are the success rates of these methods in
treating my pet for cancer? Just as in humans, the success rate depends on a
number of variables- what type of cancer your pet has, how early you detect the
cancer,how you treat the cancer and how strong your pet is- just to name a few.
Sometimes the cancer can be cured if response is quick and the treatment
aggressive but all pets may receive a better quality of life from therapy received. The
best therapy seems, however, to be early detection through regular vet visits and
keen knowledge of your pets overall rate of health at all times. Watch for changes
and be aware should any unusual symptoms pop up. COMMON SIGNS OF CANCER SEEN IN SMALLER ANIMALS ?Loss of appetite
?Sudden weight loss
?Slow,or non-healing sores
?Offensive odor
?Abnormal growths or swellings
?Loss of stamina
?Hesitation in exer-cising
?Persistent lameness or stiffness
?Difficulty in eating or swallowing
?Difficulty in breathing, defecating or urinating Article written and reprinted with permission of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com/
Purebred Dogs, Puppies and Dog Breeders - "Your New Best Friend" Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. Debbie Ray, owner of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com is a lifetime dog lover and
owner and breeder of german shepherd dogs for over 15 years.
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