According to the National Canine Cancer Foundation, cancer touches the lives of one out of every three dogs yearly, with half of all dogs over ten dying from the disease. Although any breed of dog can contract cancer, the breeds most susceptible include Berneses, cocker spaniels, boxers and golden retrievers.
Symptoms
- Appetite loss as well as weight loss
- Abnormal swellings that continue growing
- Difficulties swallowing or eating
- Loss of energy
- Unhealed sores
- Problems urinating, defecating or breathing
- Bodily discharges or bleeding
- Bad odors
- Skin cancers - Skin cancers make up 58 percent of all cancers in dogs, accounting for most canine cancers. Mastocytomas or mast cell tumor is the most typical skin neoplasm, accounting for up to 20 percent of all skin tumors. The breeds most prone to mastocytomas include boxers, Labrador retrievers and Boston terriers.
- Mammary – Female dogs develop cancerous tumors of the mammary glands more than any other type of cancer, striking most female dogs from age six through ten. The tumors are connected with hormones linked with the estrus cycle or female “heat” cycle.
- Lymphoma – Lymphoma cancer is the most common form of canine cancer, occurring in all breeds. However some breeds such as boxers, golden retrievers, Dobermans and Scottish terriers are more susceptible.
Treatment
The three basic treatment options generally include surgery, medication and/or radiation. The amount of treatment depends on the stage and type of cancer as well as the location of the cancer.
- Diet - Although there are various therapies for fighting canine cancer, all dog cancers share the basic need for a specialized diet. Diet is critical for treating a dog that has cancer. This is because all body functions are controlled by what a dog’s consumes. Don’t feed grains. Avoiding grains is the first rule for feeding a cancer-ridden dog. Over the past decade dogs have been basically meat eaters. When checking labels on dog food ensure the first ingredients lists contains some form of meat.
- Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy treatment may be used either as the only form of treatment or in combination of other treatments such as radiation. As for side effects, dogs experience less of them than humans do because fewer drugs are used with them. Side effects may range from mild to severe including vomiting, appetite loss and diarrhea due to the toxic effects to the gastrointestinal region.
- Radiation treatment – Because using radiation is a local treatment, it’s usually used in treating a local disease where tumors have a high chance to aggressively infiltrate locally but low odds of spreading. Usually radiation is used after removing low to intermediate-grad mast cell tumors, as well as soft tissue sarcomas and oral tumors. Besides postoperative treatment, radiation can be used before surgery to make an inoperable tumor more favorable to surgery. Radiation can also be used for improving a dog’s quality of life suffering from tumors that highly spread as malignant melanoma.
Tragically, in some situations surgery or chemotherapy may not be possible. Then it’s up to the owner to decide if it would be more loving to put his beloved pet to sleep or live out the cancer until the end. It’s never an easy decision and the circumstances differ in each case.
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