One of the most deadly diseases to ever hit mankind, cancer is also known to affect dogs. In fact, the rate of incidence of cancer in dogs is much higher than in the human race. Research highlights the ratio of occurrence of cancer in dogs to be 1:3. Also, once the canine crosses the threshold of 10 years of age, the risk of fatality owing to cancer multiplies to almost 50 percent. |
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As in the case of human beings, the disease is characterized by the uncontrolled multiplication of cells. Cancer also has the ability to spread from its original site to other parts of the body through the circulatory or lymphatic system. Some of the common variants of cancer found in dogs include cancers of lymphoma, mammary gland, abdomen, testes, skin and bone. For any dog owner, it is vital to be aware of the symptoms of cancer so that the disease can be diagnosed at the earliest which in turn increases the possibility of cure.
Some of alarming indications of cancer in dogs include a growing lump or fibrous mass under the skin, a mass with pigmentation, sore exhibiting healing problems, decrease in appetite, problems related to eating or swallowing of food, weight loss, pain in the abdomen, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, breathing disorder, urination discomfort, blood in urine or stool, constipation, limping and repulsive odor. The presence of any of these symptoms may not necessarily point towards cancer but there is certainly no harm in being extra cautious. For this very reason, it is advisable to get your pet dogs regularly checked up at least once a year. At an older age, the frequency of medical check ups should be doubled. The sooner the malignancy is detected, treatment can be administered in the form of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy or, immunotherapy depending upon the type and extent of the cancer.
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