Cancer and your Pet

Cancer is the number one cause of disease related death in dogs 2 years and older and some breeds are predisposed to certain types of cancers. Cancer and kidney disease are the leading causes of death in cats.

As a pet owner, you can help in the early detection of cancer in your pet.

• Bring your pet in for an examination for any new "lumps" and "bumps" that you find.
• Have a cytological examination performed for all new masses, lumps, and bumps that you find. (Cytology is when the Doctor will aspirate the mass with a needle and put the contents onto a slide which is stained and then examined to determine if the mass is a tumor.)
• Make sure your pet is examined by a veterinarian at least once a year and every 6 months for older pets. Your veterinarian will pick up abnormalities (such as enlarged organs and lymph nodes) before you might notice them.
• Older pets should have yearly blood profiles performed that can often help in the detection of cancer. (Blood profiles may indicate anemia, changes in organ function, and increases in blood calcium that may help suggest cancer is present).

Dog Breeds Predisposed to Cancer:

                          

Cat Breeds Predisposed to Cancer

There are not as many articles concerning the types of cancer seen in cats as in dogs. It has been reported that the Manx, Siamese, and Burmese breeds are more likely to have cancer than other breeds.

If you want to help donate to help cure cancer in animals, please visit the following websites to learn more about the effort to help animals in the fight against cancer:

www.morrisanimalfoundation.org

www.curecaninecancer.org