Cancer and Tumours in Dogs

Hearing the words cancer and tumour about your pet, is scary and confusing. Understand, not all cancers are the same in their origin, progression or in their behavior. There are many forms of treatment available and hope should never be lost. Some dog's cancers and tumours have been cured; in dog health, timing is important and choice of treatments.

It is important that we recognize the potential warning signs of cancer in dogs. They are clear indicators that we as their guardians need to check into their state of health. These signs are:

Abnormal lumps or bumps on the body that keep growing

Sores that don't heal

Bleeding or abnormal discharges from body openings

Loss of appetite

Rapid weight loss

An offensive odor from their body or mouth

Loss of stamina and lameness

Difficulty eating or swallowing

Difficulty with urinating or defecating

Trouble with breathing

While these signs can also flag another type of illness, they are the most common ones indicative of cancer.

There are benign and malignant tumours in dogs. The malignant type includes the altering of the normal surrounding tissue in addition to lymph node involvement. Generally these are osteosarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas, soft tissue sarcomas and mast cell tumours.

There are complementary techniques being utilized in conjunction with the standard forms of treatment. Cryosurgery, photo therapy, and laser surgery are a few.

If your companion dog has been diagnosed with cancer, ask the three important questions:

What kind of cancer is it?

How advanced is it?

What are all my options for treatment?

Some people decide not to have surgery or give chemotherapy to their pet. They have explored other possibilities which incorporate the use of herbs, homeopaths and nutrition. Not all have had success, but there have been some that have. It is a personal choice for you and your companion. Follow your intuition, your heart, and remember that all things are possible.

********

Some informational links:

Animal Cancer Center (information on cancer types, treatments and research from Colorado State University)

Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology (updates and information on treatment for animals with cancer)

 

CanineCancer.com

You can get a copy of this best-seller

plus

your free bonus book from here