Dog Lover Community

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.

Tags: cancer, dog health issuescancer, dog health issues

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Most pet owners have become very educated about their pet and the health of their pet. Still, there are many others who tend to believe in the old wives tales and myths that have been passed around for some time now. I’m sure most of you have heard at least one, and probably more, of the following myths. Veterinarians at the American Animal Hospital Association(AAHA) have since enlightened us to many of those tales and to the facts concerning some of the most commonly heard myths.

Myth: Yeast will prevent fleas from feasting on your pet.

Fact: There is still no scientific proof that yeast prevents fleas, though it is a good
source of B vitamins.

Myth: Pets(dogs/cats) will get worms if they drink milk.

Fact: This is no more true for your pets than it is for you! Pets do lose their
tolerance for milk early, however, around the age of 6 -8 weeks of age due to their
loss of lactose(an enzyme essential for the digestion of milk products).
Young animals may have diarrhea if they drink milk due to the above factors. Still,
most puppies are infected with worms through maternal milk or during pregnancy
which is why treating both mother and litters for worms is so important.

Myth: If a purebred bitch inadvertently becomes pregnant by a mix breed dog, this
disallows her ability to have purebred puppies in future litters.

Fact: The only puppies that will be mixed breed are the ones resulting from this
breeding. If bred with a purebred mate in the future, those puppies will also be
purebred.

Myth:Dogs and cats should be allowed one heat cycle, or one litter of pups, before
being spayed.

Fact: A major benefit of being spayed may be lost if this is allowed to happen!
Research shows that animals spayed before their first heat have a significantly
smaller chance of developing future health problems such as breast cancer.

Myth: Dogs which scoot their rear ends on the ground have worms.

Fact: Sometimes dogs having tapeworms may exhibit this behavior, though the
overwhelming majority of animals doing this have inflamed or overly full anal sacs.

The anal sacs are structures located on either side of the anus which when closed
up cause an itching or burning sensation in your pets anal area. As a result the
animal scoots its rear on the ground to try and relieve this situation.

Myth: Any dog having a black mouth is a purebred.

Fact: Though some purebred dogs have a blackened color inside their mouth, this is
no indication of any other animal being a purebred. Pigmentation is the only reason
for this color, caused by a substance called melanin. Indeed, this substance called
melanin is responsible for birthmarks in humans and also the lack of, or availability
of, such skin tones as a tan. This color alone is not indicative of a purebred dog.

Myth:Puppies need calcium supplements for strong bones and erect ears.

Fact: If you are feeding your animals a diet that is nutritionally complete, then no
further supplements are needed. Too much calcium, in fact, can be harmful to your
dog.

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.

Tags: dog health issues, dogsdog health issues, dogs

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For all pet owners, regular monitoring and “examinations” of your pet will give you a better idea of the animal’s overall health and prove as good “quality” time for both you and your pet. Also, this may help you catch a problem in the early phases and certainly before it becomes life threatening. The list of things you can do during this time could be long but below we’ve taken the time to list a few of the most basic and easy to read signs of being “off color”. In addition to the usual, these steps may help you in deciding your pet’s actual state of health.

CHECK YOUR PET FOR:

1)Build up in the tooth area. Also bad breath- which may suggest gingivitis or other tooth/gum problems.
2)Clean ears. Is there wax build up, ticks, mites or other parasites inside? Is a bad odor present?
3)Are the eyes discolored or irritated? Is extensive matter present?
4)A ‘greasy” coat? Is the skin grey white or red and irritated? Do you find evidence of fleas or other parasites? Is the smell of the animals coat on your hands, after checking it with your fingers, fishy, rank or offensive?

A doggy odor, while common, is still a sign of a low level of health. If your answers
to many of the above areas are “YES”, then you should plan some type of action to
discontinue this cycle of bad health. First and foremost, diet is the best place to
start. Consult with your vet and/or check into possible alternative therapies. In the
end, your pet’s overall health is up to you, so these early warning signs should not
be overlooked.
A clean bill of health is the most valuable gift you can present to your pets- next to
your love and attention.

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.

Tags: dog health issues, personal pet check updog health issues, personal pet check up

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