It is important for pet owners to educate themselves about pet cancer. This can include knowing steps to take to reduce the risk of pet cancers, how to spot early signs of a problem, and knowing some options for moving forward if you receive a pet cancer diagnosis.
PREVENTION
First of all, it's important to recognize that cancer is a common pet health issue, with some breeds having a higher occurrence of the disease than others. As with humans, the cause of cancer in pets is not fully understood. With that being said, it is thought that 80-90% of pet cancers can potentially be prevented through healthy pet lifestyle choices. Prevention can begin with pet selection. Do your research about the rate of cancer occurrence in the breed (or breeds making up the mix) of cat or dog you are adopting. Many breeders also offer DNA testing to show a pet's specific cancer risk level.
Once you have your fur baby, healthy choices can protect them from developing cancer. These will probably look familiar to you because they are similar to the habits we, as humans, should develop to protect our own health.
- Feed your pet a healthy diet.
- Avoid foods with fillers, genetically modified ingredients, or by-products.
- Include pet superfood ingredients such as salmon, blueberries, pumpkin, and eggs.
- Don't overfeed. Maintaining a healthy weight is important to cancer prevention.
- Make sure your pet gets regular exercise. This keeps your pet healthy physically and mentally. Both these aspects are important to cancer prevention.
- Schedule playtime with your cats in the evening when they are most active, and keep them engaged with a variety of toys, including a laser pointer.
- For dogs, walk them daily on a leash. In addition, schedule regular off-leash playtime in a safe environment like a fenced-in backyard, private sniff spot, or designated dog park.
- Protect your pet from dangerous chemical products.
- Don't let pets play in a freshly treated or fertilized yard.
- Avoid pet contact with chemical cleaning products in your home.
- Protect your pet from the sun.
- Avoid being outside in the middle of the day when the UV exposure risks are the strongest.
- Your pet's coat offers natural protection, so don't shave it too short during grooming.
- Protect shorthaired pets (natural short coats and shortly-trimmed areas of coats) with a pet-safe sunscreen. Test the product on a small area and watch for a reaction to make sure that your pet doesn't react to the product before full application.
- Consider an SPF UV sun block swimshirt product for your active, outside pets.
- Have your pet spayed or neutered.
Spaying/neutering eliminates the risk of uterine, ovarian, and testicular tumors. Spaying also significantly reduces the occurance of mammary cancer in dogs and cats. - Schedule regular well checkups for your pet.
Maintain a regular schedule of well-care visits at Lake Brandt Veterinary Hospital. This allows our doctors to spot potential cancer health risks early and work with you to correct or treat them.
DETECTION
As a pet parent, you are the contact point for your pet's health care. It's critical to be alert for any changes in our pets' behaviors or bodies. The following symptoms may be signs of an underlying health issue, including, but not limited to, cancer.
- A change in eating habits or appetite, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or unusually foul breath.
- Change in activity level or loss of interest in activities.
- Chronic vomiting or diarrhea.
- Enlargement of the stomach area or chronic weight loss.
- Changes in bowel or bladder habits.
- Dark stool, or blood in stool or urine.
- Change in normal gait or lameness.
- Unexplained bleeding of the mouth, gums, or any other area that cannot be explained by a physical trauma.
- Changing or enlarging lumps. Though many lumps are benign, imaging and/or screening tests may be required to rule out cancer.
- Swollen lymph nodes. Pets have lymph nodes throughout their bodies, but the ones behind their knees and jaw are the easiest ones to check.
If you notice any of these or other unexplained changes in your pet, contact Lake Brandt Veterinary Hospital immediately for an appointment. Early diagnosis is critical for successful treatment.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER DIAGNOSIS
The treatment options for pet cancer will vary depending on the type of cancer, the stage of advancement, and the breed, age, and overall health of your pet. Treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, cannabis medications, or a combination of two or more of these options. You will work with your veterinarian to develop the best plan for your fur baby.
Many pet owners are concerned about the financial burden of pet cancer treatment. There are several options to help offset these costs. These include:
- Pet health insurance, which must have been purchased before diagnosis or symptoms.
- Care Credit is a credit card to help cover medical costs that often offers a low or 0% interest promotion.
- A crowdfunding option, such as GoFundMe.com or Waggle.com, may help cover some costs.
- Pawamedics is a non-profit pet healthcare sharing group. By joining, you agree to pay membership fees that go to cover other members' pet healthcare costs, and you, in turn, will receive help with your pet's healthcare costs.
- There are also non-profits whose goal it is to help cover pet health care costs. You will need to search for a non-profit that is appropriate for your particular situation. The Haley Graves Foundation is a local Guilford County non-profit that has a listing of possible financial resources for pet owners.
The big cancer C-word is a topic we often want to avoid talking about, but with education and an open discussion with your vet, you can become a better pet parent and be proactive in cancer prevention and screening.
If you have any questions about this topic, please contact our office and schedule an appointment for your pet.
336-644-1522