Cancer and Your Pet

Just what is cancer and what causes it? Fundamentally, cancer occurs when cell growth rates go out of control on, or inside, the body. What causes this chaos inside the technique of the cell is still unknown-but the results have been well documented and the reputation is widely 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 simple to detect, causing difficult preventive methods.

Testing for cancer can be completed in a variety of methods - from x-rays or blood tests to actual biopsy samples(tissue samples). Most often, biopsies are necessary to diagnose cancer.

Following are plenty of common types of cancers seen in pets. Skin tumors in canines ought to 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 canines - those having retained testes. Cancers occurring in the head and/or neck are common in canines and often malignant. Aggressive and quick therapy is necessary. Abdominal tumors are harder to detect and very common. Watch for weight loss or abdominal enlargement.

Treatments run the gamut in cancer therapy. Since each cancer may be of a different type from animal to animal, and each animals technique may react differently to the same drug, the care is highly individualized. Your veterinarian may select from such options as chemotherapy, radiation, hyperthermia, surgical procedure, immuno-therapy, or cryosurgery(freezing) to treat your pet, although combinations of the above methods are common.

Now for the giant query. what are the success rates of these methods in treating my pet for cancer? as in humans, the success rate depends on a few 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 - 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 ought to any unusual signs pop up.