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Cancer essentially refers to an uncontrolled cell growth on or in the body. It may either be localized, or invade neighboring tissues and then spread all the way through the body. This serious disease is potential in most household animals, and the incidence increases with age.
Dogs get cancer at almost the same rate as humans, and the condition has been found to account for nearly half of the deaths of pets which are more than 10 years old.
How Common is Canine Cancer?
Cancer in dogs has become especially prevalent in aging pooches. As a matter of fact, 50% of dogs over the age of 10 years have developed cancer at some point in their lifetime. Malignant lymphomas (a lymph node tumor), skin cancers (like mast cell tumor), or breast cancer (also called mammary gland tumor) are quite common in elderly dogs. Even soft tissue sarcomas and some fair incidences of bone cancer can also be seen in dogs. New estimates show cancer as the ultimate cause of death in one in five dogs.
Most Common Symptoms
1. Abnormal swelling/s that continue to grow
2. Sores that never heal
3. Loss of appetite
4. Weight loss
5. Bleeding or discharge from any opening in the body
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Loss of stamina or hesitation to exercise
9. Persistent stiffness or lameness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, and defecating
How to Keep Your Dog from Developing Cancer
Unfortunately, the main cause of most canine cancers is still not known; thus, making prevention very difficult. Nevertheless, for those cancer types that are largely preventable, you can try the following:
· Spaying or Neutering. The biggest thing that you can do to prevent your pooch from getting this disease is by spaying her. Having your dog undergo this surgery as late as possible, BUT prior to her first heat cycle will reduce the probability of her developing mammary cancer eight-fold, simply due to the hormonal influence.
· A healthy, species appropriate diet. It’s no coincidence that the prevalence of cancers in dogs has increased along with the growth of the commercial dog food industry. Choose to feed your pet a premium, high quality food that is sourced and made in the USA or Canada, not from China where regulations and quality control are lacking.
· Avoid exposing your dog to pollutants. Cancer isn’t something that your dog “catches,” but rather, it is something that begins to grow inside his body. Avoid putting any undo stress on your dog’s body by limiting his exposure to pollutants such as second-hand cigarette smoke, chemicals and dangerous household cleansers, smog, fumes, etc.
· Good oral hygiene. This can aid in reducing the risk of developing oral cancers. And, if you intend on buying a purebred pooch, check his line to find out if there’s any kind of cancer that prevails in the family tree.
· Early diagnosis and treatment. Overall, cancer prevention is kind of difficult since we don’t really know the causes of the disease. As a result, owners have to be alert when it comes to spotting the symptoms early and then treating them very quickly so that the severity of the disease can be avoided. Regular annual veterinary exams and bloodwork are an excellent way to catch cancers early. In many cases, by the time symptoms are obvious, the cancer is difficult to treat. But, certain cancers can be detected early through blood tests.
Will My Pooch Die Once Diagnosed with Cancer?
Not necessarily. In fact, most of the canine cancers we see today can now be dealt with surgically. Lots of breast cancer, skin tumor, mast cell tumor, and soft tissue sarcoma cases can be removed with surgery, rendering the dog cancer-free. Even in situations where a cancer has advanced to the lymph nodes, there remain several options that can help in prolonging both his length and quality of life.
Great article. If you want to learn more about sarcoamas in Dogs and the potential to slow or stop them homeopathially check this out
Like our human being, dogs need a proper warning system too. We all know canine cancer is very difficult to prevent. All we can do is trying our best to save them, keep them from developing cancer. Many thanks for your useful information. I’ll check and apply your suggestion.
[…] Ten Early Warning Signs of Canine Cancer | The … – How Common is Canine Cancer? Cancer in dogs has become especially prevalent in aging pooches. As a matter of fact, 50% of dogs over the age of 10 years have … […]
There is also new research (over 1300 studies) showing that an organic substance derived from specific seaweed species called fucoidan has anti-cancer properties and inhibits tumor growth. There is a supplement for pets called Fucopia that contains fucoidan, and they have the research studies available on their site. It also helps older pets to relieve arthritis inflammation.
I always get a little crazy when I see spay & neuter as the be all end all for canine problems. There are reams of research regarding keeping dogs intact for as long as possible so that they live healthier lives. I will mention one….spayed & neutered dogs are 2x as likely to develop osteosarcoma as intact dogs. In Rottweilers, it’s 4 x. This does not mean don’t spay & neuter, it just means don’t assume s/n is always a good thing, especially if done early. Do your research, talk to your veterinarian. This is a start. rottweilerhealth.org/dr_waters.html news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498 healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/06/13/neutering-spaying-cancer-risk.aspx
Claudia
says:AMEN! I have dismissed this entire article based on that. Finally more and more people realize that spay and neuter is the cause and not the answer!
Many grocery store pet foods today are sadly lacking in the vegetation that has natural cancer fighting compounds. You can still add these as a powdered supplement to wet food or yogurt though. My family pets always get a berry powder supplement when I see them. If you have a pet with cancer it’s worth trying to add cancer shrinking food to their diet. Sometimes pets are just old that their defenses are worn down, but in other situations you could extend their life with some food additions. I have links to scientific studies supporting this in my blog post on this subject.
tariqhossenbux.ca/wordpress/?p=44
Frances
says:Look at the foods we feed, many foods are corn based, most corn in the US is GMO and sprayed with Round Up (Glyphosate), because the corn is resistant to Round Up (Glyphosate). Round Up (Glyphosate) has been very heavily linked to cancer. The meats in the dog foods are from factory farms, what are those animals feed, corn. Spray your yard with Round Up (Glyphosate)? They are exposed yet again.
Shar Nelson
says:By the way my Miss Petey was 10 years old and I had her since she was 1 month old puppy. I ordered a tomb stone for her where my husband buried her in our back yard. I dreamed of her the next day. I saw her smiling with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She looked so happy in my dream. I guess that was her telling me she is OK now and for me not to worry. I now do not want another pet no time soon. This was so hard for me.
Nina
says:My family and I adopted our Boxer Moomoo when he was five weeks old. He is now six years old and one of the greatest joys of our lives. The night before last we noticed a very large lump on his chest, it didn’t seem to bother him so though we were still worried we just decided to wait until Monday to take him to the vet. It is now Sunday, my vet is out of office, the pet hospitals are closed and the lump seems to have spread to his right armpit, hes been limping all morning. I have done so much research this morning, but have gotten nowhere in my search for information. I just wanted to see if maybe you have an idea of what it could be i will be taking him to his vet first thing in the morning, I would just like some information now… The lump is very firm, softball size and warm to the touch. It did not seem to cause him discomfort until this morning. he had a very small quarter sized spot in that area that he has had for a few months, it had not grown until this weekend so I figured it was just a little fatty tissue. The area under his armpit is squashier. Please, any information would help. Thank you.
Tammy
says:I hope by now you have been able to get you Beloved into a vet who knows MUCH about cancer. You would be surprised as to how many do not and they live in a box, meaning they can’t think outside the box. My Beloved Muraco, this is in short very short as it is a long story, it was like one day a .50 cent piece size tumor suddenly was exposed. The vet told me not to have it removed that it would just come back again and bigger, and to spray some stuff on it to help the skin grow back over the tumor. Thinking this was like so many tumors that start showing up around 6 years of age, I thought it was just one of those things that show up around this age and my Beloved would be just fine. After about a month it didn’t seem to be growing much but suddenly it became infected, giving my Beloved antibiotics suggested by the vet, some of which even I knew wouldn’t be helpful for skin irritations and infections, I sought out a friend, a human doctor, who told me he had experience with dog’s and told me which antibiotic would help. Another month went by and the infection was not subsiding and by this time the tumor began to grow. I suddenly got a punch in my gut that something was seriously wrong with my Beloved and the only, somewhat competent, vet around my area was all I had. In the meantime my Beloved began to have congestive Heart failure due to the medicine he has been on for a few years due to his hind end pain, yes Meloxicam. I took him off the Meloxicam in hopes to stabilize his heart, he had three more episodes of the congestive Heart failure and when I provided slides to the vet for his tumor, the vet said he would have to run blood tests and he would have to have a strong Heart to be a candidate for surgery to remove the tumor. Well, with my experience with congestive Heart failure I truly felt he wouldn’t make it through surgery and by this time it was aggressively growing larger by leaps and bounds. I found out from the slides the infection was to great to determine what type of tumor my Beloved had. After two weeks on the correct antibiotic the infection was gone, but by this time the tumor had grown so much and with his congestive Heart failure in question if he would make it out of surgery my options were becoming limited. I sent in new slides of my Beloveds tumor and it turned out to be a rare mast cell that was an aggressively growing cancer. In just two months it was the size of a softball and every 9 days it triples in size now and he has cancer in his lymph nodes and a small lump that was growing in between the main tumor and his lymph node is catching up with the main cancer. Less than a month ago he was stage III cancer, he is now beyond stages but is a happy Dog, and I am managing his pain for his hind end. He is not in pain from the actual cancer but the histamine being released into his body is havoc on his body. The cancer is now just about the size of a football. I have maybe days, a week, I am hopeful a month with my Beloved. Moral of this story is, in short, DON’T LISTEN TO THE FIRST DIAGNOSES get another opinion and another and use discernment as to what resonates with you and do much research. I have found that I have learned more about cancer these days then the vets in my area and the Hospital well, it was too late. My Beloveds brother, a week after his brother was diagnosed with cancer, he was diagnosed with bone cancer and his toe was removed, the vet says he is cancer free, but I do not believe this, I want to, but how can he say this unless he did a whole body x-ray. Now, I am facing possibly more cancer in his opposite leg and I can’t find out until I save up more many. I have spent over $3,000 in vet bills and medicine with the recent diagnoses and surgery removing a toe. Use discernment and if something does not resonate get another opinion. But in all this you need to act quickly, in just two months it was potentially just a tumor to remove, and it was a stage III cancer and now a beyond fatal cancer. I just found a lump in the third brothers mouth and I just hope I can get him in soon enough. Cancer is an epidemic in our Beloved Dogs, act quickly and be very careful with so called cure all vitamins, I learned the hard way reading a book “cancer survival kit” it is a push to sell his vitamins that don’t work and I found out are toxic to Dog’s. Use discernment there also.
Debby
says:I’m sitting here in absolute pieces reading everyone’s comments 🙁 my heart is breaking, my beautiful little Baggie is in the vets again this Tuesday morning for her third op this year and her second one in the last two months. Baggie is a six year old rescue cockapoo that I have had since she was around 6 months old. She is the most beautiful, gentle and loving little pooch you could ever meet <3 you would fall in love with her in an instant! It started last December when I found a lump under her nipple. The vet removed it and said it was a cancer but we had caught it very quick and he was confident it had all gone. Fast forward to ten months later, end of October just gone and I found another lump under a nipple on the other side of the last one. The vet decided it was best to do a full mammary strip and she has been doing really well these last couple of months other than a slight infection in the scar that antibiotics cleared up a few weeks ago. Then yesterday evening I looked at the scar and found a large, angry looking, purple sore on the scar and assumed it was another infection. I phoned the vet to get her checked and he said to bring her straight in. When he saw it he said as far as he was concerned it was another tumor :(( He also found other small lumps a little further down the scar and under the sore. So now my precious little Baggie who loves nothing more than being cuddled and playing football has to go back in and have her scar cut back open and have the lumps removed. I'm so upset and worried, I can't breathe when I think about it, I get so choked. I'm so scared that I'm allowing her to go through this 3rd op and it's just maybe an infection or something but surely the vet would be able to see if it was just an infection? Maybe I'm just looking for alternative reasons for the sore and the lumps:( I'm just so devistated and hurting so bad for my little Baggie. I can't ask the vet to do tests first as its xmas in a few days and would take too long for the results to come back so the vet said best thing to do, especially as it has appeared so quickly, is to operate and remove them. I'm just so scared for her to have a 3rd op in such a short amount of time especially as she is not totally healed from the mammary strip. She's still so happy and is pain free, thank God. She is currently playing in the garden with my wonderfully puppy like, 12 year old golden retriever. I just needed to get this off my chest in hope someone may be able to give me advice and assure me I'm doing the best thing for my little Baggie. X
janie cortes
says:How is she doing was it cancer again
Whst is black salve? Our almost 25 year old lucy is an airdale terrier. We had her groomed April 2014 n the groomer accidently shaved off a mole or sore on the side of her beautiful face. She assured us it woukd heal up n you woukd never know she had shaved it off. WRONG…..today..12-11-2014…The dime size sore has niw consued the whole side of her beautiful face. It is a very large open sore and seeps constantly. And the smell has gotten almost unbearable as well as embarrassing. My whole house smells like the open wound. We gave tarps down to cover our carpet. What should we do. She still eats great n she takes a pill twice a day called vet pro which is a pain killer. She does not act like she is in pain. The live we have for her is so great n can’t imagine our life without her…but she looks do sad with the sore consuming her precious face. What is black salve n what does it fo?
Dayna
says:Black salve is a drawing agent. I’ve never myself used it on an animal but I’ve used it on myself. I would call your vet before putting it on your dog’s face. It does work really well for pulling infection out but depending on how big the area of the sore I’m not sure I’d put it on it. Maybe bag balm or something with a gauze pad if possible.
karin
says:Dear Connie,
I am so sorry to hear about Lucy. 25! Wow!
Sadly, I have heard dogs do not show their pain. It is a survival mechanism. If you have the means to do so, set up some method of filming her when she is alone, when she knows no one can see her, and see how she behaves then. You love her and don’t want her to suffer. Some vets are like some people. There’s the Good and/or bad. They profit from treating her. I’m sure yours does not, but what is Lucy’s quality of life. -and yours too for that matter. Eating is a good sign. I guess you can only trust her vet. I am preparing for my Babe to go in the near future. I only care for her quality of life. All the best wishes, karin
Laura Long
says:I have used aloe vera on my self my animals all my life it’s cured cat blatter blockage it’s repaired mycornia yes my eye when I put it wit a snapped hacksaw blade it returned my dogs voice when it started to change ( I ment bark) and countless ther thing ,and you know what is not hazardous to any animals because it’s a natural plant just make sure you have the right aloe vera when you do use it you can ask your local Gardener which one is the right one and no matter what there are no adverse effects it’s just a great thing to have around it really helps when you’re worried about anything that might be an injury or cut just try it
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Jodi's Mom
says:I recently lost my 10 yr old Afghan hound to an aggressive bone cancer. What started off as a small limp, diagnosed as a sprained knee, turned into my worst nightmare. The vet told me to keep her calm for a few weeks and she would be okay. When they called at the end of the week to check on her, I told them I needed to bring her back because the knee wasn’t getting better it was actually getting worse. It was swelling and becoming hard, she was in pain and acting like she was hurting all over. When I took her back, they took and X-ray of her leg and came back with the words no one ever wants to hear, she has cancer in the bone. They her up to see the oncologist on Monday, but wanted to keep her there over the weekend. Of course Jodi didn’t want to stay, and refused to eat unless I was there. We ended up bringing her home on Sunday, and she walked into the oncologist office on Monday wagging her tail and as friendly as ever. They told us there was no chance of removing the leg because of the type of cancer. It was such an aggressive form, that by the time it is detected it’s already to late, and if you cut into the bone it would cause it to explode into other parts of her body. At my request they x-rayed her other leg that I thought she had been favoring and found the cancer in that leg also. The dr told me that in 13 yrs of practice she had never run into this type of cancer being in a dog in two legs on the same side and so severe and the dog still up and walking. What I didn’t realize was in order to get the X-rays, they had given Jodi a very strong pain killer. She was so pain free, that when it wore off, all of that pain crashed back on her and she collapse and could not walk again. We thought we were going to have a few more days with her, but we ended up with just a few hours. She tried to get up to come to me, and I tried to pick her up to take her out to potty, but even touching her caused her to cry with pain. I sat with her and cried along with her and knew I could not let her live like that no matter how much I loved her. I was in shock because this was my beloved clown, thief, peeping tom, security blanket, shoulder to cry on, my best friend who should have had years left to live. She was in perfect health, her blood work was clean, how could this be happening?? But when she looked at me with those big brown eyes so full of love and pain, I had to do the right thing for her. I cried and gathered her a meal of ribs, and some chocolate (she stole so much from my daughter) and we took her to the vet and let her have one of her favorite meals that she would steal and I held her till she took her very last breath, telling her how much I loved her. A small limp, that’s all it started with visually, when internally it had been going on for a very long time. Her blood work even on her last day was coming back clean. Only an X-ray would have shown it, maybe, but she never had a reason to have one. She never acted like she was in pain, she played, she act, she didn’t snap at the others, she didn’t over drink, didn’t lay around. She honestly never changed. I know my Jodi, I was always alert for a change in her, I knew when she had an upset tummy, when she had a hang-nail, when she stole something. I don’t understand how this could have happened. How could she have had something this aggressive killing her and I not know? How could my baby be in this much pain and die like this and I not be able to help her?
Ruth
says:I am so sorry for your pain. But you were with her to the very end and she understood the love you had for her. This was the most amazing and loving story I have ever read. Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt loving story.
Rena
says:Ohhh my goodness! I am crying.
Jacky brown
says:so so touching a storey my eyes are blinded by tears
I know what you went through and am so sorry. I had a samoyed who had pancreatic cancer and diabetis. The only symptoms he showed was drinking a lot of water and slowing down in energy. When I took him to the vet he told me there was little chance of his recovery and Gibson was in a lot of pain so I had to make a horrible decision to put him to sleep. He was only 6 and was a funny and big lap dog. That happened last March and I still miss him so much.
Winston's mom
says:Hi, I too was shocked by the sudden news that my little handsome gentleman Winston, my Welsh Corgi…had to be put down…I took him to the vet for what I thought was diarrhea…dog parks can tend to be a bit dirty at times…I had noticed for a couple of months that he had a very peculiar smell to him…like nothing I have ever smelled before…not dirty…just very peculiar…sweet/sour? Hard to explain…it was cancer growing in his tummy the whole time and had spread…he had become very sluggish suddenly one night…and for the 1st time, he laid on my chest all night…did not want to move…snoring away…he always slept by my side, but not this night…he would not move…but just wanted to sleep on me…he was the type of dog that would get up and check on me 5-6 times a night…just so that I could pet his head…mainly…I had been ill, so he truly was checking on me…he never wanted to be without me…always had to be sitting in my lap…and he was not that small a dog…the funny part…is that I had been told that I may have bone marrow cancer…I had been ill for a while…you could see in his eyes that he was worried…I was in complete shock when I took him in and was told that he had tumors that had spread throughout his body…that the surgery would be difficult and painful, and he would be miserable and the odds of him living were very slim….I have read so many articles on how dogs can smell cancer possibly or illness…but I sit hear crying my eyes out realizing, that I was smelling his cancer…he has been gone for about 8 weeks now, and I can still smell that peculiar smell…he was such a selfless little angel…he was dying and every night checked on me over and over again…I would have to tell him to go to bed because he would just sit and stare at me…I would normally sleep on the couch because I had trouble sleeping…he never left me alone…but, in looking back…I I am so glad that he was so stubborn and kind…I am completely heartbroken…devastated…I don’t know how I can go on without him…he was such a beautiful kind soul…I still smell the smell every day…only I can smell it…no one else…I think we as humans can smell when they are sick as well (Cancer),,,,RIP my little gentlemen- Winston. I love you and I am so sorry that I did not put 2 +2 together. Thank you for watching over me when you were the one that needed to be watched over. XOXOX Mommy
Shar Nelson
says:In the first week of December, my yellow Lab “Miss Petey” was taken to the Vet because she had lost a lot of weight. The Vet Dr. informed me that she had a tumor on her spleen area. Three weeks later on December 28, 2014, Miss Petey threw up blood along with some soft tissue that also came out in her vomit. I was in shock. I cleaned it up and my husband took her outside to allow her to pottey. Unfortunately I had an appointment. I thought that she would be fine until I came back even though I knew something was not right with her throwing up blood. When I came back home my husband said she was gone. She hemmoraged out. I believe the tumor ruptured inside of her and she bled to death. I was devastated and felt so guilty because I should have had her put down so she would not have to suffer like she did. Me and my husband cried for like three days and I was so depressed and still is. She was my first pet and she was so adorable and sweet. At times she was very funny and smart. I feel like my heart dropped to the bottom of this earth because her death took everything out of me. Still grieving.
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David
says:Hi all,
At the moment I’m pretty worried. My 14 year old cocker spaniel Winston is deteriorating fast. About a month ago I noticed that he didn’t want to run anymore, but would still trot when we walked. About 2 weeks ago he showed more signs of slowing down, wanting to walk sometimes, but when gently prodded, would continue to trot.
About a week ago, I noticed he was hesitant to go down stairs – he usually went down them pretty one, two, three. But now there was hesitation at each step.
Last Wednesday, while going out, I bumped the door into his right shoulder area, and he yelped in pain. At this point I was extremely concerned. I felt the area, and it was hard and clearly larger than his other side. I took him to the vet on Thursday, and he recommended aspirating the area. When he came back, he had a syringe full of blood, and said that the lump was full of blood. He recommended bringing Winston back in a week.
However, on the weekend, I could tell Winston was getting progressively worse.
It is now Sunday evening, and Winston can barely walk, the lump continues to grow, and needless to say, I’m very sad about it all.
I’m taking him to a different vet tomorrow, but I don’t know what can be done. I certainly don’t have the means to cover any expensive medical procedures, but I need to know what is wrong. If there is something that can be done, I’ll find a way.
Winston is a great companion, and though he’s 14, until 1 week ago, I really thought he’d be ok for at least 1-2 years. His appetite is great, and beyond slowing down a touch, he was great.
Anyway, just thought I’d write this. I’ve been researching everything I could on this, and came across this site. I hope the new vet can tell me something hopeful, but given the way Winston is right now, I’m worried. Its just that the deterioration has been so fast.
I just read about Winston and wanted you to know I’m so sorry he is hurting. I hope he is better by now ss this Friday and its been a few days since you posted your note. Did you find out what was wrong?
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Marcia
says:You should read the latest studies regarding disease/cancer and spay/neuter from UC Davis. Spaying before 1st heat cycle is the worst thing to do! I hope you will correct this misinformation. Dogs…both males and females need their sex hormones for many reasons we are now learning. Please read latest research.
Merry
says:The only data I could read from UC Davis was this, Marcia.
vetmed.ucdavis.edu/clubs/shelter_med/general-info/why-sn.cfm
If you have a link supporting your claim, I’d be interested to see it.
I’m a very strong advocate in getting all dogs neutered and spayed. We have too many dying in shelters. Thanks.
E S
says:Many of the dogs in shelters are not from over breeding, but rather owners who can no longer support them financially, including but not limited to, food, primary vet care, and losing their homes; a close second is behavior problems/training. You do not see litters upon litters of puppies in shelters. When you take into consideration all of the dogs on intake, the “oops litter” only accounts for a small percentage, but the media would have you think differently. Puppies sell, puppies adopt out quickly. UC Davis did release a study done of Goldens and why s/n should wait until as late as possible, preferably after 2yrs of age, but there is an even older one done with Rotts. This one points out that spaying a female Rott at 6mo almost triples their odds at developing bone cancer. The sex hormones are not only crucial to physical development, but to mental as well. The tides are turning as we delve deeper into this and more research is done.
Lysette Schweitzer
says:My 10 1/2 yr old Jack Russel passed away from liver cancer. The only sign was she continuously drank water and urinated. We had numerous tests done. Everything came back normal! She didn’t look a day past 3yrs, ate regularly, and romped around like usual. After several tests came back normal (all tests ran at least twice), the vet decided on exploratory surgery, thinking it may had to do with her uterus. Her liver was completely engulfed with cancer. This is why she kept drinking water. Her liver wasnt allowing her body to absorb any fluids so she drank and peed constantly. This a took place within several weeks. My poor baby never got to wake up from surgery! It’s been over 2 yrs and I am still devistated. My advice to dog owners is watch for ANY kind of abnormal behavior and pray for the best. I hope nobody has to go through what my family and I experienced.
Linda B.
says:If you find a lump on your dog (and you should be checking) make sure your vets aspirates it and looks at the cells. That is the ONLY way they can tell if it is benign, or a mast cell tumor. My beloved beagle had a lump and the vet did not aspirate. Three months later, a different vet checked it and it was stage 2 mast cell tumor (cancer). I was dumbfounded. Once this is diagnosed, see a specialist if you can. I was lucky to have an oncologist available in the Houston, TX area. The prognosis can be good, if it is found and fully removed (with large margins) as early as possible. I stress: No vet can look at a lump and tell if it is benign or malignant. Be the best pet parent you can and follow through with a diagnosis after an aspiration of the cells. I do not normally write on blogs, but if this helps just one person save their beloved cat or dog, it will have been worth it.
Melissa
says:I am fostering a basset. I’m completely in love with her. She has a softball size mass, that we found a week ago. They want to do exploratory surgery, and if it can’t be removed they want to let her go while she’s under… I am having a VERY difficult time doing this. It has affected her eating, but she is still full of life. They did take x-rays and couldn’t tell anything. Aspirating was not suggested. Any suggestions? I love her so much and hate to see her suffer, but don’t want to be responsible for her death.
Nadia
says:Melissa, hopefully she is still alive! I get so angry when I hear people say their vets want to do biopsies, surgeries, pills, shots etc…first of all 90% of the reason our pets get tumors and such is cause of poor diet. Toxins and pollutants will never be avoided but feeding dry kibble from a bag no matter how expensive or nutritious it says it is will never and can never be as healthy as fresh foods, period. That is simply junk filled with chemicals, fillers, euthanized animals, and waste that build up in the animals bodies and over time morph into deadly diseases. Another thing is that when it comes to cancer, doing biopsies and cutting into it to see what kind of mass it is only makes things worse. Once it’s cut into it spreads through the blood stream and can pop up other places. Same with humans. People think once they get skin cancer or tumors removed they are “cancer free” as doctors and vets like to say. False! Unless you attack the root of the cancer it will always come back, ALWAYS! A little story on my 10 year old hound: when he was 4 he got a mass cell tumor the size of a quarter on his leg, one morning i heard him licking and there was this huge raspberry just inflammed and grotest looking. Not knowing what to do at that time, i took him to the vet and scheduled a surgery to have it removed. Everything went well and he healed up nicely. $550 later i thought he was cured. Wrong, when he was 9 it came back, same spot and just as big! At this point iv learned alot about herbal cures and fresh foods so i looked into how to treat this beast myself, naturally! I ended up ordering Amazon Black Salve (look it up) people swear by it and nickname it natures scalpel. What it does is it will ONLY attack tissue that is not supposed to be there and it soaks down to the root of the cancer and pulls it out of your body. Sounds gross and trust me when you look it up it is quite graphic but it did just that with my dog. Took the whole mass right out, roots and all and within 2 months after it detached i couldnt even tell where it used to be. No scar no signs of ANYTHING. My mom used it on a small skin cancer she had on her nose, all gone! AND I just used it again on a small mass I saw between my dogs toes, within 2 days its completely gone and already healing. Amazing stuff! All natural, inexpensive in the long run and it removes the issue period. When it comes to internal tumors there is suggestion on using it in small amount orally, do your research on this as I haven’t had to use it this way yet but did come across it in my studies. The only reason my dog has gotten a few bumps is because for the first 7 years of his life I hadn’t a clue about the horrors of dog food and fed him store bought bags like most people, unfortunately it has caught up with him now so I would also highly recommend looking into giving your dog a detox, try to flush out as much toxins as you can and start her on the salve and only feed her fresh foods without anitibiotics. Goodluck to you both!
Evelyn Cook
says:Can you please post your meals for you. Dog?
Alan
says:Nadia are you associated with black salve in any way?.My 12 year old Jack Russell has a skin cancer about 15mm in diameter on the side of his penis sheathe, the veterinarian I saw wants to cut it out and then remove his penis and relocate his urinary track into his back leg.They say they need to do this to obtain enough slack skin to close the wound.Needless to say this has stressed me out because it’s a major thing for a 12 year old dog.Now if black salve works just maybe I can save him a lot of discomfort.Normally I’m believer of science maybe I need to try something alternative for him first.
Regards Alan.
I have a Chawawa,she is 16 years old, She has a Mass Tumor in her Stomack,it is the size of a softball over a period of 2 years..It is getting bigger..Dont know what to do…My wife loves her ..She sleeps down at her feet every nite for the past 16 years.It harder and harder to see her this way..We dont want to put her Down…Yet But the Tumor keeps Growing..Help….
Sheryl Miglio
says:I was where you are with my 9 year old Sheltie in Jan 2014. Suffering is not an option. Think first of her NOT your feelings that just prolong
eventual decline. If you really love her, ask your VET what’s best.
JUDITH
says:We are happy owners of 2 Golden Retrievers who are both cancer SURVIVORS!They play like puppies and are 12 and 10 years old respectively. GIVE that baby a CHANCE. Communicate to your vet.your devotion to this family member and if necessary, demand a second opinion! Have they aspirated the mass to get a clinical view of what they might be working with? Demand it! Do your homework and all the best from our Charlie and Parker! Feel free to contact us if you have an questions. I leave you with “GIVE THAT SWEETHEART A CHANCE!
When some one searches for his vital thing, so
he/she wants to be available that in detail, thus that thing is maintained over here.
DeannFGans
says:my neighbor’s step-sister makes $73 an hour on the laptop . She has been without work for five months but last month her payment was $15623 just working on the laptop for a few hours. try this out …….
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Veronica
says:We had a young(under one year)chocolate lab who suddenly started salivating profusely at feeding time. Terrible amounts. Within a week she went in for exploratory surgery. They found her throat area riddled with cancer and we had her euthanized on the table. The only thing I can say is she voraciously chewed on anything and everything. Rocks, clay pots etc. Don’t know if that impacted her or not. We sure weren’t prepared for the diagnosis. She was so young. Still a puppy. Very sad.
Marian
says:I lost al three of my precious Yorkies to pancreatitis. The first one, Mitzie, seemed to recover but it attacked her heart. I left the vet without her devastated and hysterical. She was 11 years od. Then Boo, who was only 9, got it. I watched him closely and it also attacked his heart. He was my sweet protective boy I loved so much and I had him put to sleep. I literally could not see where I was going I had so many tears. He was in so much pain so I knew I did the right things. Then, a few months later, I noticed Bonnie, 12 years old, laying on her side panting. I rushed her to the vets and she had pancreatitis. He heart was beginning to fail so I had her put to sleep so she would not be in the pain Boo was in. Again, I left in tears. I swore no more dogs but here I sit with a 4 year od rescue Chihuahua, Goober. I pray he lives a long time.
BAN
says:Dont give them tin food ..its poison ,look it up on the net …the danger of dogs tined food
Gen
says:Sorry for your loss Marian! My family knows your loss all too well..
Our Yorkie, Vicky, my sister and best friend, also died of cancer. She showed no signs excluding for having multiple warts, which increased on a weekly basis. It got so bad that the vet gave us a chart to ‘map’ her warts on. It didn’t seem to effect her though, she loved playing, running and eating, even up to her death. A few months before she departed she gained a considerable amount of weight around her abdomen and had a ’round’ appearance. We knew it must be cancer as we could see it growing, but we opted not to have her operated as cancer seems to spread and become worse once exposed to oxygen (our Bearded Collie had cancer the year before and never recovered from her opp.). We had her put to sleep the day she tried to play with her favourite toy, trying to run after it, but couldn’t breath properly. We knew it was time. The vet came to our home to euthenize her. Saying my goodbyes to her while looking into her round beady eyes was the hardest thing ever, but I knew she understood as she gave me a goodbye kiss.I held her in my arms as the vet injected her and released her from the pain.
SJ
says:Look up John Carter who found a cure for cancer ! No one talks about his cure – anyhow my dear old chops bull terrier aged 13 yrs has just had a lump removed from his lung so probably hasn’t long to go. Love to all dear animal lovers
Andie
says:My dog Shadow was 8years old and I had to have him euthanised a couple of days ago. He had developed lymphoma. He was a rottweiler mix. He had so much life left in him and loved to play, in many ways he reminded me of a puppy. He was a big dog but he was so gentle with my other dog and with other people. He fought so hard for his life and had overcome many health battles in the past but this type of cancer was too aggressive and robbed me of what could have been several more years of life for my beautiful Shadow. I will miss him always but I will forever have him in my heart.
Robin
says:Andie, I am very sorry to read of your loss. I had a beloved dog Shadow, a shepherd mix, who passed away from cancer, but she was 15. My last dog however, was only 11, and she had an aggressive liver cancer that caused internal bleeding and there was nothing the vet could do to save her. I miss her every day as she was part of my heart and soul. Hugs to you .8 is way too young to lose a furry friend.
Army Mom
says:So so sorry for your loss. They are our family. I miss my Buddy boy every day.
MsMoneypenny
says:My beloved Cocker Spaniel died sometime after midnight Christmas Eve day. For the first almost 5 years he lived with me after I adopted him, he didn’t have a sick day in his life. This past summer he started to not want to walk far, even when it wasn’t hot. He had recurring mouth/tooth infections. And yes, Doc Burgess, I agree with you on the Comfortis- he only took it once and it seemed to make him worse (though the problems were already there) I would never give/use any of that stuff on another dog. Don’t over-vaccinate- dogs do NOT need annual shots any more than you would get an annual measles shot. Rabies is the only one required and unless you’re in a boarding situation, they don’t need the others after the puppy series.. Beware yellow flags on lawns- all too prevalent around here – as well as ice melt. Our pets are being overloaded with toxins and it’s killing them. My childhood dog died of cancer when he was 14. Max was only 8 going on 9!
That said, I don’t even have a definitive diagnosis for him, only a lab panel. He was drinking tons since summer and having an ever increasing amount of difficulty moving around in the last month. His labs showed raised BUN/Creatinine but not so high to suggest acute failure. Several of the values suggest something else was going on. I’m thinking bone or pancreatic cancer. It sucks. He was the best dog in the world.
Charissa
says:I have always kept my dogs up to date on vaccines, fed them only dry good quality dog food and not a lot of table scraps. I keep them on heartworm preventative year round, give them exercise as much as possible and play with the daily. My first dog Honey lived 18 years, second dog Seagrams lived 14 years and currently I have Scooter who is almost 10 years old and just recently started to not act like a puppy 24/7, and lastly Bailey who is 7 and definitely still acts like a puppy. These are all rescue dogs weighing over 50 lbs except Bailey who is 26lbs. Yes, I know I have been fortunate with their longevity but I had to respond to the previous comment about the vaccines as I think it is a vital part of them staying healthy and living a long happy life. Not vaccinating them can cause unwarranted diseases and thus unwarranted pain and suffering. Similar to the rise of childhood diseases that previously were eradicated until some people decided their children didn’t need vaccines anymore and now children are suffering and spreading them again. It is not worth it, please vaccinate your beloved pets (and kids)!
Donna Pate
says:This is a great read and good knowledge. I have had 2 Rottis die from cancer and its good to know what to look for
gayla trower
says:Thank for the information. I had a chocolate lab die from cancer 3 years ago and its very sad. Owners need to know the signs!
Rosa Margarita
says:Great article, good tips on preventing cancer, must take my baby to the vet to get a check up
Michele
says:Thanks for sharing such great and helpful information. Despite being a Registered Nurse with pretty astute assessment skills, I was unable to recognize my dog’s cancer. The only symptom he had was tachypnea (fast breathing) that started one evening & by late the next morning at the emergency vet discovered that my best friend Jack, had a hemangiosarcoma in his liver and tucked up under his ribs. The size of the tumor was pressing on his heart and it was filled with fluid, thus causing the rapid breathing. By early afternoon I had to make the hardest decision of my life and have him put to sleep. Not always is it possible to recognize any early warning signs, but hopefully by sharing this information, some other best friends will not meet with the same fate.
Rosa Margarita
says:Hi michelle, I’m so sorry for your loss
Dani
says:I too am I registered nurse, my dog died of a hemangiosarcoma of the heart. The only warning sign I had was that she wasn’t wanting to run as fast as before. I thought she was just getting old. The night before she passed away she wasn’t wanting to run and play, and that late evening she started to pant and breathe funny and wouldn’t move. I rushed her to the emergency vet, where they did an ultrasound of her heart after not hearing any heart tones. The tumor had ruptured and she was bleeding into her pericardium. The decision was to put her to sleep after 10 years of being my best friend and helping with my new baby. We miss her dearly.
Cheryl Condrey
says:My Sparkle was diagnosed last year with Apocrine Melanoma. They removed it. Was on her face. They wanted to take lymph nodes nearby out to stop spread but I consulted a dog cancer specialist. He said no need. Chances of spreading since on skin are smaller. She has had a few others removed as well as mammary gland tumors. All were negative but she continues to sprout pea sized hard places all over her. Some go away. Some don’t but don’t get any bigger either. Beginning to wonder if the 1st one they tested was a false positive? She has a couple now but at 12 years old & a Golden I don’t know if I want to put her through surgery unless absolutely necessary. I love her & don’t want her to suffer either so chemo is out. She has low thyroid problems, starting to go blind from eye ulcers, infections & cataracts they can’t seem to stop. Arthritis is making her limp & lick her legs. LOTS of allergies too. Had her spayed but not until 8 years old. She never had any pups though. She breathes like a sick freight train & seems to struggle but he says lungs & heart sound fine. I have no idea what to do next. She goes to the pet door & taps on it until my other Golden (Tazz) will come to her & go out first. She uses him like a sort of seeing eye dog. He is very loving to her washing her face & ears. We lost Ranger at 14 last year due to old age problems & he just gave up after a stroke. I’d hate to lose her so soon after Ranger.
Paige
says:My mother’s dachshund, who was only 7 or so, started dragging his hind paw when he walked. We thought perhaps he had hurt his back. Then, one morning, Fritz had a horrible seizure. He was diagnosed with epilepsy. A week later, he lost his vision. He went to vision specialists and all kinds of other vets. None of them ever diagnosed him with a brain tumor, but that is exactly what the problem was. He didn’t have a chance. We had to have him put to sleep. My mother cried over that dog for an entire year. It was so traumatic for both her and Fritz.
Tina Stockton
says:This past March I lost my 14 yr old Jack Russell. She had oral cancer. Thank you for this article
sonja lowe
says:My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a part of their family. I have a German Shepherd that just had his 7th birthday. We have been fighting lymphoma since the beginning of Aug. I cannot seem to come to grips with the thought of losing my best friend.
my heart goes out to you,i also cant seem to come to grips about losing my best buddy charlie, he is 9 and has a cyst on spleen, he may not recover from ansti-i am ill from this.
Susan Shirley
says:Thank you for the very informative and important information. I do enjoy your web site.
Today would of been my Lab/Golden retriever Hunter’s 15 birthday,she passed Aug 23 2010,she started having trouble with her balance a year before she died the vet said it was old dog syndrome,i noticed a very large dark scab on her chest a few months before she passed,didn,t think much of it at the time,now when I read all the warning signs of cancer I feel like maybe I could of done more.The night she died she started having massive seisures early in the morning so bad that she didn’t know we were there and was just staring off into space,i don’t think I will ever get the images of her having the seizures out of my mind,we wrapped her in a blanket and took her to the vet,she said it was probably brain cancer and she was put to sleep.I will always feel like I should of known or I always wonder if there was more I could of done,there is a lot of guilt there,we loved her so much.I have 3 other dogs but none can repace the other,now when I pet them I check for lumps and other warning signs of cancer.I love and miss you my fuzzy puppy and always will,someday we will all be together again.
I was so touched by your story about Hunter because it is so similar to my own story, and the loss of my beloved Molly to cancer. You and I are both in the unique situation that, while cancer ultimately took our dogs’ lives, they both lived very long, happy lives before becoming sick. I, too, lost my girl in 2010, and still cry thinking about her – your comment on our article brought tears to my eyes. I understand the guilt you feel, as I feel it too (looking back, I feel I should have known), and the struggle to accept that you did the right thing. I like to think that Hunter and Molly are hanging out together (in the fuzzy seniors section of heaven!) enjoying themselves until we’re with them again. Please know that you did the right thing for her.
ChrisB
says:I have been thru the sorrow of loosing my best friend twice, both St. Bernards….I have decided to go with rescue mix breeds, as there is less chance of cancer in these dogs… Though there are no guarantees in the dog kingdom….I have also chosen to feed my furry friends only raw with fresh vegetables, and other foods that are good for them, and hopefully less contaminated!!! They have increased their exercise tolerance and excitement for a variety of dog sports…so in using the same thoughts that are given to humans by professionals….good fresh food and lots of different kinds of exercise and fresh air…hopefully, we will avoid the insidiousness of cancer.
Cissy Acosta
says:All furry animals are Family members too.. Where I work, I give each and everyone lots of Love and Hugs.. You can see it in there eyes that they are loved.
Darlene Ragsdale
says:It is heartbreaking to lose a dog or cat to cancer. Watching them just tears your heart out. Sadly they cannot tell you how they feel and you just want to hold them and make it all go away. I have lost pets to cancer and my heart still has never healed. The article is great because it sheds light on some things that people may not be aware of especially the food or treats from China. I wish we could ban all of their animal feed and treats since it has caused such destruction.
Monika
says:Thanks so much for sharing this article! I live in a big family, and everyone has at least one dog (one sister recently rescued 2 dogs, so now she has 4!), so this is really a great article to read and share with all my dog-owning family and friends. It is so important to be aware of the signs of cancer in dogs so that, if the dog does develop it, it can be treated as quickly as possible. I’m also really glad to read the tips to help prevent cancer! You can never be too careful to keep the sweet, lovable doggies as healthy and happy as possible!
Barbara Sultan
says:Great information. Our dog is two years old, but I will pay attention if I see any of the signs mentioned in the article. I truly believe that spaying and neutering is so very important for so many reasons. Our dog was neutered at four months, money well spent!
Chloe
says:I adopted young Tekken, a mixed breed,who became my furry sunshine. I made sure that he was neutered, fed well, in a healthy environment, plenty of stimulation, regular check ups but even then I wasn’t prepared for when his back end started giving out at the age of 12. And apparently I hadn’t been paying close enough attention because he’d also gone completely blind but was very capable at getting around.
When I took him to my vet the first time I was told to monitor his condition. He didn’t appear to be in any pain–no sign or anything from your list. But within a week he’d totally lost the ability stand on his hind end, even though he still held his bladder. The vet(a surgeon) said he had a brain tumor and that there was no options available in this case. Even though I’ve been living with another incredible furry companion, I still tear up when I think about the moment he left.
From reading your stories I know I’m not alone in the connection I made with Tekken-dog. Our fur-mates leave us too soon, but it seems to me that cancer is particularly mean way of taking them.
Princess Ava Bisou
says:My Mommy is a 12 yr cancer survivor ( or, as she says “Cancer Scholar”!) we would like to THANK YOU for this very informative article that may help dog lovers catch early signs of this horrible disease !
We treat our 14 yr old Sheltie, who had a stroke brought on from a tumor in her brain, with Beta Glucan. Amazing what it has done for her! She is a new dog! beta-glucan.com
Sandra Sellar
says:I am so sorry for anyone on here who has lost a pet. They truly are family and the loss is just as great as if it were a human family member. I will keep an eye on my “kids” because 2 of the 3 are approaching 9 and 10 years old. I have seen a couple of the symptoms listed above but I’m hoping it’s just old age.
Nicole Kay
says:I just recently lost my gorgeous Golden Retriever Charlie. She was just 6 years old. We noticed a hard mass on her head close to the right ear. Took her to the vet and they immediately sent us to a specialist. I had a terrible feeling it wouldn’t be good. They did a 3D cat scan and a biopsy of the area. Turns out she had chrondosarcoma of the skull. Extremely rare too. It was malignant and after extensive talks with the specialist he decided he did not want to do any surgery as it was too close to her spinal cord. He gave her 6 to 12 months. Within 4 weeks she started to show neurological signs. She would look up at the ceiling whimper and was slightly staggering. I took her to the local vet who put her on cortisol. One 20mg tablet a day. What an improvement. She was the old Charlie again. Happy running and so cheeky. She did start to urinate more. At night I would especially get up nearly every 2 to 3 hours to let her out. This settled eventually and it seemed life had returned to normal. After nearly two months we once again had to increase to 1 and 1/2 tablets in the morning as she was doing the head thing again. Eventually she was on 1 tablet morning and 1 at night. Life seemed good however being on high levels of cortisol caused other issues. Thirst was unbelievable, appetite was massive swollen belly, her liver was twice the size and she could no longer run like she used too. She was out of steam but was still very happy. She made it 12 months and passed away on the 3rd of June 2014 what seems to be from Pancreatitis. She was in the emergency vet for 2 days. Took a turn,her breathing was shallow and her temp was really high. She was on a drip and pain relief that night. The vet called early morning to advise it did not look good and would be very wise to come down ASAP to put her to sleep. Unfortunately Charlie couldn’t hang on and passed away 5 minutes before we arrived. I have never felt so heartbroken. Charlie was a top dog one of a kind and she has left her paw print on my heart. She will never be forgotten. R.I.P Charlie.
Richard
says:My 9 year old lab/husky mix died of cancer in 2010. About a month before he passed and took my to vet. At that time he had lost 10 lbs. I thought this was a good sign since he was overweight. Little did I know that he was slowly dying. Suddenly one Saturday he was very lathargic and wouldnt eat. I knew something was wrong. On Monday he went to the vet and found the cause of his troubles.
It is sad to know that one in four dogs die of caner.
Rhonda Treesh
says:I adopted the most handsomest of dogs (age approx. 1 1/2 or 2). He had just had a huge mast cell tumor removed literally days before I adopted him. I’m thankful that the shelter he came from was insistent on having the lump checked out. A huge shout out to the vet for performing the surgery and clearing him of cancer. Hopefully it will not return in his lifetime. 🙂
Gail Contreras
says:Did ALL that, except for the spay. I would not spay/neuter for many reasons, and mammary cancer is NOT what took her life. I lost Emma to hemangio at 10, with no warning whatsoever. She was active, up until the end, earning her AKC Grand Championship 8 weeks before she died, and her Vizsla Club of America’s Versatility title 6 weeks before she died. Good food, clean teeth, and healthy environment. I hope that one day there will be an answer for all our wonderful pets ~ and our family and friends. Cancer is just plain sad.
Leanna
says:I highly recommend avoiding all treats and toys made in China. We lost our dog 3 years ago from cancer. 🙁 not worth the risk. The standards just arent there. When prices are low like those of Chinese made products, the quality is also low. 🙁
Amy
says:Very informative article, makes me so sad thinking of my babies getting older and worrying about their health. One of my babies is out getting his dental work done today and had to have a few teeth removed. It’s nice to know that this step is a preventative to oral cancers.
Edie Leonard
says:I lost my Siberian Husky, Hunter, to cancer. It was so fast, so heart wrenching. One day we found a small lump on his stomach and 3 weeks later it grew to the size of a football. The Vet opened him up to see if they could cut it out, but there was nothing they could do. I will never forget my Dear Hunter.
Doc Burgess
says:I’m so sad for the loss of all these beautiful precious babies… I too lost my Schipperke, on Feb.8th of this year.. He just turned 10yrs Dec. 10th 2012. His first symptoms he wet on the floor.. He’d never done that, I scolded him, I felt bad about that later and told him I was so sorry. I watched him for a few days and noticed everything else was fine, no changes. Then I thought he might be drinking more water than usual, and peeing more often.. this was about 1 week later… everything else was good. eating, playing, sleeping, walking, and then one morning, just a few days later, he drank a whole bowl of water and I thought he would bust..he walked over and just started peeing didn’t hike his leg didn’t squat, just stood still. Then he started throwing up and I knew it was Vet time…. Vet diagnosed him with kidney failure, said nothing could be done and told me what to watch for as it got closer to the end. I was heartbroken.. Took him home and we had about 4 weeks together, good days and a few not so good, mostly getting him to eat.. gave him gator-aide for the electrolites in it, and he never threw up after that.. I’m bawling, so I’m gonna make this short… He died after I had told him it was ok and that I would be ok, that I didn’t want him suffering, and he died between 11PM and 12:30 within that hour and ahalf, I went in to lay down for a few minutes and he left me… I was so guilty for leavin him, but two nights before that, I thought he wouldn’t make it. and he was up and drinking and eating steak just fine… then his last day, he couldn’t get up and so I was keeping him dry if he peed and he would roll up on his chest and drink.. Oh this is so hard… I guess what I’m saying is I told him every night when we went to bed I would see him in the morning… The last night when we said goodbye to each other and I didn’t tell him I’d see him in the morning, that it was ok if he left me….. he did… I think he knew that I was having such a problem knowing that I would take him to the Vet in the morning… God I Miss you Quigly sooo much Today has been one of those days I have cried off an on all day .. Thank you for reading my sad story… I can’t prove anything and I’ve not tried but, the flea and tick medicine Comfortis, I think might have something to do with his kidneys failing or played a part in it..
My Golden Retriever died from Cancer, she was 14 yrs old. I decided to do something about it with our next dog and I developed a raw dog food made with only local grass fed beef and organic fruits and vegetables. I worked with the CSU Animal Nutrient Guide and a few vets and came up with a wonderful high protein low fat diet that I mix with a grain free high quality kibble. Angus is now 8 going on 9 yrs old. He has no allergies, no tumors, no nada he has high energy, (although I’ve got down on the Frisbee just a little, he would play forever) beautiful coat and skin and he’s the testament to eating good food for dogs. We have several articles on Mama’s Choice 100% Natural Raw Dog Food and even one on I tunes Healthy Dog Food Magazine, Called Farm to Table for Dogs! I make all the food myself, package and deliver. I’m sorry to hear of all these cancers, but like people. They are preventable!
Susan Lytle
says:The recommendation to spay a female before her first heat is the traditional standard recommendation, and ideal for the prevention of mammary gland tumors. Yet, lately there have been some articles, talking about the lack of hormonal protection being possibly causative in Canine Hemangiosarcoma, with statistical numbers, like four times as great in spayed females, Research, as I have heard, is being conducted with Golden retrievers at UC Davis school of Veterinary Medicine. While it is too early to go out on a limb, it seems like those of us with female dogs should be watching the outcome of this research very carefully!
Sue Friley
says:The only female dog I lost to mammary cancer was spayed at 6 months. They are now finding out the early spays can cause incontinence as early as three years of age. Cancer is such an aggressive disease but please read up on the current information about natural diets, using less chemicals, feeding supplements and eliminating giving and putting toxins on your dog, and revising your current vaccine protocol. The health information train on pets is speeding up and if you have a Vet that is not keeping up on current information and relying on the information from 30 years ago, please start interviewing a new Vet.
Nancy Nisivoccia
says:My 5 year old boxer was diagnosed a month ago with bone cancer in the front right leg. He was limping. He has had four treatments of radiation and is on pain meds. What to do now? Does chemo add much longevity considering its cost? I want to do right by him but I am struggling financially. I would find the money somehow if I can get advice from others who have gone through this.
janice clemens
says:If your dog has elevated calcium continually …this is not always a sign of renal disease and is frequently a sign of cancer. My beautiful GSD KInder was being treated for renal disease(frequent urination diarrhea) and he had perianal cancer. The vet said anyone knows first thing you look for with elevated calcium is cancer it had spread to his aorta….
Kristin Kvatsak
says:We had to put out golden down in dec of 2012 he had lung cancer and a enlarged heart.. We found out in April and put him down in dec.. I think the dr that I had miss diagnosed what my golden had.. He told us that he had phuemonia . When he didn’t After 6 months of the dr telling us that he had phuemonia we took him to different dr.. And he could tell right away that he had lung cancer and a enlarged heart.. He treated him the best that he could.. I’m thankful for what he did with my dog..
Carleen
says:I have a great story to share! Our Golden Boy, Rudy was diagnosed in 2007 atage 7 with terminal cancer. He had a hamangiosarcoma that matastasized. Our vet told us there was no cure and he might live another 6 months…well…good old golden boy fooled everyone. He lived 5 more bonus years – we lost him November 2012. He had a great life and we refer to him as the “miracle dog”!
Cindy
says:We are all to familar with cancer in our dog family. We lost Stubby(12) in 2009, Sassy(14) and Shadow(8) 2 months apart in 2011. There was nothing we could do Stubbys was too advanced, Sassy’s was in a spot that was inoperable no matter her age and Shadow was sick or months and lost so much weight, got so depressed and finally found it in her chest. We are heartbroken without them.
Michelle Mitchell
says:The Morris Foundation Lifetime Study, is a funded study of canine cancer, the largest of it’s kind to help determine the causes of cancer, especially in Golden retrievers statistically 57% above all other breeds for canine cancer. To help support this effort please donate or if you have a young Golden consider having it participate in the study. Mine is.
Vonnie Cole
says:We are so fortunate. Our beautiful golden, Tessa, was diagnosed with Lymphoma3 years ago. We caught it early, and she was an otherwise healthy 5 year old. She had surgery followed by 8 months of chemo. She will be nine in December and is thoroughly enjoying her life. As playful and frisky as ever and enjoying agility as well.
Monica Culver
says:Our 10 year old Dane Herman is losing his battle with bone cancer, a couple of months ago I noticed a lump on his shoulder, it has grown very fast, we are looking at about a week to a week and a half, it is so very hard knowing he will not be with us much longer. He has always been a mommy’s boy and I will be lost without him.
I know this suffering all too well as a dog mom of many fosters and rescues / caring for geriatric dogs fighting cancer and other diseases. Take heart, friends! There is a solution: reduce their oxidative stress 40% -70% in the first 30 days of using this revolutionary new, safe product. Allow their bodies to fight back naturally, reduce inflammation and increase glutathione by 300%! Do not wait until there is a concern – research and start today to optimize the health of your canine family members! Email me for more details and/or visit lifevantage.com/mindbodysoul
Vicki
says:My 13 year old Pekingese, Rocky, had a tumor on his back that kept returning but there was never a diagnosis of cancer, only a tumor (benign, the vet said). After a year of having the tumor removed 3 times, I woke up one morning to the floor in the kitchen being covered with blood and feces. Rocky was covered in blood. I took him to his vet and they told me he was too old to treat but she “suspected” he had cancer. He looked miserable so I had him euthanized that day. Although I don’t regret putting him out of his misery, I simply could not sit by as they euthanized him. I regret it now and kick myself daily for not being there to whisper to him as he passed on. Please don’t make the same mistake I did. I still feel horrible and this happened 3 years ago.
Lessons learned:
1) Go with your furbabies just as you would your child, no matter how hard it is.
2) If you feel like your vet has been neglectful of your pet, run, don’t walk, to another vet.
3) and….love your sweet babies until the end….I know you will.
My Golden Retriever was diagnosed with bone cancer last week, yesterday we found out that there is no metastasis yet in his lungs. My heart is heavy with worry about the future, I just want him to be pain free for whatever time he has and I want to be sure to know when it is time to let him go peacefully. I read some of your replies and I pray I recognize in his eyes the message. Thanks
Dogington Post for the article, Thanks everybody for sharing your experiences because I was feeling completely lost.
Nancy Nisivoccia
says:My boxer has a similar situation. He had radiation but am unsure of chemo- a lot due to cost. He has pain meds too. What are you going to do, if anything?
Mary Dick
says:PLEASE PLEASE research your dog food! What you are feeding your babies may be killing them! My daughters dog was lethargic, losing weight and sick. Found out it was the beneful we were feeding her.
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070929092955AAU5sJ9
Changed her food to beaverdam and she is totally recovered, eating AND gained her weight back
BJackson in Indiana
says:My condolences as I’ve been blessed (so far?) to never have a pet with cancer. Cancer is SO heartbreaking, as all of these sad stories attest.
I just read Ted Kerasote’s (writer of Merle’s Door) newest book Pukka’s Promise – the quest for longer-lived dogs where he discusses cancer in dogs among other concerns. It is especially heartbreaking how many dogs are getting cancer these days. Go to your library and pick it up – you might find something to help now or in the future for your pups. The number 1 thing : Do NOT wait to get something checked, as too many of you have learned already.
Mary
says:Next month will be a year since I lost my beloved basset hound, Allie Oop to cancer. She got a hard lump on the inside of her jaw. One vet told us it was only a growth & could be shaved off. Well, we decided to wait a while, then we started seeing another vet & when it started to get bigger, we took her in. They gave us the terrible news that it bone cancer.Within weeks it went from the size of a jawbreaker to a lemon size & was interfering with her breathing, we had to make the hardest decision in my life, but we couldn’t let her suffer any longer. She was only 7½ years old. Now, I’m getting really worried about my male basset, Charlie who just turned 8 years old. He’s had a big spot on the back of his neck that won’t heal. Vet said it was a hot spot, he’s had those before & they healed with medicines. He’s been on three antibiotics, a powder & it still hasn’t healed. Took him back in & they said it was a flea allergy, so he got the flea bath, flea medicine, whole house vacuumed & sprayed. Still he hasn’t healed.This is something different & I’m taking him back in for a biopsy soon & I fear what the results might be.
Becky
says:My heart breaks every time I hear about animals dying, especially from cancer. I felt like so many stories were my own. Please find the cure soon. Rest in peace to my amazing, smart, funny, loyal and best friend I was ever so blessed to have had in my life. CANDY. I miss you every day.
Teri
says:I rescued a starving abandoned Great Dane, Bruno and he became a wonderful pet. He was about 5 when we got him. After 5 1/2 wonderful years, he was with my boyfriend at his parents house. When he treed a cat, the neighbor that owned the cat got angry and shot him with a pellet gun in his shoulder. It was a fairly small wound so I cleaned it and it began to heal. It was almost healed but began to look bigger and we took him to the vet. The vet said some cancers get worse from oxygen hitting the area and though I’d treated the wound properly, the cancer had been there when he was shot. Basically rupturing a tumor. 3 months later when it became obvious he was in a lot of pain we had him euthanized.
Susan
says:My adorable Remy(Weimaraner) died from Mast cell carcinoma at the age of 12. She had been diagnosed when she was 8 years old but with medication she outlived what the vets had thought. At the last few months we had her on pain medication and she was able to play and be her normal self. At the end she refused to eat or get up what so ever and then we we knew what we needed to do. It was one of the hardest things for me to do. I gave her all my loving and gentle hugs and kisses and heartfelt compassion until it was time for her to take that journey to the “Rainbow Bridge”. Right before she passed I swear she spoke through her eyes that it was okay and she’d wait on the other side.
sondra
says:I lost my golden 3 years ago this month at 13 years old. He had bladder cancer which went undected. He had many tests done and nothing showed in his blood work. The vet did a sonogram and his bladder was full of cancer. He started getting a bad smell a few years prior but it had almost disappeared when we put him on blue buffalo. He was at the vet alot, any time we felt or saw something abnormal but we couldnt save him from this. He collapsed about 8 months later due to lack of oxygen. What is funny is the night before I gave him a bath and spent the whole evening pampering him. He was always a licker but this night it was over the top, I believe he was saying goodbye. 🙁
As I read the previous comments, my heart hurts all over again for all of us. My beautiful Ashley died/had to be assisted in dying as I didn’t want her to suffer. She got sick in 2010 with liver failure/cirrhosis from phenobarbitol for seizures, by late 2011 we got the liver healed. vets were amazed she was still alive, and then early last summer we found she had ca. of the spleen. hemangiosarcoma. we lost her in august, I loved her so dearly, she brought such joy and insanity to our lives and we welcomed every minute. bless us all as our fur babies play and run in the vastness of the rainbow bridge. God bless you all
terry
says:this article is very general in its writing… One must educate themselfs to the Breed of dog they have and the issue of genentic pre-disposition.. it may not be a smart idea for your breed to be spayed or neutered that young. There are too many variables involving cancer and certain dogs. You really should do your own research and homework… it will pay off in the end. and I disagree on diet and cancer as well.. research diets, vaccinations, etc.. like you would your own children..
courtney
says:Our vet told us that neutering male dogs increases the risk of cancer. I did a search online and found several articles that said the same thing.
terry
says:exactly, in fact there is no real proof at all it prevents cancer, i lost a 7.yr old and 9.5 , both within a yr to cancer after spaying and neutering, they were both show dogs, until that time, they were perfectly healthy… It was one of the sorriest dicissions i have ever made.
Dawn harden
says:Lost our sweet cocker spaniel, freckles, a few years ago. He was fine one day, the next day was lethargic. Took him to the vet for an ultrasound where they found pancreatic and liver cancer. He died the next morning. I still miss him terribly and wonder what I could of done different if anything at all. Miss my sweet boy!
Mia
says:A few years ago I took my Ace in for his check-up and rabies shot. The vet noticed his lymphnodes in his neck were swollen. He had just gotten over an ear infection. She thought it could be due to that but wanted to keep a close eye on it. This was in November 2010. By December 2010, just 2 weeks later, I noticed Ace had lost a lot of weight. Ace had weighed 150#, he was a lab/rottie mix. Took him back to the vet, he had lost nearly 25# in 2 weeks. She checked him over again and all of his lymphnodes were swollen. She did an aspiration of one of them. Sure enough it was cancer. She said she has had much success with this steroid that has reduced the tumors and extended many dogs lives that she has prescribed it to. I told her we will try it. A week later, I heard him whimpering on the couch, he wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink. I called the vet, she said she checked the results from his lab work she did the week previous and he had what is known as rapid advancing lymphoma, there was no cure. As much as I wanted to keep him around, I had to do what was best for him. She told me the best thing for him would be to let him go, I agreed. Usually Ace would jump in the car to go for a ride. I had to pick him and put him in the back of the van on a mattress I had in there. He was ready to go to rainbow bridge. I held him and cried when he passed. I had Ace since he was 2 weeks old when his momma was killed by a snake bite. For nearly 11 years that boy and I were inseparable. He was neutered when he was 6 months old. I had him neutered not only to prevent him from marking his territory in the house and to keep from wandering and getting unaltered females pregnant, but I did it for his health. I didn’t want him to get testicular cancer. Do what you can to help your dog be healthy, get your dog spayed or neutered and keep up with check-ups. If you notice the least little abnormality get it checked out if anything for peace of mind.
Lydia
says:To all of you that commented, I am so sorry for your losses. Cancer is such a horrible disease. There is a group I found thru Facebook called Chase Away K9 Cancer. They are an org that helps support canine cancer studies. I’m sure they would appreciate your sharing your doggy’s story.
val
says:My lil Harley had his blood work annual in October ..he was clean bill of health , active and robust! One day I noticed he moved from his spot..his view out the window that he sat it on the stairs . He had moved to the landing and stretched out ..wouldn’t run down the stairs to jump on me when I walked in the door. .Next morning we went to potty outside ,walk and he stayed seated on the grass . I picked him up took him straight to the doctor and he never came home. His liver was filled with cancer. on Jan 7th 4 months after his perfect checkup…poor baby.
Dawn harden
says:My freckles was the same way…clean bill do health a few weeks earlier, then one day would not get up. Went to the vet the next day where it was found he had liver and pancreatic cancer. He died the next morning…my sweet boy
Mike D'Angiolillo
says:My 7 year old beagle buddy Sam came down with prostate cancer almost over night. Sam was neutered at 3 years old after he was given to us. One evening we noticed he was having trouble going #2, or so we thought it was #2. We gave him some canned pumpkin in his food to help waht we thought was constipation but it did not work. For several hours this went on and we decided to rush him to the emergency vet over an hour from home. An ultrasound showed his bladder was ready to burst. Now that very morning he was fine and being his normal playful self and less than 12 hours later this symptom appeared. Two days later we got the dreaded news. We immediately started him on chemo and other meds to try and kill this beast. He had a catheter surgically implanted for several weeks which we had to drain for him every 6-8 hours. He regained minimal self urination over time but the cancer was very aggressive and after nine weeks it had spread to the lymph glands in his rear legs. He never stood a chance. One morning he was being a fun loving beagle and then BAM! Our hearts are still broken trying to figure out what was the cause. Foods? Flea & tick treatments? Genetics? Please watch your little friends for ANY difference in their routine/habits because it happens so quickly. RIP Boo Boo!
Pauline Cook
says:Lost my sweetest furever Golden boy Suede at the much too young age of 8. It started with a claw that split & was oozing pus. After treating it as an infection that wouldn’t heal, my vet suggested an x-ray which was sent to the teaching vet hospital & came back with the diagnosis of cancer. We took our baby to have his toe removed which seemed to be successful, but came back with the awful diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Luckily we were able to take him on a wonderful 2 month trip camping across eastern Canada with us. We thought all was well & that we had caught it all but just before Christmas we had to make the awful decision to euthanize him as the cancer was back but this time it was in his spine and caused him to lose the use of his rear legs. I’m still not over the loss … much too young with so much love & affection to give. He is forever in my heart & has taken a piece of MY heart with him too. 🙁
Claire bear
says:We lost one dog age 16years 6months ago our other dog fell I’ll after we lost our boy took her to vets they said it was a cold I wasn’t satisfied with that went bk week after , was askedby vet do u want us to scan her to c if anything is going on yes plz I said, rang bk a couple of hours later vet said Claire am so sorry bt it’s bad news china has a Tumor on her kidney which is affecting everything so don’t no how long she has left , omg in shock went to get her from vets in shock , within days she had stopped eating not walking no toilet then she picked up and thought aw she is even looking better thank god , Christmas came round Christmas day she wouldn’t eat looked so very sad bt just slept on and off all day , boxing came and she looked really sad and couldn’t be bothered with anything so rang vets that afternoon spoke to them and they suggested I bring her in for a check , so my daughter said mam it’s just a check though isn’t it I replied course it is chick , vet checked china belle over vet said this dog isn’t going to last through the night , brought her home we lost china on boxing day 2012 still in shock . Took her to the crem on the Wednesday had her bk on the Thursday so now the both furries are together for ever x
Thanx for reading this the pain sometimes is unbearable xxxx
Wayne
says:I’m so sorry for the pain all of you are feeling for your lost ‘babies’. I can only imagine how you all feel. We love our 2 brown labs so much. But we know that day will when we have to say goodbye. Not ready for that.
Kathleen Acker
says:Three boxers with different forms of cancer have died with us, Mia age 4, Hermangia Sarcoma, Bruno, age 11 Lymphoma, and Gracie Lou age 7 brain cancer. We miss them all. I think everytime one of our fur friends/companions passes from Cancer, we should all contribute to a teaching Veterinary College to find a marker, DNA, that will let us know even sooner, who may be susceptible and which dog is not. Cures can then be quicker, easier, and with less tears for the loss of our friends.
Linda DeBlois
says:Feel your pain. Had to put my 16 year old female Jack Russell down in April 2012 and then our 14 year old male Jack Russell down in August 2012. We were heart broken but they were with us for so long and we are so thankful. I stayed with them til the end. Love You Angel and Pizza and I hope to see you again one day.
Angela
says:I am so sorry for you loss, I have three Jack’s, one is 11, 10 and 8. My 10 year old has had Mast Cell Tumors, and I found another suspicious place that I need to take him in for. My other two are hopefully healthy, or seem to be. I cannot imagine my life without them, as they have given me so much joy. And yes we will see them again one day.
roary
says:Oh, Linda….sorry about your losses….those JRT’s just seem to take over your heart and your household! I had three generations-Murphy was almost 17 when I put her to sleep, her daughter Josie, at 14, told me it was “her time” after doing well with heartfailure for 4 years….I had them both cremated and I know it sounds silly but it’s a comfort for me to have them close. I took them both in to have professional pics done when Josie first got sick…am so glad I did! I miss them every day!
louise perkins
says:Meant 5/12 not 5/13,
louise perkins
says:My 12 year old yellow Lab was always very active and healthy, in 5/13 he began limping, favoring his front left leg, he had been diagnosed with latent Lyme Disease a few years before. The vet said that the limping was a symptom of the Lyme Disease put him on antibiotic and anti-inflammatory meds and his condition improved over the next few weeks. Over the next few weeks his limping got worse and we only went on very short, slow walks. We made another appointment with the vet and after an x-ray he was found to have bone cancer in his left shoulder, The vet said he didn’t have long to live and his shoulder could break very easily since it was so brittle. We went home and during the next 10 days said our goodbyes to our friends at the dog park, we went on gentle walks, I cuddled up with him on his bed, he had all the treats he could ever dream of and I told him I loved him at least once an hour. One week after the diagnosis Sammy stopped eating and he was exhausted after walking a short distance. On 8/1/12 during our last walk, he just stopped and looked up at me, I knew he was telling me it was time. That afternoon I sat on the floor with Sammy in my arms as he was put to sleep, he looked so peaceful and there was no more pain. My pain over losing him was almost unbearable at first but now has become bearable and I know that one day we will be together again. I do plan to adopt another rescue when I am ready. Sorry for such a long post, I’ve been weeping while writing!
georgann
says:Your post made me cry! Our German Shepard mix Sunny had the same thing. At 14 & 1/2 years old she still acted like a puppy, but she started limping last October. We had her tested for Lyme as well, since she had had it years before and with the same symptoms. When that came back negative they x-rayed and found it was bone cancer. For a week we babied her (she was always spoiled though!) and then one night she just started acting strangely…stopped eating and could barely get up to go do business. We knew it was time…hardest damn thing I’ve ever done! I miss her terribly 🙁
marilyn
says:Don’t EVER be sory 4 expressing yur feelings.My Yogi,a mix of Golden Retriever and St Bernard had elective surgery and was supposed to b fine afterwards.Not.Didn’t take to most all meds,went to diff.drs and none would even give to him,…came home having seizures.Wasn’t given enough oxegen,found out thru grapevine but couldn’t prove.Vet killed my everything.Yogi was a perfect dog! Another yr was added to his life frm vet who gave him phenabarbitol and we slept on couch for that yr in case he needed us.Would always come over and let us know when seizure was kicking in.Eventually caused a brain tumor.Had to put dwn.7 mons later,heart is still broken!!!Was given another dog as get well present,but not the same.Can’t replace love! RIP my big boy.I tear just spking your name.xoxox
Louise, I am so sorry about Sammy. Same thing happened to my 14 year old yellow Lab Haley. When she was 13, she came down with mange. The only time an older dog gets mange, it means that something very serious is wrong with them. All tests showed nothing wrong with her. Spent $2500 treating the mange, could not get it under control. 4 months before I had to put her down, she starting limping on right front leg. x-rays showed nothing. On July 16,2010 she went to stand, screamed and fell. Her leg had snapped in half in a spot where the leg never breaks. She had turned 14 on Feb 15. For 14 years, she never cried if she got hurt. This time, she cried all the way to the vets which was only 4 1/2 minutes. I can still hear her crying.
Karen
says:I lost my 9 year old German Shepherd, Fiona, to bladder cancer 5 years ago.
She had been lame for a little over a month and the vet misdiagnosed her as having arthritis. I now know that she had a huge bladder in her tummy and that was what was causing her to be lame.
I woke up on a Sunday morning to find her lying in a puddle of blood, barely alive. I took her to the emergency vet, who performed an x-ray and discovered that her bladder was full of cancer, so I had to put her to sleep.
It was an incredibly traumatic experience for both her and me, which could have been avoided if the vet had bothered to perform an x-ray to verify his arthritis diagnosis.
Cheri
says:A few years ago, we had to put down my lovely little pound puppy ShyAnne. The vet mentioned that he could tell she had cancer by the amber “glow” in her otherwise brown eyes. Now, I see that same amber in my elder beagle, and just recalled what the ver sai. Is this possibly true> can you see it in their eyes?
thanks.
Karine
says:The est way to go about this is to take yoru comapnion to a vet as soon as possible.
Lynne
says:This is not true and is not diagnostic medicine.As the person said below,take your dog to your vet, if you are concerned.
Claire Barber
says:My Jules Dogue De Bordeaux age 6 Suddenly Had bowel problems hesitant to keep up on our walks….She was mis diagnosed Within 3 weeks I rushed her 40 miles to another Vet The morning i decided she was not well I got up she was lying on the floor just wagging her tail I knew…………I got her into the truck we got there in 45 min She couldnt get out of the car she was carried in in a stretcher She had lost 20 pounds…..We had an xray done Her spleen was all pushed up into her stomach Ive worked with animals and i know there comes a time Ive put some of my beloved dogs and cats down at 14,15 years old It was her time last May…….I have her daughter ,I had her mate he passed at 3yrs old…….It Hurts …….But at least we can end their suffing and be there when they go……..
Evelyn Thomas
says:claire
How true. It is hard. But as you said we can be there to hold them and tell them they are loved. It is amazing how much they give us.
Tom
says:My Aussie Cole is 12-1/2 yrs old. Picture of health. He was great at noon one day then I came home and he was lethargic and breathing very rapidly. Took him to emergency vet next morning – his spleen had ruptured. Had it removed and biopsy done. Stage 3 cancer of the liver. One week to maybe a month to live. Today it has been 4 weeks since the splenectomy. It has been a gift every day extra I have been given with him. I pray he dies in his sleep because even though I will – I don’t know how – I can man up and euthanize him when it’s time.
Evelyn Thomas
says:I am sure you will make the right decision for your dog as we did for our big boy Bandit. He showed no signs until about 2 to 3 days before we had to put him down. It was like loosing our child. I have a beagle/boxer mix and know that she will be my next baby to bury. But if she gets sick I will be strong enough to make the decision to put her down. We have a wonderful vet who doesnt want to do that unless there are no other choices.
I hope you have a wonderful time with your baby.
I had to have my 10 year old beagle/boxer mix put to sleep this past December. She was just over 10 years old and had a thyroid tumor. One morning she came in from outside with no spark in her eyes as much to say it is time. I cried all the way to the vet and home but I was with her when she left me. I miss her everyday. After three days of crying I realized how quiet the house was and started a search for another puppy. I found one at the Michigan Humane Society. She was 4 months old and a golden retriever/terrier mix. She is now a year old and the love of my life. I still miss my Samantha but I do believe she led me to Mandy. Dogs are with us for a short period of time to make our lives whole.
Susan
says:My sadness is heavy. I feel so badly for you. I had a similar situation but with a much younger dog. He was only 7. I will never forget his face and how he looked at me when my son was taking him to be euthanized. I am in tears while writing this. It is never easy no matter how and when they leave us. I am wondering why so many dogs are now getting cancer and it strikes so suddenly and then our babies are gone. I know that emotionally, I could not have taken him to be euthanized.
Pam
says:Tom,
I’m so sorry to hear about Cole, treasure everything he has to teach you and savor those hugs and kisses. My Renegade was having problems breathing and the Vet
Diagnosed a tumor inside his nose. We were given 1 month. Because of his age, our focus was not simply extending his life, but quality of life was what we wanted for him. He gave me the gift of my Birthday, Christmas, New Years and Valentines day an additional three months of blessings. His final gift to me was telling me when it was time to let him go. I miss him every day. Cole will let you know when it’s time, right now, you have the gift of time to spend with him and that is what matters, because you will always choose what is best for him. I learned more from Renegade in those last 2 months than I did the entire 12 years before. One day I hope to be the person my dog thinks I am.
Pam
says:Our Aussie died at age 11 this last Aug. from lung cancer that had spred. Had his teeth cleaned 8 months earlier and had blood work done before the teeth cleaning. He was fine and the blood work came back good. Just 8 months later he played hard at our farm house the weekend before and that coming Thursday he didn’t eat his breckfast. He stopped eating from then on and took him into the vet on that Sat. He was full of cancer and we had to put him down. We are glad he didn’t suffer but, just broke our hearts.
Susan
says:That is so sad. It seems very odd that the blood work was fine and 8 months later he died. This past November 28, my sweet, loving, pitbull died and was only seven. He had been playing in the yard with his kong. After he came in he was limping. At first, I thought he may have pulled a muscle. The limping progressed to losing balance. The vet took blood work. did x-rays, found an enlarged heart and the blood work indicated cancer. He lasted two months. Sadly, he had to be put to sleep. I am so sad and miss him so much. I know how you are feeling. My life will never be the same without him. He was so wonderful and had such an impact on my life. My heart also is broken.
Lynne
says:Unfortunately, bloodwork doesn’t typically show signs of most cancers. I’m sorry for both of your losses 🙁
One day my Charley wouldn’t eat or go outside 3 days later he was gone. They said a tumor burst in his belly, Wen to have surgery when they did a sonagram he was full of cancer in liver. Love you Charley boy. He was one month shy of 10.
Kristi
says:So sorry Eileen. That is also what happened to our Black Lab, JohnJohn. He was acting very sickly and the vet told us he had a tumor. She gave him pain meds and meds to increase his appetite. The meds really worked and he got so much better we almost forgot his time was limited. Then one night, very late, my husband woke up and couldn’t find JJ. He went outside and called and that’s when he found him. The tumor had burst and he had just fallen over dead in the yard. (we have dog doors so he could come and go as he pleased) That was so hard to deal with, the fact that he died all alone. We loved/love him so much and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been though. He was 12 years old.
Meg
says:Christy,
I am so sorry for your loss. I’m sorry I have to ask you this but when your dog had tumors in his belly, did his stomach swell? Abnormally? My family just lost our yellow lab, Logan. We had rescued him from an abusive home when he was about a year old. We had him for a little over 8 years. One day his stomach swelled an it stayed like that for a couple days and he was restless and breathing heavy and vomiting so we rushed him to the vet. The vet said he just had a blockage and set us home with him. Another couple days past and we grew even more worried so we rushed him to a different vet and she took X-rays and blood work was done but she was stumped. So she opened him up and then called us and told us he was full of tumors. We asked what we could do and she said to put him down. We were so blind with grief we didn’t even think to ask if there were other options. Now my dog who I have raised from a newborn, has a swelled belly too. She wasn’t from the same litter as Logan not even the same breed or even the same age (she’s 12). We just lost Logan over a week ago. I can’t loose both of them. Please let me know.
Judi Darcy
says:I’ve lost 3 of my golden retrievers to hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels. Two of them were 11 years old, the third was only 5. Very little notice of what was going on, they all began bleeding internally, all 3 in different places. All 3 had to be put down. Heartbreaking. My last remaining golden was operated on at 5 years of age and had a tumor removed from her shoulder. They got it all with a good clean margin, she just turned 12. But she has a couple of lumps now, and is too old for surgery. I’m sure the same thing is going to happen with her. No more golden retrievers for me.
Nancy
says:I too lost a golden a few weeks before turning six. He was the sunshine of our life. All of a sudden he was lethargic. I took him to the doctor and the tests were ran. Thought was kidney infection so meds were prescribed and we were sent home. Blood tests were sent to lab. Two days later I received a call that we needed to bring Kodiak in. They told us he had leukemia. Options were given and we chose chemo. At first he seemed to have more energy but still was not himself. Kodiak traveled the rainbow bridge three weeks later in his sleep. Two months after our loss we adopted a two year old that I feel Kodiak led us to. Kobe turned seven and began to have difficult urinating. It was discovered he had bladder stones. Surgery was done and all seemed well. Special diet was given and about a month went by and he began vomiting. Vet visit with diagnosis of some type of blockage. Sonigram indicated a mass so surgery was done. Vet calls saying all went well and we could pick him up the next day. On my way I get a call saying Kobe didn’t make it. I do have another golden that was from a back yard breeder. Suppose to be the one not to buy from! (my first two were from AKC recommended breeders) Dakota is now nine. Hopefully he will be with me the remainder of my life on earth. I look forward to one day having all of my golden babies with me again!
Debb
says:They say heaven is where we meet back up with all the dogs we’ve ever had and lost! Hope to God that is true. Good luck with Dakota and hope he stays with you a long time!!
Nancy McComb
says:My Maltese Lily had hemangiosarcoma also. Vet operated and took tumor and spleen. She died 2 1/2 months later. I will always miss her.
Stephanie
says:Terri,
I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my 9 year old boxer on 12/5/2012 a lil of a month ago after batteling lymphoma for 11 months. The lymphoma was in his bone marrow. He stopped responding to chemo the last month and things went downhill fast.
Jen Schneider
says:My first 2 boxers died at the age of 5 each. One had a tumor that came back, the other, cancer. I now have two boxers, one turned 7 in May, the other will be 4 end of Aug. crossing my fingers for both!
Nancy Nisivoccia
says:Where was the cancer located? My 41/2 year old boxer has been diagnosed with bone cancer in the right foreleg. He had radiation and is on pain meds. Do not know whether to go on with chemo or monthly bone strenghtening drips. Any help on this- taking an emotional toil
On me
Debb
says:We have 2 boxers, 71/2 and 5. I know cancer is a big thing with boxers, but I just love them so much and know that some day they will die, but you just have to realize it and enjoy every day you have with them. We take lots of pictures and will definitely get more when these go on. It will be hard, but it’s inevitable. So sorry for you having to go through it. My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.
Terri
says:Our beautiful golden retreiver, Ginger, died this Aug. at the age og 15 years and 10 mos. She had a bone cancer in her head that grew quite rapidly.
My sympathy to you on the loss of your beautiful dog. We had a dear poodle who died of cancer at age 15. It started out as a skin cancer on his lip. He had undergone several cancer surgeries. We still miss him.
helen
says:I lost my Nibby aged 16 to cancer around her mouth. Was to old to operate, the anesthetic would have killed her. If not for that she was pretty fit and healthy.
Mare
says:My little trixie, a schnnauzer, died at 16, we had to put her to sleep, she was very sick with diabetes and blind, not sure if she had any cancer though but she might she was so sick…but i had a good long 16 yrs with her..
Lisa Loffler
says:I’m so sorry about your furry baby, Ginger. There is nothing worse than losing a member of your family. 🙁 But you will always have the wonderful memories of your beautiful Golden Retiever.
rory
says:sorry to hear the news, we just lost our 7 year old german shepphard to a rare cancer in sept , that there was nothing a doctor could de, our vet was so attached to our dog that she could not be in the room when we had to put her down, but she had a great life with us and we just remember the good time with her , we also have a 15 year old that keeps on ticking but we know that her time will be up , we just hope it will not be this year losing one part of your family is hard enough but losing another one will make me go it to a depress mood for along time. but sorry again for losing your pet my heart is with you rory
Susan Rozanski
says:My Bailey, a sweet 10 yr old chocolate Lab went in to have tooth pulled,X-rays showed aggressive bone cancer in her head & neck. They pulled tooth 5 days later she had to be put down. Lost site in one eye couldn’t eat arthritis in hips all of a sudden became so painful I needed a Bch towel under her to get her up. Each step was painful for her and for me to watch. She was a wonderful friend. I know she will be waiting for me in heaven by the rainbow bridge. My blond Lab, Max will be 10 in Feb. he’s also had an aggressive cancer removed from front elbow.lumps showing up in several other spots. More interested in sleeping then walks. Max is my 6th Lab. Not sure I can go through the heart ache again.
Ruby Moors Roebuck
says:I am sorry to hear that 🙁