Pet Cancer Awareness Month

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I'd give you some facts about cancer in dogs. As hard as it is to deal with or talk about the possibility of your dog having cancer, it's always best to be aware of the facts concerning canine cancer. If you have any concerns about the health of your dog, seek medical advice from your veterinarian asap.

* Dogs get cancer at the roughly the same rate as humans. Approximately 1 in 4 dogs will develop a tumor of some kind during his lifetime.

* Over half the dogs currently aged over 10 years old will die of cancer.

* Fifteen years ago there was virtually no pet oncology; now the level of dog cancer treatment is similar to human oncology. Available surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment is successful in treating many canine cancers.

* Early detection and effective treatment is essential to give your dog the best possible prognoses.

* Cancer treatment is expensive; seriously consider starting a pet insurance policy whilst your dog is healthy.

* On August 10th this year, an initiative was launched by the Morris Animal Foundation to eliminate cancer in the canine population in 20 years.

* Just like in humans, cancer can occur in virtually any part of your dog's body – for example the skin, gastrointestinal tract (stomach, bowels), kidney, bladder, blood, nervous system and bones. Also like in humans, each type of cancer is its own disease and will have its own treatment and prognosis.

[Source: DogTopics.com]