Gary Le Mon

Cancer Symptoms in Dogs and Cats

Can you spot cancer symptoms in dogs and cats? Here is the top ten list compiled by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Included is some good advice about getting a second opinion and using natural, alternative herbal medicine.

Can you spot cancer symptoms in dogs and cats?

While it looks as though cancer affects a growing number of people in our society, it is also affecting larger numbers of our pets.  It might seem like more pets are affected by cancer than in the past, but what is just as likely is that we are recognizing and diagnosing the condition more frequently.

As our pets live longer and fuller lives with better medical and health care, they are affected by cancer in much the same ways we are.  A diagnosis of cancer can be confusing, but it is not always a death sentence for our cats and dogs. There are many areas in which one should be informed.

Cancer is not one single disease.  Rather, it is an overgrowth of damaged cells that can literally spring from any tissue in the body.  This means there are many different forms cancer takes.  Some times the tumor is benign, or a localized tumor that does not metastasize or spread to other parts of the body.  Other times it is malignant, meaning cancer cells are able to spread throughout the body via the bloodstream or through the vessels of the lymph system. 

Most cancers are identified through a variety of different symptoms.  These are all too often not recognized as cancer warnings by the pet owner.  The American Veterinary Medical Association has identified a Top Ten list to help pet owners identify cancer symptoms in dogs and cats:
 
1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetite
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating
 
(Veterinary Cancer Society)
 
These symptoms are not always cancer related, but they certainly should be investigated, especially as a pet ages. Many kinds of cancers become more prevalent with age.
 
Once your pet has received a cancer diagnosis, your veterinarian will want to determine to what extent the tumor has grown or the cancer has spread.  This is one way to determine both a prognosis as well as the treatment protocol for your pet.
 
Depending on what kind of cancer it is and where it is located, a variety of tests may be performed including things like blood tests, biopsies, radiographs, ultrasounds, and endoscopy among other things.
 
Treatment is based solely on the type and extent of the cancer.  If it is a localized tumor, surgery is one of the first actions in order to "debulk" and remove it. These tumors have a reasonable chance of removing all cancer.
 
Other times more treatment will be necessary.  Additional options include radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.  A concerned pet owner should always ask as many questions as possible and do the right research to understand the situation.  It’s okay to ask for a second opinion, especially from a board certified veterinary oncologist.
 
There is no single best answer when treating a pet for cancer.  Many factors must be weighed such as the type of cancer, the severity, the prognosis, and the quality of life.  For example, if a dog or cat is an elderly animal with bone cancer, will the quality of life be good to remove a limb if the others suffer from arthritis?
 
In far more cases than conventional medicine cares to admit, the use of alternative medicine and supplements offers an excellent addition to cancer treatment.  These therapies can help boost immune systems, relieve nausea, calm digestive tracts, provide necessary anti-oxidants, and remove toxins (like residue from chemotherapy) from the system. 

Natural herbal therapies, especially in cases where it seems the options are limited, provide a pet with more quality and quantity of life than expected. Our first job as responsible pet owners is to recognize cancer symptoms in dogs and cats, get informed, then get busy bringing our best friend back to good health.

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