Protect Your Dogs Health by Learning Canine Cancer Secrets

One in every three dogs is affected by canine cancer. Of those dogs, half will die from their cancer. Because of the threat posed by canine cancer, doctors have been working hard to develop better treatments for dogs and they have made many advanced in cancer treatment.

It is still not easy to diagnose whether a dog may have cancer without extensive testing, but there are some steps you can take. When you know what to look for, you have a much better chance at spotting possible canine cancer before it is too late to be treated.

Dogs are vulnerable to as many forms of cancer as humans. However, dogs may not exhibit signs or symptoms which are as obvious as in humans. Even in humans, cancer can go undetected for long periods of time and some people may have untreated cancer in their bodies for years.

Your dog will never tell you when he feels sick and he cannot possibly know that his condition could be life-threatening. Therefore, it is up to you to closely monitor your dog to be certain he is healthy.

The easiest sign of cancer to spot is a rapidly-growing lump. While these are commonly seen on dogs and are nothing more than fat deposits in many cases, they should never go unchecked and your vet may want to do a biopsy to determine if the growth is cancerous.

If your dog has any sores or legions that are not healing, these could be signs of cancer as well. Although a dog's stool is never a pleasant smell, a particularly bad-smelling stool which does not go away could be a sign of sickness. A strong and foul odor is a sign of poor health, as is any fluid or blood in the stool.

A dog who refuses to eat and drink should be taken to the vet as well, as this is a good indicator that the dog is sick. Any dog who is normally active should be checked out if they suddenly lose interest in play time or walks, particularly if they act sore or stiff.

If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, there are many different treatment options which you can pursue. For almost all cancers, surgery is done to de-mass the cancer, removing as much of the cancerous tissue as possible.

Other forms of treatments are similar to humans as well, but they come with a high price and may not increase the quality of life for your pup. For certain cancers, chemotherapy is possible. Not only is the treatment expensive, but the toxins which are used to kill the tumor may harm the dog's immune system as well.

Radiology can also be performed to neutralize the local tumor, but is very dangerous and may harm surrounding healthy tissues. As with most sicknesses, prevention is usually the best option and some herbs such as Echinacea and Astralagus are thought to help prevent cancer.

The side effects from treating cancer can often be worse than the cancer itself, especially with an older dog. Maintain a healthy diet and plenty of activity for your dog.

If they live a healthy lifestyle, their immune system will be able to better cope with illness. And always remember that a happy dog is a healthy dog.

Danny Fitzgerald is big time lover of dogs and currently resides with 4 rescued mutts and has had experience with canine cancer. If your dog has cancer right now then you need to have a look at Canine Cancer Secrets, it may just save your dogs life.