Dog Healthcare

About 1 in 3 dogs die of cancer, a statistic which is frighteningly similar to the rate in people. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Melinda Beck wrote about Cancer Risk for Purebred Dogs and losing her Golden Retriever to cancer. She reported that Goldens are one of the breeds at the highest risk for canine cancer along with Boxers, Rottweilers, and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Other breeds listed as being susceptible to cancer:
High risk-Boston Terrier, English Bulldog, Scottish Terrier, Cocker Spaniel.
Average risk- Irish Setter, Schnauzer, Labrador Retriever, Mixed Breed.
Lower risk-Beagle, Poodle, Collie, Dachshund.

There’s no evidence to suggest that mutts or crossbreeds are less prone to cancer. “Some studies that have compared purebreds in general to mixed breeds find about a 10% increase in lifespan for comparably sized mixed-breed dogs.”

Cancer treatment for dogs includes  surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.  Depending on the type and extent of the cancer, treatment may buy months or years for some dogs.

What’s being done about canine cancer?

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There are many good reasons to get a dog and some are the extra perks which come with the territory—so to speak. If you’re here on Dog Tails we’d probably be preaching to the choir if we started listing them in this space. We’ll cut to the chase. Walking.

“Healthy and active living is an attitude and a lifestyle approach, and one that will improve your quality of life forever. If you make it a priority and you truly value it, you will make it happen,” says Gabriela Tymowski, professor of kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick. Stick-to-it-ness around exercise usually involves making a plan. A commitment. Even better is to try not going it alone. Find a partner. Tymowski suggests a dog for a walking partner. As he says, “You won’t find a better exercising partner who would always rather do more than less.”

Glenna Hanley, adds “You won’t be able to get Fido a membership at your local fitness club, but he will be more than willing to go for a walk or a run – and in any kind of weather, too.”

Walking with your dog is a win-win situation all around. Dogs do better physically and mentally with a daily, consistent routine for walking. Hmm, how about you? Do you feel better from the walks with your friend?

image credit: flyingsamphoto.com

Dr. Nancy Kay offers a wealth of dog-related health information in her book Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life. She suggests that part of loving our dog means becoming an advocate—taking care of their medical needs at annual visits, becoming comfortable speaking with our vet, and being prepared to handle more serious health problems when they arise.

How do you become a good advocate? Dr. Kay recommends that we take the time to “get smart” about our dog’s health by asking the doctor and clinic staff lots of questions, reading current and reliable medical information in books and on the internet.

While Dr. Kay acknowledges that even well-intended people are are apt to fall into anthropomorphism, making the assumption that animals have the same feelings or behaviors we do, she suggests that anthropomorphizing can often cloud our decision-making processes.  As a result, we might run the risk of dismissing legitimate options in our dog’s medical care because we’ve come to some emotional conclusion on our own that the dog will be miserable if they had to endure one treatment or another.  She writes, “The recipe for successful medical decision-making calls for a pinch of gut instinct combined with a whole lot of clarity about the potential risks and benefits of the available options.”

Speaking for Spot covers questions about immunizations, anesthesia, surgery, spaying and neutering, breeding, cancer diagnoses and treatments, and a watch list of symptoms a-z which may warrant a visit to the vet.

The companion website to the book has downloadable forms and templates and links to online resources, designed to make us all good advocates.

Other Resources: You can read Dr. Kay’s  posts on her Speaking for Spot blog.  Dr. Kay spoke with National Public Radio’s Terry Gross on Fresh Air in March 2009.>>Listen to the Story.