Breast cancer is scary it seems that the prevalence of this disease continues to rise amongst everyone around us. Even dogs are not immune to this serious disease, although be it a little different from the type of breast cancer that affects people. Nearly half the cases of canine breast cancer are benign growths that may not require attention, the other half are malignant and need to be tested for the type of cancer the dog has in order to determine treatment. Below we will give a brief overview about what risk factors to look for, how to help prevent this disease, symptoms and possible treatments if you ever have to deal with this scary situation.
High Risk Factors
Similar to human breast cancer, canine breast cancer can attack both male and females, while the disease is much more common in females – especially older females that have not been spayed. In fact, one out of every four female dogs who are not spayed by four years of age will have canine breast cancer. This type of cancer usually affects dogs between the ages of five and ten years, but can very rarely, appear in a young dog two years old and younger. On top of being an un-spayed female dog, there are also types of breeds that are more susceptible to canine breast cancer and include Boston Terriers, Brittany Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, English Setters, Fox Terriers and Poodles.
Prevention
The best prevention is to have your female dog spayed during her first heat or before she turns two years old. This simple, routine procedure can make the biggest impact on reducing the appearance of both benign and malignant breast tumors. Researchers do not know why this helps, but believe that the cancer is linked to hormones. Even dogs who are undergoing canine breast cancer are usually spayed, and of those that are, there is a statistic that those dogs live forty-five percent longer than dogs that were not spayed. Another wonderful prevention tactic is early detection with regular wellness dog checkups as well as performing periodical mammary checks on your dog, just as women are encouraged to do. If you find a lump, it is important to see your veterinarian immediately for follow up.
Symptoms
Often times the first indicator is noticing a lump on your dog. Benign tumors are typically a single, solid lump or swelling and feel smooth. Malignant tumors grow fast and are an irregular shape. Malignant tumors may feel attached to your dog’s skin. Sometimes there are no early indicators; it is important to know your dog’s personality, to know when he is not acting normal. It is always better to be safe and schedule a checkup.
Treatment Course
The veterinarian will biopsy the lump to determine if it is canine breast cancer; what specific type of cancer cells are present, and if the tumor is benign or malignant. Your veterinarian may also order an x-ray, ultrasounds, blood work and urinalysis to see if the cancer has spread at all. Depending on the results, your veterinarian will work out a treatment plan with you and your dog, and could be any of the following, watch and wait if the tumor is benign, a complete removal of the tumor and possibly surrounding areas if the cancer has progressed and even in combination with some radiation and or chemotherapy.
A wireless dog fence expert, veterinarian and writer; Susan Wright DMV provides advice on the topic of family pets and teaches owners to care for them properly.