Just because your dog has fur doesn’t mean it is immune to skin diseases, such as cancer. To get the latest information on this pervasive disease, we contacted three top veterinarians who specialize in canine cancer. Here are their answers to your most pressing questions.

Skin cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer found in dogs, says Kevin A. Hahn, DVM, Ph.D., director of oncology services at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas. Nearly one-third of all dogs diagnosed with cancer have a tumor that originated on the skin or from the skin’s tissues.

What are the Most Common Forms of Skin Cancer in Dogs?

Dogs tend to be diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, or mast cell tumors, says Dr. Hahn. Squamous cells make up most of the skin, so squamous cell carcinoma refers to these cells’ abnormal growth. Basal cells line the deepest layer of the skin, so that’s what is affected with basal cell carcinoma. Mast cells are a bit different because they can be found in other parts of the body. They are specialized cells involved with your dog’s immune system.

If a Dog Spends a lot of Time in the Sun, is it More Vulnerable to Skin Cancer?

Of all the skin cancers, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are often due to sun exposure. Mast cell tumors usually tend to occur in specific breeds, says Dr. Hahn.

Is it True That Certain Breeds Get Skin Cancer More Than Others?

Yes. Skin cancer is one of the most common tumors in dogs with shorter hair, says Gregory K. Ogilvie, DVM, who specializes in internal medicine and oncology at California Veterinary Specialists Angel Care Cancer Center San Marcos, California. Also, dogs with thin hair and fair skin are at greater risk for squamous cell carcinomas. Boxers, Boston Terriers, and Pugs seem to be more susceptible to mast cell tumors of the skin, while Poodles, Cocker Spaniels, and other breeds can suffer from different skin cancer types.

What’s the Best Thing an Owner Can do to Protect a Dog from Skin Cancer?

Pay attention, says Michael R. Moyer, DVM, director of shelter animal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia. Routinely check your dog’s skin everywhere, and not just in the areas you usually pet. Check sites such as under the dog’s belly, on the bottom of its paws, in between the footpads, and so on.

What Should You Do If You’ve Found a Suspicious Lump on a Dog?

Take your dog to a veterinarian right away for an evaluation, suggests Dr. Moyer. Not all lumps are cancerous, but your doctor might suggest medical procedures such as a fine needle aspirate (a type of minimally invasive biopsy), a biopsy sample, or a complete removal to be safe. Additionally, learning whether the tumor might have spread is vital in cases where malignancy is suspected. Your veterinarian may recommend further tests such as X-rays, blood tests, and ultrasound procedures.

Are There any Tips for Figuring out Which Lumps on Dogs are Benign and Which are More Serious?

Any lump or bump should be considered suspect, says Dr. Hahn. Sometimes cancer goes undetected because it can resemble other less-serious skin ailments. It may look round, smooth, and be slow-growing, like a wart. Or it could occur rapidly, compromising the health of the skin and looking like a nasty bug bite or wound. That’s why many veterinarians will say, “when in doubt, check it out.” The best approach is the active approach. If the cyst or mass changes in size or character (such as soft to hard), begins to bleed, or is painful to the pet, then your doctor will probably suggest surgery as a course of action for treatment.

Article written by Author: Lambeth Hochwald

In the three years that Allie’s been working at Bryan Middle School in Bryan, Ohio, she’s been diagnosed with cancer four times. But hearing the “C” word doesn’t get her down. Each time she’s diagnosed, she takes only a few days off for treatment.  

What’s Allie’s secret to cancer survival? No one can say for sure — but one possibility may be the fact that Allie is a Golden Retriever. “Allie is a trooper,” says the 9-year-old therapy dog’s handler, guidance counselor Jackie Boyd. “She always bounces back to her old self! She is a fighter.”

The ability of Allie and other dogs to live with cancer is becoming less and less unusual. “In many cases, cancer in dogs is not a death sentence at all,” says Deborah Knapp, DVM, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Purdue University. “There are many forms of cancer that are curable.”

And even when cancer can’t be cured, some dogs, like Allie, can live with the disease for quite a while. “As the practice of veterinary oncology has evolved, so has the philosophy of cancer care,” explains Carolyn Henry, DVM, associate professor of veterinary oncology at the University of Missouri, and Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. “We now realize that even for patients that cannot be cured of their cancer, we can often provide treatments that will control symptoms and slow disease progression so that they can live a good quality of life with cancer.”

Dog Cancer Treatments

• Surgery 

For all but systemic cancers, such as lymphoma, surgery to remove a tumor is usually the initial treatment step. For example, Allie has surgery to remove her skin tumors whenever they arise. Such surgery causes her to miss a few days of school while she recovers. Meanwhile, though, “minimally invasive surgical techniques are being developed to reduce the morbidity associated with cancer surgery,” says Dr. Henry.

• Chemotherapy 

Chemotherapy is simply the administration of drugs designed to kill cancer cells, but such therapy often affects normal cells. However, “therapies are currently being developed and evaluated that selectively target cancer cells while not harming normal cells,” says Dr. Knapp. 

• Radiation 

Radiation therapy delivers powerful X-ray beams to a tumor to kill the tumor cells, but like chemotherapy, it can also harm healthy tissue near the tumor. Radiation oncology researchers continue to develop new ways to target those beams much more precisely so that normal tissue is spared. Even when radiation doesn’t kill a tumor, it can keep the tumor from growing, prolonging the dog’s life and improving its quality of life.

• Diet, Vaccines, and Research 

In addition to these traditional therapies, researchers are developing and employing completely new anticancer techniques. For example, scientists are learning more about how low-carbohydrate/high-fat diets can effectively starve certain cancerous tumors while still feeding the patient.

Other researchers are exploring areas such as injecting genes into the body to increase a canine cancer patient’s strength and prolong its life. Antitumor vaccines 

that hope to use old drugs, such as one currently given to malaria patients, to combat bone cancer are also in the works. At the same time, other scientists are still learning more and more about the ways cancers develop and grow. Such knowledge could lead to even more innovative treatments that could lengthen lives or even cure canine cancers. 

Meanwhile, dogs like Allie are living proof that dogs can enjoy happy, productive lives even though they have cancer. Boyd says that thanks to Allie, “the students have learned that although cancer is scary, it isn’t always fatal.”

Article written by Author: Susan McCullough

Two years ago, Buddy the Golden Retriever hobbled into his veterinarian’s office, barely able to walk. Tests revealed a tumor on the 8-year-old dog’s spine. Buddy’s doctors gave him little hope.

Yet when the plucky dog’s owner, Marti Johnson of Akron, Ohio, learned about an experimental new drug treatment for dogs with cancer, she signed Buddy up. Within six months of daily therapy with Nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl), Buddy’s tumor had shrunk by 40 percent, and the most recent test revealed that his tumor has shrunk by 70 percent.

Buddy isn’t alone. Numerous other dogs have experienced similar results from NO-Cbl without any side effects. The treatment is so effective that its creator hopes the innovative drug can someday help people, too.

How NO-Cbl Works in Dogs With Cancer

The name “NO-Cbl” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it contains just two key components. These are nitric oxide and cobalamin, which is the chemical term for vitamin B12.

For decades, researchers have known that cells, especially cancer cells, have an affinity for vitamin B12. “All cells need B12 to divide and proliferate, or they’ll die,” says Joseph A. Bauer, Ph.D., NO-Cbl’s creator and director of scientific research with Bauer Research Foundation in Akron, Ohio. He adds that cancer cells are particularly fond of B12. Studies show that when mice are given B12, their tumors are 400 percent larger than afflicted mice that don’t receive B12.

On the other hand, nitric oxide does the opposite, encouraging cell death, which is why Dr. Bauer decided to combine the two. He explains that this is the perfect combination because vitamin B12 would lead the nitric oxide to the cancer cells, and once there, the nitric oxide would kill the cells.

How to Get Your Dog on This Cancer Drug

Dogs with cancers of all kinds could be candidates for NO-Cbl. “Because of the biochemistry of B12, this drug is effective against all types of tumors,” Dr. Bauer says, adding that cats too are now on NO-Cbl. The one stipulation? Tumors can’t be larger than 7 centimeters by 7 centimeters.

To get your pet involved, contact Bauer through his research foundation online. You’ll receive a consent form that you and your veterinarian will need to fill out. Your veterinarian must agree to oversee the treatment.

While there is often a waiting list of dozens of dogs, your veterinarian will teach you how to administer the drug through injections once you’re in the program. Once a month, your dog will also need to undergo a full exam and complete blood work, and every six months, it will also require an MRI scan to check the drug’s efficacy. This data then goes to Dr. Bauer for analysis. 

Cancer-free Dog With a Freebie

Although the treatment costs about $30 per day for an average-size dog, owners pay nothing for the drug itself. “The goal my family and I had when starting the foundation 

was to offer this drug-free to pet owners,” Dr. Bauer says. He’s currently working with organizations to help fund this research to make the drug more widely available.

Because dogs and humans share similar genes, Dr. Bauer hopes that once he collects enough data from dogs, he’ll be able to convince the FDA to run human trials.

As for Buddy, he’s back to enjoying his daily walks and playing with toys. “Buddy is a miracle dog,” Johnson says. “Even our vet has never seen anything like this.”

Article written by Author: Karen Asp

Most veterinary oncologists (specialists in treating cancer in companion animals) agree that while improvements have been made in all areas of cancer treatment, the most significant progress has been improving their clients’ access to that treatment. “Availability is the biggest advance in the last ten years,” says David Vail, DVM, DACVIM/Oncology, and a former chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Morris Animal Foundation.

Veterinarians refer to a triad of cancer treatment: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, your veterinarian will most likely discuss one or more of these treatments with you, depending on the type of cancer.

• Surgery for Dog Cancer

According to Vail, surgery is still the number one option. “Far and away, surgery still cures the majority of patients,” he says. “If you can catch it early enough and remove the primary tumor, that is still ideal.”

• Radiation Therapy in Dogs

Radiation therapy is the second most often used form of treatment. According to Vail, the number of radiation therapy facilities has drastically increased in the last ten years, increasing your chances of being close to one. “There are five times as many radiation facilities as when I started in cancer treatment ten years ago,” he says. “That’s made a huge difference.”

• Chemotherapy in Dogs

Chemotherapy, generally used when cancer has already spread through the body or when a tumor is located in an inoperable place (such as in the heart), was administered only by certified oncologists, making it difficult for pet owners to get treatment for their dogs. However, says Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, Ph.D., head of the Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Clinic and the Flaherty Comparative Oncology Laboratory at the Animal Medical Center, that has now changed, with more and more general practitioners administering chemotherapy. Bergman himself is one of the medical directors of a brand-new company, Oncura Partners, which partners veterinarians with oncologists. Veterinarians can consult on-line with an oncologist, receive recommendations and protocols, and even get the chemotherapy treatments to administer themselves.

Dog Owner’s Role in Treating Cancer in Dogs

While exciting advances have been made in newer therapies for cancer, including immunotherapy and targeted molecular therapy, Vail and Bergman agree that knowledge and access are the essential ingredients for successfully treating cancer. “Our general practitioners are getting more and more well-versed in veterinary oncology,” says Vail.  He encourages pet owners to discuss their dog’s treatment with their veterinarian in as much detail as possible, including any alternative therapies you may be giving the 

dog. “Some [alternative therapies] have proven roles,” he says. “[Pet owners] should not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable talking about it.” However, because some alternative medicine, such as echinacea, can contradict chemotherapy or radiation treatments, your veterinarian needs to know what you may be giving your dog.

“Information is key,” says Bergman. “We share with [owners] side effects, cost, potential benefit. By knowing all those things, they can come to some level of understanding about what is best for them and their pets.” Ultimately, he says, “We try our best not to decide for them. They know their pet better than anyone else.”

Article written by Author: Marcella Durand

Aimee Quemuel, a writer based in Ventura, Calif., did not know a thing about canine cancer when her 11-year-old Golden Retriever, Cody, was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma (cancer originating in the lining of the blood vessels and the spleen) in 2006. Yet, because of the decisions she was able to make, Cody lived 17 months longer than his doctors initially predicted.

To help other pet owners in similar situations, Quemuel has written The 42 Rules to Fight Dog Cancer and launched the companion website, FightDogCancer.com. Below, Quemuel shares the wisdom of a dog owner who has been there through Cody’s remarkable recovery, as well as those of other pet owners she has met in her travels.

Firstly, Take a Deep Breath

After Cody collapsed on a San Francisco beach while playing, veterinarians at the emergency clinic told Quemuel her dog was too sick to be treated. He had tumors on his spleen, his liver, and his heart. “I was encouraged to put him down on the spot,” says Quemuel. In the heat of the moment, she asked her veterinarian what would happen if she didn’t make a decision right then. “We brought a biscuit out, and Cody begged for it. He still had life in him.” This energy, in turn, allowed Quemuel to move toward her next phase: research.

Research Your Dog Cancer Treatment Options

Cody’s veterinarians were reluctant to treat him. Undeterred, she found a young veterinarian specializing in angiogenesis therapy, which restores health by controlling blood vessel growth. Cody was also put on a low dose of chemotherapy. Five months later, the tumors on his heart and liver were gone, and he became a candidate for surgery to remove his spleen — the location of the one tumor that remained. Cody lived a full and healthy life for an entire year after going into remission thanks to the treatment Quemuel found for him.

Fund Your Dog Cancer Fight

When her 6-year-old male yellow Labrador Retriever, Sana, was diagnosed with mast cell cancer, Rebecca Clark of Newport, R.I., struggled to pay for the treatment — including three surgeries — that eventually put him into remission. When her 11-year-old yellow Labrador, Kibo, was diagnosed with lymphoma two years later, she did not know where the money for treatment would come from.

Clark’s research led her to the Magic Bullet Fund, a group that provides financial assistance to families who cannot pay for their pet’s cancer care. Having been given four weeks to live, Kibo went on for more than a year after completing treatment. Quemuel also suggests fundraising in the community to pay medical costs. She says, “People love animals and are willing to help, but you have to seek out assistance.”

Help Your Dog Live Life to the Fullest

Your dog’s life does not have to stop with a cancer diagnosis. Lisa Alford of Asheville, N.C., figured this out after her 5-year-old Great Dane, Lucy, was diagnosed with two different cancer types at once (thyroid and subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma). “I was heartbroken, but I decided early on that I was not going to let the diagnosis spoil my time with her,” says Alford. After Lucy’s successful treatment, Alford and Lucy became regular visitors to their local hospital’s pediatric ward, where Lucy worked as an official therapy dog.

Know When to Let Your Dog Go

When Cody was 12, he lost the ability to walk, so Quemuel made the difficult decision to 

put him down. When to do it is a personal decision, but 42 Rules to Fight Dog Cancer suggests that the decision to stop fighting cancer should be made when:

1. Treatment is not effective, and there are no other options with any promise of success

2. Your pet is suffering too much from treatment or the disease

3. Your family or your dog can no longer tolerate the fight

Quemuel has seen firsthand that cancer prognoses are not written in stone and has experienced the joy that extra months and years spent with a pet can bring.

Article written by Author: Rose Springer

Dr. Trisha Joyce, a veterinarian for New York City Veterinary Specialists, still remembers the first dog she saw with a mammary disease — cancer of the mammary glands. The dog was brought in for lethargy. “We started with blood work and X-rays, and the X-rays showed metastatic cancer in her lungs, which had begun in the mammary glands.” Since that time, Joyce has counseled dog owners on preventing and detecting mammary disease and how to proceed once it’s been diagnosed.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Dogs

Mammary cancer is one of the most common cancers among dogs, but it is also one of the most preventable. “First and foremost, spay your dog,” says Joyce. Dogs spayed before their first heat rarely develop the disease, compared to the 25 percent of unspayed dogs that will. Spaying before a dog’s second heat is almost as protective. Generally speaking, malignant mammary tumors are unusual in dogs spayed before the age of 2.

Mammary tumors are most commonly found in unspayed dogs between 5 and 10 years old. Breeds thought to be at increased risk include Boston Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, English Setters, Brittany Spaniels, Pointers, and Fox Terriers. Male dogs very rarely develop mammary cancer, though it can happen — and it’s usually aggressive when it does.

Detecting Dog Breast Cancer

When Joyce meets owners of unspayed dogs, she encourages them to perform regular mammary exams at home. The idea is similar to the self-exams that their gynecologists teach women to complete to become familiar with their breast tissue. “If you know how your dog’s mammary glands feel when they’re free of tumors, it’s easier to catch a growth if one develops,” she says.

How do I Examine My Dog for Breast Cancer?

To examine your dog, run your hand over the fatty tissue around her nipple. “Just rubbing the belly is too superficial. Squeeze the tissue a little, almost like milking a cow. You’re looking for a lump like a little hard pea, or sometimes bigger,” says Joyce. Finding a lump is a good reason to visit the veterinarian, but it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. Fifty percent of mammary tumors in dogs are benign.

“If a lump is hard and immobile, I’m more worried than if it’s soft and mobile. But you can never say just by its feel,” says Joyce. Still, other than these telltale lumps, mammary cancer is asymptomatic in its early stages. If it metastasizes, the dog may develop health problems related to where cancer has spread.

Diagnosis and Prognosis of Dog Breast Cancer

A biopsy is necessary to determine whether a tumor is benign or malignant. Still, Joyce says that prompt removal of any mammary tumor is most veterinarians’ treatment of choice, no matter its status. Once the tumor is removed, it can be determined whether it was benign or malignant.

Mammary surgery is less complicated than mastectomy in women since a dog’s breast tissue is outside the muscle layer. A dog can be back to its regular activity within a couple of weeks.  Prognosis is often good: In 50 percent of cases, the cancer is eliminated with the tumor’s surgical removal.

In advanced cancers that have metastasized, surgery may still be performed to reduce  

the tumor’s impact and improve life quality. Sometimes, though, a metastasized mammary tumor means it’s time to let your pet go. “The tumors can become ulcerative, making just moving around extremely uncomfortable. Or if they spread to the lungs or the bones and make breathing or walking very hard, the most humane option may be euthanizing,” says Joyce.

Mammary cancer in dogs may be common, but it is preventable and very often even completely curable. With early detection and a relatively straightforward operation, your dog may be back on its feet in no time, with a chest that is free of problematic lumps.

Article written by Author: Rose Springer