November: National Pet Cancer Awareness Month – Raising Awareness & Hope

Cancer sucks!  It remains a leading cause of death in people, and is one of the few diseases that impacts the rest of the animal kingdom as well.  According to VPI, who founded National Pet Cancer Awareness Month in 2005, cancer is “the No. 1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats.”  This is a statistic that, for thousands of pet owners, hits close to home.  On August 8th, 2008, my fiance Chris and I lost our beloved house rabbit, Zeus, to lymphoma.  He was only 2 years old.

Despite only being a part of our lives for 2 years, and being gone for over 10 years now, I still miss Zeus.  He taught me so much in his short time here with us, including a hard lesson on how to say goodbye.  Thankfully, a diagnoses of cancer isn’t always a death sentence.  Medical technology is advancing everyday, and early detection and treatment of cancer can increase pets’ quality of life, prolong life, and sometimes even result in a cure.

The exact cause of cancer in humans is not full known, let alone what causes it in our pets.  It’s thought that a generally healthy lifestyle – plenty of exercise and healthy, species appropriate foods, can go at least some way towards helping to prevent this devastating disease.  One of the many frustrating things about cancer, however, is that it sometimes strikes even the healthiest, well cared for pets.

Early detection really is key!  Cancer can’t always be cured, but when it can’t early detection can help ensure that the remainder of your pet’s days are lived out in comfort.  It’s important to stay on top of your pet’s health, and bring them in to see their vet if you notice any changes in their physical health or behavior.  This is not a definitive list of cancer symptoms in pets, but here are some things to look out for…

Potential Warning Signs of Cancer in Pets

• Weight Changes: If your pet needs to shed a few pounds, and this is something you’ve been working on with them, then weight loss can be something to celebrate.  However, unexplained weight loss can be a sign of illness, including cancer. Unexplained weight gain can also be a sigh of health issues.
• Loss of Appetite: This potential symptom can go hand in hand with weight loss.  A sudden or drastic change in appetite can also be a sign of illness.
• Difficulty Eating or Swallowing: These symptoms can be caused by swelling or lumps of the mouth and neck region.
• Abnormal Swellings:  Pet your pet!  Look out for swellings, or lumps, especially those that persist and/or increase in size over time.
• Sores that Do Not Heal: Non-healing sores can be a sign of infection as well as certain types of cancers.  In either case, a trip to your veterinarian is warranted.
• Bleeding or Discharge: Look out for unusual bleeding and/or discharge from any body opening.  Vomiting and diarrhea count here as well.
• Offensive Odors:  Although there are some normal, and some less serious, causes of stinky pets, offensive odors can be signs of mouth, nose, or anal tumors.
• Hesitation to Exercise or Loss of Stamina: In a normally active pet, these can often be one of the first sings that your furry friend isn’t feeling well.
• Persistent Lameness or Stiffness: There are many potential causes of lameness, unfortunately some causes include nerve, muscle, or bone cancers.  Stiffness and generalized pain can also be a sign of some types of cancer.
• Difficulty Breathing, Urinating, or Defecating: These symptoms all warrant a trip to your vet to figure out what’s going on.
• Coughing: If your dog coughs a few times you generally don’t have to worry, but a persistent caught can signal lung issues including lung cancer.
• Seizures: Seizures are scary no matter what the cause!  Some causes are relatively benign, but seizures can also be a sign of brain tumors and other serious health issues.

If your pet exhibits any of these signs, or any other abnormal symptoms, don’t freak out!  It’s important to get your pet to a qualified vet asap, but remain as calm as possible – for your own sake as well as your pets.  Although the symptoms listed above can be indicators of cancer, they can also be caused by other, less scary and easier to treat, conditions.

No matter what the cause, the sooner issues with your pet are addressed the greater the chance he or she will be able to be treated successfully.  Although it’s true that not all types of cancer can be successfully cured, constant medical advancements means that there are more options for treating cancer today then there has ever been before.  A cancer diagnosis can be very frightening, but try to remember that your pet won’t understand that he/she has a horrible disease, and our pets often take ques on how to read a situation from us.  Remaining calm and as positive as possible will go a long way towards helping your pet remain calm and happy.  At the end of the day I think that’s something all pet owners, especially those with sick pets, want – for our furry loved ones to live out their lives as happily as possible.

In loving memory of Zeus.