The Signs of Dog Cancer: Your Guide

There are a number of health complications that can face dogs during their lifetime, especially if they're purebred. One of the sad facts of life is that our canine friends, much like ourselves, can get cancer during their lifetime. While dog health insurance plans are always handy in this situation to cover any vet treatments or other issues that arise as a result of the condition, people should be sure to watch for the signs of cancer. After all, prevention is much better than the cure with such a disease.

Cancer can affect many different parts of the body, so signs of it in your dog may vary depending on its breed. There are still many general signs that can be observed, flagging up signs of cancer. Being able to immediately give appropriate treatment to dogs before cancer progresses is extremely important, so keep an eye out for the following things.

Firstly, if you spot any lump or mass on your dog that increases size, see your vet; this is especially important if it grows fast, has an irregular shape or an unusual colour. Similarly, if your dog has a sore that doesn't heal, a swollen abdomen, these also need to be checked out.

A dog's digestive tract also gives some clear signs of possible cancer, too. If a pooch has difficulty swallowing or eating, exhibits a loss of appetite that results in weight loss or has irregular bladder and bowel habits, this also needs to be checked. Bleeding or discharges in stool, urine and other openings in the body are big indicators, as are coughing, vomiting and diarrhoea.

If your dog has cancer that is diagnosed by a vet, specialists will discuss the various treatment options. Like human cancer treatment, these include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Surgery is the most widely-used treatment, though many cases will embrace a combination of them. There are certain tumours, like with lymphoma, which will be treated primarily by chemotherapy. Luckily, chemotherapy for dogs is not as bad or unpleasant as it often is for humans.

If you have any doubts about your dog's health in relation to cancer, check it out as soon as you can, otherwise you may regret your lack of haste.