Why Most Of The Dogs Death Associated With Some Kind Of Cancer?
i have a lot of friends have pet dogs. when there’s a dog died, it is most likely with some kind of cancer. i rarely heard of a dog die of old age. why is that dog so easily to develop cancers? is it the genetic disposition or it is because of the environment? could it be the food we feed them?
Certain breeds are more predisposed to cancer than others. There may be some things in the environment that trigger cancers. Also before vaccinations and treatments for dog diseases, these diseases would kill dogs before they got old enough for cancers to develop. Dogs also used to run loose and get hit by cars, get lost or tangle with other dogs or wildlife more often. In other words, until recent years, dogs were a lot more disposable than they are now.
I know many dogs that have lived to old age. Unfortunately, cancer is often the old age disease that gets them if nothing else does.
In my breed of choice, the Dobermann, the biggest killer is old age, followed by cancer and then DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy).
Cancer is a common illness in canines as it is with humans, with some lines being more prone to develop cancer than others. In England the emphasis is on treating the various form of cancer, rather than researching the various breeds likelihood of developing cancer.
Yes, genetics has a part to play, some breeders are more willing that others to divulge the cause of death of their dog/b*tches and their ages. Food and environment may well also play a part, but as yet the canine oncologists I have spoken to say that there hasn’t been enough reseach yet in that area.
(My male Dobermann Boris was diagnosed with aggressive skin cancer age 4. He was treated by a treated by a team of canine oncologists at the Animal Health Trust and lived life to the full for another 3.5 years)
Why do so many people die of cancer?
While there are breeds who seem predisposed, the fact is that we live in a world full of chemicals — in our food, in our homes, in our water, in our environment.
A dog dying of cancer early (i.e. 6 years old) signifies a genetic predisposition. Dying of cancer at 12 or 13 years old, however, is just 12-13 years of living in a toxic world.
Feeding a healthy, quality food does help. Trying to avoid pumping them full of unnecessary chemicals (i.e. over-vaccinating, over-medicating) will help. But you can’t protect them from the water and the air.
I think its the environment. Dogs’ life span isnt as long as ours so it shows up so much faster, maybe. We have a lot more radiation in our environment than ever before. Ive had several dogs now and even tho I take the best care I can they’ve developed fatty tumors.
Also the kind of food is really important. There is much better nutrition overall for pets than before, but now there is a lot of fat fed to dogs. Of course they will get excited over it and chow down, doesnt mean its good for them. Some really well known and respected companies like Iams have actually really awful food.
Try taking a few dry kibble and putting it in a clear water glass, after a day or so you see that the food is still floating meaning it isnt very digestible. You may also see the hair (another source of protein!) and the food colorings and dyes being released into the water glass. Yeck!
Many companies process chicken parts like cartilage, beaks, claws, etc, then add that to the total protein content percentage. Wrong! Unscrupulous too, imo. They cook at extremely high temps, cooking all the good natural vitamins and enzymes out, then add it back in as manufactured vits, then spray the kibble with fat. Yeah, the dogs love it! Yum. Its like a candy bar is to us. But this isnt good nutrition. I think we need to be careful about the types of protein sources, not feeding too much fat, and really taking the dog’s genetics and age into account. Older dogs cant handle as much protein, it causes liver and kidney damage. Younger dogs need really good quality protein. I could rattle on, but this is a topic that is so important!
Certain types of cancer have been found to be hereditary, but not all. For instance, hemangiosarcoma, a cancer that affects the blood vessels, IS hereditary (I actually found quite a few deaths from this type in my boxer’s lineage). Certain breeds are also prone to cancer, like the boxer for example. (I know, it’s not looking too good for my girl….) Whether the dog is predisposed or not, environmental factors can increase the likelihood of cancer developing, such as exposure to chemicals, radiation, the sun, etc.
Here’s a REALLY good article I found on cancer prevention in dogs when I was doing research.http://cancer.landofpuregold.com/prevent…
if you asked the same question about humans think the answer would be the same. its just around more. dogs prob died of it just the same yrs ago we just didn’t know.
i have owned a few dogs and touch wood not had one with cancer.
alot of dogs get treatment and don’t die thank god.
A lot of dogs do die from old age but like with people a lot get cancer.
It’s a mixture of genetics and they way they are cared for but well looked after dogs that are fed good diets will also develop cancer.
It’s a fact of life I’m afraid
I 100 % know this!!!
second to accidents CANCER is the leading killer of PETS (cats and dogs)
30 % is genetic… 20 % is environmental (chemicals used in house.. pollution.. etc)
sooooo 50 % is FOOD RELATED!!!!
many foods use ingredients that are LINKED to cancer!http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/What-is-in-…
this link tells you what those ingredients are!!!