Pet Cancer Is No Joke
The Animal Cancer Foundation (ACF) reports that one in four dogs and one in five cats will develop cancer in their lifetime—in fact, it’s the leading cause of death for dogs over the age of two. And just as with people, the longer your pet lives, the higher their risk of developing some form of the disease.
The most common types of cancer in dogs include lymphoma, mast cell tumors in skin, and osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Some of these cancers have subtle symptoms or may appear simply as an enlargement or lump that a pet owner might just attribute to aging. In many cases, those bumps may be a benign lipoma (fatty tumor), but it’s much better to be safe than sorry.
That’s why it’s important that pets have annual wellness checks—and for pets over seven years old, twice-yearly exams and blood testing are recommended. This is especially crucial for cats, who are experts at hiding illness but often have more aggressive cancers than dogs. Many types of pet cancers are treatable, but the earlier they’re caught, the better your pet’s chances of a good outcome. For more information on pet cancer or to schedule an exam for your pet, make an appointment online or give us a call at (971) 252-3154.