Dog Cancer in Senior Dogs

The leading cause of death in senior dogs is cancer. While you may not be able to prevent it from happening, you may possibly prevent it from spreading or getting larger. There are a few steps you will need to take.

Cancer Prevention

•It is very important to keep up a good relationship with your vet. By having exams done routinely, your vet will recognize any changes. You should take your senior dog to the vet twice each year.

•Observe changes in your dog. When you are petting your friend, check for any new lumps that may appear under the skin. Any new lumps should be examined by your veterinarian in case they are [Dog Cancer Lumps].

•If there is a change in the way they walk, contact your vet.

•Check teeth and gums to see if there are any changes or lumps in the mouth.

•Senior dogs require different nutrients than youngsters. Be sure to feed your dog an age appropriate diet. There should be an increase in fiber and antioxidants as your dog or dog ages.

•It may be beneficial to add some dietary supplements to your dog’s diet to boost their immune system, such as Dog Cancer Dietary Supplements. Consult with your vet before adding supplements to their diet.

•There has been some controversy over the necessity of vaccinations as dogs age. While many people have a cutoff age when they stop vaccinations due to the fact that they can compromise the immune system, consult your vet before discontinuing any vaccinations. Most states require rabies by law.

Signs and Symptoms

Early detection is vitally important. Look for and recognize the symptoms of potential cancers in your dog. Such signs may include Dog Loss of Appetite and Dog Weight Loss. Dog Coughs, Dog Vomiting, new lumps, Dog Seizures and Dog Increased Urination can all happen during the senior years. A combination of these symptoms could indicate a serious illness and you should consult with your veterinarian.

Your dog’s breath may be an indicator of a problem. If you brush your dog’s teeth and maintain good hygiene, they should not have bad breath. If Dog Bad Breath begins, it can be a sign of oral cancer.

Educating yourself as to breed specific or gender specific cancers will help you to be on the lookout for changes and early detection.

Senior dogs have personality traits and habits, just as humans do. If you notice a change in these things, you should contact your veterinarian. An occasional bad day may be had by all, but if it persists, it is time for action.

Cancer can be a devastating illness for your dog. The parents of the dog will suffer along with their beloved dog. There will be many decisions that have to be made if your dog is diagnosed. You need to consider the effect of the disease on your dog. If it is an early cancer, you may be able to achieve a total cure. If it has advanced and possibly metastasized, you may have more difficult decisions to make. Surgery, Dog Radiation Therapy and Dog Cancer Chemotherapy all have major side effects. If you are there for your dog, you may need to make the difficult decision to not allow them to go through unnecessary pain for what may be for you and not in their best interest.

Suggested Products

Nu-Pet Vitamin & Antioxidant Wafers
Cancer Support Kit – Dogs

Additional Dog Cancer Pages

Dog Cancer | Dog Skin Cancer | Dog Bladder Cancer | Dog Pancreatic Cancer | Dog Bone Cancer | Dog Cancer Prevention | Dog Cancer Diagnosis | Dog Lymphoma Cancer | Dog Gastric Cancer | Dog Mast Cell Tumors