I have never had so many telephone calls and letters about a subject since this column was started so long ago. Cancer, like AIDS I suppose, is known to every person; and everybody knows someone who has had the ailment. On top of that, we hear how (life-ending) cancer can be. This deluge of calls and letters has made me wonder if I have done the right thing. Have I stirred up an emotional issue that is disturbing people? Am I creating a panic when surely this was not my intention? After much thought I am pretty certain that essentially it is in our companion animals’ best interest to expose all aspects of this ailment. The point I wish to bring across is simply that this ailment need not be dreaded. Sure it can be lethal, but in dogs (as I suppose is the case with humans) there are so many interventions that can be undertaken to pleasantly prolong the animal’s life. Cancer does not mean prolonged suffering and agony. Cancer does not mean death.
After reading this paragraph above (and last week’s column) the subconscious question, I think, on a pet owner’s mind would be: How likely is it that my dog/cat will develop cancer? Well, I don’t know whether any of my colleagues has carried out a statistical analysis of cancer conditions in dogs/cats here in Guyana. My own empirical observation is that breast and vaginal tumours in dogs (seldom in cats) are relatively frequent occurrences. Other tumours/cancers are much rarer. In the literature and in my own experience in Europe, skin cancers, were indeed quite frequent; but not so here in Guyana.
Without going in-depth into the matter, let me share with you some information I was able to garner (from Dr Ron Hines, a very qualified and experienced veterinarian). The likelihood that your dog or cat will develop cancer during its lifetime varies from place to place and breed to breed – but not by that much. In the UK, for example, the likelihood that a dog will develop a tumour increases sharply after the age of 6 years. But once your dog reaches the age of 10, that likelihood begins to decrease. In 130,684 dogs that were followed in the UK, about 2,671 cases of cancer appeared per year. Skin tumours led the list, followed by tumours of the digestive system, breasts, immune system, glands and mouth, in that order.
Other studies in California and on dogs in Ontario ranged from 1,134 – 4,817 tumours per 100,000 dogs. Cats in the Ontario study had a much lower incidence of cancer than dogs, 748 per 100,000 cats. However, considerably more of the tumours in cats were of the much more serious (malignant) kind. A problem with that Canadian study was that it did not adjust the incidence relative to the age of the animals.
In a subsequent column, I will be writing about treatment possibilities. Right now let’s look at some of the general ways cancer exhibits itself in our pets.
About half the cancers occurring in dogs and cats are visible as growths or sores on the outer surface of the body (on or beneath the skin, in the perianal area, in the mouth, and in the breast tissue). Signs that a tumour can be a cancer are: visible growth, ulceration of the skin with bleeding, and a sore which does not heal. One other sign is a lump or knot in a place where none should be (eg the breast). If you observe any of these signs, be sure to discuss them with your veterinarian.
Some tumours occur internally where detection is neither easy nor obvious until they become quite large. Early detection of these cancers rests upon a suspicion that a symptom caused by some internal disorder could be due to a cancer. Since two out of every three such cancers develop in the gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts, you should consider the possibility of cancer when your dog has difficulty eating and digesting his food, or when he has an unexplained bowel disturbance, such as constipation or the passage of blood. Cancer in the reproductive tract of females creates a few signs, but you should look for vaginal discharge and bleeding.
Next week we will discuss some of the surface tumours (a tumour is a swelling and not necessarily cancer) like cysts, warts, papillomas, etc. Later we will discuss hard tissue (bone) cancers which sometimes exhibits themselves as surface tumours on the skull or on the extremities.
Please implement disease preventative measures (vaccinations, routine dewormings, monthly anti-Heartworm medication, etc) and adopt-a-pet from the GSPCA’s Animal Clinic and Shelter at Robb Street and Orange Walk, if you have the wherewithal to care well for the animals. Do not stray your unwanted pets, take them to the GSPCA’s Clinic and Shelter instead. If you do not wish your pet to have puppies or kittens, you may exploit the GSPCA’s free spay and neutering programme. If you see anyone being cruel to an animal, or if you need any technical information, please get in touch with the Clinic and Shelter by calling 226-4237.
