Facing Cancer: Your Older Dog’s Pain

Facing Cancer: Your Older Dog’s Pain
Facing Cancer: Your Older Dog’s Pain

Your dog may appear to be healthy, but you can never really be 100% sure, can you? According to studies, 22% of dogs appear healthy but are stricken by some form of illness. This is where diagnostic and screening tests, like blood panels and x-rays, come in. With the help of x-rays and radiographs, the patient can be diagnosed for older dogs cancer.

When going for a veterinary visit, check if your senior pet has any lumps or bumps; because cancer is the most common illness among older dogs, you’d want to find out if your pet has any abnormal lumps. These lumps may either be benign or malignant. While the former grow slowly and are generally not too threatening, the latter, malignant ones, are aggressive and can easily spread throughout the body.

In finding out if your older buddy has the benign or malignant type, the size, appearance and location of the lump will be tested. The pathologist is the only one that can give a definitive diagnosis by examining the tumor cells via a microscope.  This sample will be sent by the veterinarian after obtaining it through needle aspiration or incision/excision biopsy.

Facing Cancer: Your Older Dog’s Pain

The subject of cancer is as scary in pets as it is in humans, but fortunately, there have been significant advances in cancer treatment for our canine companions. Like us, our dogs can benefit from better imaging, such as MRIs and CT scans, and advanced treatment options, which include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Ultimately, the key to fighting cancer is early detection. Monitor your furry companion carefully.

Getting old is a normal and inevitable part of life. Though we cannot stop aging, we can take measures to ensure that our dogs’ senior years are truly their “Golden Years.”   (Read more here)

The possibility of your dog having cancer might be scary, but it’s a fact that you have to face if you truly want the best for your senior dog.

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