Each year, more than six million dogs are diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs beyond middle age.
We hate even the Idea of our furry friends becoming ill, but being educated and informed is the key to keep your dogs as healthy as possible. All veterinarians agreed that the quicker cancer is diagnosed, the better the chances are of fighting it off and saving your dog’s life.
According to The USA Vets Association, The following are the top 15 warning signs of cancer in companion dogs. If you notice any of these signs in your dog(s), please contact your veterinarian to check things out as soon as possible.
15- Bleeding or Discharge From any Body Opening.
Bleeding from the nose, mouth, gums, vagina or penis that is not caused by trauma should be examined. Usually, bleeding disorders do occur in pets while they are young, but if the unexplained bleeding starts when a pet is old, you should visit your veterinarian for a thorough search.
Bleeding disorders are a common sign of cancer and other dangerous illnesses. Nose cancer can cause the nose to bleed, and Oral cancer can cause gums to bleed.
14- Bad Smell From The Mouth
Getting up close to your dog is the last thing that you want to do, If your dog has bad, and icky breath
Foul breath can indicate a serious health problem. Most often, it’s caused by gum or dental disease, and especially small dogs are prone to tartar and plaque. However, chronic bad breath can indicate medical problems in a pet’s mouth, gastrointestinal organs respiratory system, and could be a sign of oral cancer.
If you notice a change in your dog food preference (i.e. from hard to soft foods) plus a bad mouth smell, you should go visit and consult your veterinarian.
13- Straining To Urinate.
Blood in the urine and Straining to urinate usually indicate urinary tract infection, but if the straining and bleeding are recurrent and not rapidly controlled with antibiotics, cancer of the bladder may be the underlying cause.
However if your dog experience all the following symptoms:
- Changes in your pet’s urinary
- Changes in bowel habits
- Difficulty using the bathroom
- Frequent bathroom use
- Blood in urine or stool
you should consider going to the vet as soon as possible.
Veterinarians use Cystoscopy or other advanced techniques that allow them to take a necessary biopsy of the bladder to establish a definitive diagnosis in these cases.
