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Top 5 Ways to Prevent Cancer in Your Dog

What causes cancer in our beloved canine companions?

Cancer occurs when the body's immune system cannot stop cells from replicating at an abnormally fast pace and form a mass know as a tumor. Just as in humans, canine cancer is not caused by any single factor. Genetics and environmental factors both play a role in the disease's development. Carcinogens, including toxins, radiation, and tumor viruses, as well as hormones are also responsible for causing several types of cancer. Suppressed or deficient immune systems can increase a dog's risk of developing cancer too. But since so many factors can cause cancer in dogs, pinpointing a specific cause is often hard.

There are things you can do to lessen your dog's chance of getting cancer, however.

Top 5 Ways to Prevent Cancer in your Dog:

1. Do not smoke (indoors or outdoors) around your dog. The extensive turbinates in dogs' noses trap the carcinogenic particles. Nasal tumors, caused by smoke, form in dogs just like they do in humans.

2. Do not use pesticides on your lawn. Studies have shown that some pesticides can cause lymphoma in dogs.

3. Spay your dog any an early age. Spaying prior to a dog's first heat will reduce her chance of mammary cancer by 75%. Neutering a male dog will prevent testicular cancer.

4. Have any loose implants, such as bone plates, removed. They have been shown to cause osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.

5. Do a physical exam on your pet at least once monthly. This means run your hands along their body and legs to feel for lumps. Also watch out for pale gums, personality changes, and limping.

About the Author:

This article is one in a series of pet tips from FETCH a Cure to help conscious pet owners become more aware and educated on simple things they can do to keep their animals happy, healthy, and free from danger. FETCH a Cure is a from-the-heart, 501c3 non-profit organization; created and run by those who have been faced with cancer and inevitable aging in their own pets.