The Five Most Common Questions about Cancer in Dogs

How common is cancer in dogs?

Unfortunately, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in older animals. According to the Animal Cancer Foundation (ACF), 1 out of every 4 dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime, and each year, approximately 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer.

What are some of the most common cancers in dogs?

Like their human companions, dogs can develop many different types of cancer, such as mammary cancers, lymphoma, leukemia, osteosarcomas, mast cell tumors and skin cancers, to name a few. According to the Veterinary Cancer Society, mammary tumors are the most common cancer seen in dogs.

Are there diagnostic tests or exams that should be done regularly to try to detect cancer in dogs?

To improve the chances of early cancer detection, you should take your pet to your veterinarian at least once a year. Personally, I recommend animals over 6 years of age be seen twice a year. Your veterinarian will do a complete examination, checking your dog from head to tail to look for:

• Abnormal skin growths (lumps and bumps)

• Enlarged organs or masses in your pet’s abdomen (belly)

• Abnormal heart or lung sounds, and abnormalities in the eyes, ears and mouth

These exams are important because veterinarians can discover things that you may never notice. However, not all cancers can be detected by physical examination, so your veterinarian may also recommend screening tests like blood work, urinalysis and radiographs (x-rays), to uncover underlying diseases like cancer. Depending on the age, sex and breed of your dog, your veterinarian may recommend one or all of these tests to help look for cancer.

Are some types of cancers more treatable than others?

Yes, all cancers are different and some are more treatable than others. The type of cancer, location, size, stage and response to treatment all affect the ultimate prognosis. With many cancers, the earlier the treatment is started, the better the prognosis, and ultimately, the longer the survival times. That's why it is so important to bring your dog to the veterinarian for examinations at least once a year.

Do chemotherapy and radiation treatments affect dogs the way they affect human cancer patients?

While remission is the ultimate goal, quality of life is equally as important. As a result, cancer treatments in dogs are generally less aggressive than regimens used in people. Therefore, pets typically do not suffer from some of the troubling side effects seen in people, such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss and extreme fatigue. If side effects occur, your veterinarian will adjust the treatment to ensure that your pet remains as comfortable as possible.

The goal of cancer therapy in dogs, like with many other diseases, is early diagnosis and treatment. In order to give your dogs the best odds of beating cancer, make sure your dog gets regular check-ups, take advantage of recommended screening tests, and become familiar with the common signs and symptoms of cancer in pets so you can look-out for them at home. If you want to know more about cancer, speak with your veterinarian and visit Veterinary Cancer Society (www.vetcancersociety.org) or Animal Cancer Foundation (www.acfoundation.org).

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Can Pet Insurance Help Fight Pet Cancer?

Is pet insurance worth it?

This is a very common question from pet owners, and there is no “right” answer. It really is a family decision. But consider another question that may help you get to that answer:

If your pet experienced a medical emergency tomorrow,

do you have the financial means to treat them?

As a veterinary cancer care provider, we often see uninsured pet owners struggling with this very question. It is not uncommon for pet owners with the desire to treat their pet’s cancer forced to make medical decisions based not on what is best for their pet – but on what they can or can’t afford. In the most tragic of situations, euthanasia may be the only financially viable option. This can be a truly heartbreaking decision for any family.

Cancer is the number one cause of death in older dogs and cats. The sad reality is that there is a 50/50 chance that your beloved dog or cat may develop cancer.

In many cases, however, cancer does not have to be a death sentence. Cancer care for pets is evolving with new medical advancements presented every year. New treatments such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are opening doors to treat cancers that were previously untreatable. Therefore, just like in human medicine, there is a need to prepare financially for your pet’s veterinary care. With pet insurance on your side, you will be able to focus your decision on what’s best for your pet without carrying the burden of finances on your shoulders. Pet insurance can provide the freedom of not having to choose between your pet and your wallet.

Is pet insurance worth it? If your pets are cherished members of the family, you want to be able to provide the best care for them, and you don’t have the financial means to cover treatment – then yes, pet insurance is absolutely worth it.

How much does cancer care for pets cost?

Similar to human health care, the veterinary profession has doctors that have chosen to undergo additional education and training to be board-certified specialists in a specific field of medicine. Veterinary oncologists, who are specialists in diagnosing, staging, and treating cancer in pets, provide veterinary cancer care. Veterinary radiation oncologists specialize in the use of radiation therapy to treat cancerous tumors.

Specialty care requires board-certified specialists and advanced equipment to perform the latest procedures. And as medicine continues to advance, pets are receiving better care and living longer. However, with a higher level of care comes at higher costs—making it all the more important for pet owners to carry insurance for their pets.

The costs of treating pet cancer vary depending on each individual patient’s treatment plan. Some patients may only need SRS to treat a cancerous tumor. Other patients might need a combination of treatment options like surgery and ongoing chemotherapy. As such, costs vary widely but can easily add up to $10,000 or more.

Does pet insurance cover cancer care?

• As long as your pet is covered by pet insurance before a cancer diagnosis is made, most pet insurance will cover cancer care. If your pet has already been diagnosed, the cancer is considered a pre-existing condition. No pet insurance covers pre-existing conditions. Therefore, the earlier you can ensure your pets – before they develop an illness or condition – the better.

• Most major pet insurance providers offer a variety of coverage plans. Cancer is often included in a specific plan or can be added as a rider. Most carriers cover even the most advanced treatments, subject to their individual exclusions for things like pre-existing conditions. Contact the insurance provider to ask which plans include cancer care. Make sure to check whether they cover diagnostics and testing and get a list of which cancer treatment options are covered.

Which pet insurance is right for my pet?

• This will depend on the amount of coverage you want. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you want your pet insurance to include wellness care?

• Do you want coverage for integrative medicine like acupuncture or rehabilitation?

• Does the provider offer a multiple pet discount?

• Does the pet insurance company cover older pets?

• Does the plan cover diagnostic testing needed to diagnose cancer?

• Does your pet have a hereditary or congenital condition that must be covered?

• Is your pet prone to a specific condition or illness?

(E.g. Golden retrievers are genetically prone to developing cancer. German shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia. Chihuahuas are prone to patellar luxation. As we know, just because a breed is prone to a certain condition does not mean it’s exclusive to the breed. Cancer can and does affect all breeds.)

Finding the right pet insurance plan for your pet is not as difficult as it may seem, but it does require some comparison shopping. Most insurance providers are available to speak on the phone to guide you to a coverage plan that is right for your pet.

As a starting point, contact your primary care veterinarian to get more information about your pet’s health, breed (for genetic conditions) and current conditions. Your veterinarian may be able to give you more information about your pet that can help you ask the insurance providers the right questions.

My pet has cancer, but I don’t have pet insurance. What can I do?

Here are some resources you can look into.

Crowdfunding

Use crowdfunding to ask friends and family for their support. Crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe are a great way to share your story, provide updates, and collect financial support. Ask your veterinarian whether you can include his or her information so people can verify that your situation is real.

Host a Fundraising Event

Plan a fundraising event. A fun way is to plan a party at your home or a nearby park. Invite friends and family and have multiple ways people can donate. Love baking? Bake small desserts people can purchase. Are you a talented Martha Stewart type? Create some crafts that people can purchase.

Look for an Organization

There are organizations and programs that provide financial aid to pet owners struggling to pay their veterinarian bills. Some organizations focus on specific breeds or pet conditions. Ask your veterinarian or your state veterinary medical association whether it can point you to an organization that might be able to help.

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Tests for Screening Cancer in Pets

Routine lab work is a fundamental part of staging a pet’s cancer. When your veterinarian orders routine tests, they are ensuring that your pet is systemically health and that there are no surprises and any warning signs are flagged in regards to trouble such as organ function or electrolyte status.

However, such tests rarely provide insight into a pet’s cancer status. With a few exceptions (skyrocketing white blood cell count pointing to leukemia, for example) lab work will not accurately inform your veterinarian whether or not your pet has cancer.

A veterinarian may run what are considered “screening tests”. This is when your vet will perform a test in a healthy patient to rule in/out a predisposition to cancer or hidden cancer that has not yet manifested with any clinically notable signs. These tests are designed to quantitate the presence of biomarkers. Biomarkers are measurable indicators of particular biological states or conditions and can be used to detect, screen, diagnose, treat, and monitor disease.

When a veterinarian considers screening tests for cancers, most frequently, assays measure serum levels of thymidine kinase (TK) and c-reactive protein (CRP). The utility of these markers is not well established but emphasis is often placed on their ability to detect what we refer to in the medical profession as minimal residual disease (MRD).

Thymidine Kinase (TK)

TK is a protein involved in DNA synthesis and is expressed in dividing cells. TK levels increase with increased rate of cellular proliferation. TK levels correlate to the proliferative activity of lymphoid cells (and less likely with proliferation of other kinds of tumor cells). Elevated TK levels are also associated with viral infections and inflammatory conditions.

Serum TK levels tend to be higher in dogs with cancer than in healthy dogs. However, there is a large overlap in levels measured from healthy dogs, dogs with cancer, and dogs with other diseases. This means that even dogs previously diagnosed with cancer can have normal serum TK levels.

TK levels are also measured in cats, with an established interval from clinically healthy cats, cats diagnosed with lymphoma, and cats with inflammatory gastrointestinal disease. Cats with lymphoma in these studies had significantly higher serum thymidine kinase activity than healthy cats or cats with inflammatory disease and cat’s with non-hematopoietic neoplasia.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

CRP is the major acute phase protein produced in response to inflammation and cytokine release. Serum CRP levels correlate to the duration and severity of inflammatory response. Causes of inflammation are varied, and include infection, autoimmune disease, and cancer. Therefore, CRP is considered a sensitive marker for inflammation, but unfortunately, it is relatively non-specific as to the nature of the inflammation it represents.

Dogs present more elevated CPR in some variants of cancer, and serum levels are generally elevated in dogs with cancer than those that are clinically healthy. Dogs with lymphoma who are in remission (with microscopically detectable cancer cells in their bodies) generally have lower CRP than dogs with measurable lymphoma. This places potential value on serum CRP levels as a marker for cancer remission status and relapse of disease.

Additional research is necessary to determine the value of measuring parameters such as CRP or TK before veterinarians can routinely recommend these screening tests for every patient.

It is advisable by veterinarians that owners should begin testing their pets at the earliest possible age and test consistently throughout their pet’s lives, in order to establish the most adequate control values with which to compare to as the pet ages.

It is understandable for pet owners to wish this process would be simplified by a single lab test to assure their pets were healthy. However, it is important that diseases such as cancer is detected as early as possible.

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10 Warning Signs of Cancer in Cats and Dogs

If cancer is detected early it can be treated more effectively, so it’s important to check your dogs & cats regularly for these 10 warning signs of cancer as recommended by the Veterinary Cancer Society.

If your dog or cat has any of these early warning signs of cancer, you should take them to your veterinarian as soon as possible for a more thorough and complete examination. In addition, you should keep your pet away from environmental toxins such as lawn fertilizers and surface & rug cleaners that have warning labels relative to children and pets, due to a potential link between environmental toxins and cancer.

01 / Swollen lymph nodes

The lymph nodes are glands that are located throughout the body. They are most easily detected behind the jaw or behind the knee. When these lymph nodes are enlarged, it can suggest a common form of cancer called lymphoma. A biopsy or cytology of the enlarged lymph nodes can aid in the diagnosis.

02 / Enlarging (or changing) lump

Any lump on a pet that is rapidly growing or changing in texture or shape should have a biopsy.

03 / Abdominal distension

When the stomach becomes rapidly enlarged, this may suggest a mass or tumor in the abdomen, or it may indicate some bleeding that is occurring in this area. A radiograph or an ultrasound of the abdomen can aid in diagnosing.

04 / Chronic weight loss

When a pet is losing weight and you have not put your pet on a diet, you should have your pet checked. This sign is not a definitive diagnostic for cancer but can indicate that something is wrong.

05 / Chronic vomiting or diarrhea

Vomiting or diarrhea should always prompt further investigation. Often tumors of the gastrointestinal tract can cause chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea. Radiographs, ultrasound examinations, and endoscopy are useful diagnostic tools when these symptoms present themselves.

06 / Oral Odor

Oral tumors can occur in pets and can cause a pet to change its food preference (i.e. from hard to soft foods) or cause a pet to change the manner in which they chew their food. Many times a foul odor can be detected in pets with oral tumors. A thorough oral examination with radiographs or CT scans, necessitating sedation, is often necessary to determine the cause of the problem.

07 / Unexplainable bleeding

Although bleeding disorders do occur in pets, they usually are discovered while pets are young. If unexplained bleeding starts when a pet is old, a thorough search by your veterinarian should be undertaken.

08 / Cough

There are many causes of a cough in dogs and cats. However, dry, non-productive coughing in an older pet should prompt chest radiographs to be taken, as this type of cough is the most common sign of lung cancer.

09 / Lameness

Unexplained lameness, especially in large or giant breed dogs, is a very common sign of bone cancer. Radiographs of the affected area are useful for detecting cancer of the bone.

10 / Straining to urinate

Straining to urinate and blood in the urine usually indicate a common urinary tract infection; if the straining and bleeding are not rapidly controlled with antibiotics or are recurrent, cancer of the bladder may be the underlying cause. Cystoscopy or other techniques that allow a veterinarian to take a biopsy of the bladder are useful and sometimes necessary to establish a definitive diagnosis in these cases.

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