There are other concerns we should have as well. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – an important time for men and women, but also an important time for pets.
Just as we need to perform regular self-checks on ourselves, it’s also important to regularly check our pets. All animals can develop breast cancer – but performing a check can help with early treatment – which may very well save your pets life.
If you’re not completely sure how to do this check, VetOnDemand can help, no matter what species of pet you have. This handy app gives you 24-7 access to real-life veterinarians so if you have one of those pets who despise going to the veterinarian’s office, this app can help.
While they can assist with just about any type of illness or question, the veterinarians on staff at VetOnDemand can walk you through the best way to check your pet for suspicious bumps or thickness.
Here are some more great tips from this company:
- The chances of successful treatment nearly triple if a lump is caught early.
- Spaying before your pet’s first heat cycle greatly reduces the chances of mammary cancer: The risk of developing the cancer is 8% after the pet experiences one heat.The chances double after two heats (with a jump to 26%). This means that early spay and neuter is the best thing you can do to help prevent cancer in your pets.
- Mammary tumors are almost always observed as a solid mass or swelling (or “thickening”)
- It’s simple to check: Checking for tumors does not have to be difficult and one of our highly qualified veterinarians can walk you through the process in just a few minutes.
- Age increases likelihood of cancer: Early 50% of dogs over the age of 10 develop cancer. (Over half of those dogs over the age of ten will die from cancer).
Certain breeds are naturally more likely to develop cancerous tumors. While this is not a complete list, these are a few dog breeds that see more frequent occurrences of cancer:
- Boxers
- Golden Retrievers
- Rottweilers
- German Shepherds
- Great Danes
- Bichon Frises
- Labrador Retrievers
- Bernese Mountain Dogs
- Bouvier des Flandres
Veterinary oncology has grown more common, less invasive, and much more successful over the years. It wasn’t that long ago that people didn’t even know dogs could get cancer. Now there are entire organizations (like WearTheCure) and veterinarians who specialize in treatment of this disease.
Be proactive with your pets and learn how to detect symptoms early. VetOnDemand can teach you how – which could very well mean the difference between life and death for your pets.