Is It Possible to Prevent Cancer in Dogs?

Cancer is a disease that does not even spare our pets. However, as with humans, there are things that can be done to try to prevent cancer from attacking our best friends.

Seeing someone that you love facing death, is one of the worst, if not the worst, experience one can suffer in life.

Preventions against canine cancer

These are some actions that you can take to keep cancer from reaching your pet. Obviously, it is true that we cannot always avoid cancer, but as the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”.

Avoid vaccines that the dog does not need

Believe it or not, there are vaccines that can lead to increased rates of cancer in dogs. Scientists from the Purdue University were so convinced of this phenomenon, that they began organizing studies to prove it. The eventual result of the study explained that some components of pet vaccines can cause problems for a dog’s immune system.

Therefore, vaccinate your pet only if:

• The vaccine is required by law
• It is necessary to prevent problems
• You understand the benefits and any harmful side effects that vaccinations can bring
• Your veterinarian recommends it

If your pet has just recovered from an illness, talk to your veterinarian to see if the vaccination process could be delayed until the animal recovers. Vaccines slow down the autoimmune system, and any illness would have lowered the immune system’s defense. A weak immune system and a vaccine can make your dog more susceptible to cancer.

Castrate your dog when the time comes

Some types of cancer can be prevented if the dog is castrated. Removing the cancer-prone area will keep your dog from having cancer in that region. Because many dogs suffer cancer in their genital areas, castrating your pet when the veterinarian assures you that it is time to do so, is one of the best preventions for genital cancer.

The famous actress, Angelina Jolie decided to remove both of her breasts because several members of her family had died of breast cancer. Her decision made sure that she went on to have a low risk of developing this life-threatening cancer.

Beware of chemicals

Another Purdue University study showed that dogs who are exposed to chemicals for the treatment of lawn grass, are more likely to develop cancer. This specifically stems from a carcinoma in the dog’s urinary tract.

This also applies to chemical treatments for fleas and ticks. Remember that there are home remedies and organic products available. These are possibly more expensive, but they could save the life of your pet.

Take care of pollution in your home

Cleaning products with chemicals, sprays for mosquitoes and ants etc. And even smoking indoors, could put your dog at a bigger risk of developing cancer.

Both chemicals and smoke can affect pets in the same way as they affect humans.

Help your dog to be healthy

They say that there is no better defense than a good offense. Keeping your dog healthy will also help to fight cancer. How can this be done? Through a fixed exercise routine and a healthy diet.

Buying food and goodies from leading brands will ensure that the food is made of the best quality ingredients and that they do not carry unnecessary chemical components.

Avoid stress

Stress makes the liver work harder. An excessive amount of work for organs generates chemical substances in organisms and can open the doors to cancer in the body. This could cause tumors.

This is a hotly debated topic and it creates a lot of controversy, but stress is not good for any living organism. This includes your pet.

If you keep in mind these tips, you can have a healthier and happier dog. We want to emphasize that following these tips does not ensure that cancer can be completely avoided. But there are many ways to help your dog to stay fit and healthy.