Winding Road Kennel Staff Feels for Pet Parents Experiencing Cancer
For National Pet Cancer Awareness Month, our blog topic is explaining the signs of cancer in your pet. According to the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS), one in four dogs develops cancer at some point. The VCS also estimates nearly 50 percent of dogs over age 10 develop cancer. These statistics are heartbreaking, but certainly a wake-up call for dog owners. At Winding Road Kennel, we sympathize with dog owners who have gone or are going through pet cancer. As such, it’s important to be on the look-out for early pet cancer signs like:
- Sudden Lameness and Unhealed Sores
- Difficulty Urinating and Loss of Appetite
- Abnormal Swelling
Look for Sudden Lameness and Unhealed Sores As Pet Cancer Signs
If you notice sudden lameness in your dog or unhealed sores on its body, both could indicate pet cancer signs. Lameness is a dog’s inability to use one or more of its limbs. Sometimes lameness indicates a strain or sprain, a joint injury, bone fracture, or dislocation. If you can rule out these other causes of your dog’s sudden lameness, it might be a pet cancer sign.
Unhealed sores are also pet cancer signs. Skin lesions or infections that don’t get better after treatment are examples of unhealed sores. Besides a pet cancer sign, unhealed sores also indicate your dog has an immune disorder, like lupus. Other reasons for unhealed sores include the dog having anemia or malnutrition.
Pet Cancer Signs Also Include Difficulty Urinating and Loss of Appetite
Other pet cancer signs include difficulty urinating and loss of appetite. If your dog is reliving itself more often than usual, that indicates difficulty urinating. Difficulty urinating also presents itself when the dog cannot go at all. Besides difficulty urinating, a sudden or extreme loss in appetite can also be an early pet cancer sign.
Do You Know Why Else Could Your Dog Have a Loss of Appetite?
Loss of appetite is a symptom common for various dog ailments and conditions. Your dog’s loss of appetite might indicate pain from an injury. Loss of appetite is also symptomatic of dental disease. Even certain vaccinations or being in unfamiliar surroundings cause a dog’s loss of appetite.
See the Vet if You Notice Abnormal Swelling with These Pet Cancer Signs
If you notice abnormal swelling plus loss of appetite, lameness, difficulty urinating, and unhealed sores, make a vet appointment quickly! Abnormal swelling, or lymphedema, could indicate an injury or another, non-fatal condition, but it still needs to be checked out. You might have difficulty detecting abnormal swelling (lymphedema,) though. If you haven’t been feeding the dog a lot but observe unexplained weight gain, that’s an indicator of abnormal swelling. A sudden change in your dog’s skin color also indicates lymphedema (abnormal swelling.)
Call Winding Road Kennel for information on boarding and grooming services in Parkersburg, WV, at (304) 428-3518. To stay updated, like and follow us on Facebook. Our team will educate you about the signs of cancer in your pet.