# How can you reduce the risk of cancer?



## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

We did everything right with Sophie - every single thing. She still got cancer and passed away very shortly after her third birthday. I know there are things you can do to reduce the risks, but with cancer, even if you do everything right, you can't do anything to prevent it. I hate that disease.


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## Tuckers Mom (Nov 12, 2010)

Sadly, no guarantees. It is a horrible disease. Keep your dog at a good weight, feed good quality food, no human food. All the things that I do anyway,but it's no guarantee. Just mostly love your dog everyday you are blessed to be together.


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## Sammy's Dad (May 20, 2011)

Actually, numerous cancer cells are forming every second. All it takes is one of those cells to make a mistake or mutate and presto we have actually have a potential microscopic cancer that’s actually formed. Thank-fully, all of those abnormal cells never become dangerous because our body has an excellent defence systems against cancer like our immune system. Our Immune System resist blood vessels from growing into and feeding cancers, and the same can be said when it comes to dogs.

With this being said, there is nothing you can do for yourself or your dog that will give you 100% guarantee of being disease/ilness free. However, there ARE things you do to lessen the chance of your dog's getting cancer and other illness:

1) Make sure your puppy came from a respective breeder whose parents, grand-parents, and so forth, all have their health clearances.
2) Feed a High Quality dog kibble or wet food--->Five Star Dog Foods
3) Supplement your dog's diet and immune system enhancer, such as Organic Super-food Immunity-->Organic Pet Superfood Super IMMUNITY Dog & Cat Supplement
4) Supplement your dog's diet with a nutritional booster, such as the BARF Plus Supplement--->BARF Plus Supplements - Biologically Appropriate Raw Food Diets & Healthy Food for Pet or Wholistic Organic Canine Complete--->Wholistic Canine Complete (8 oz) - Organic Dog Supplements - Dog Nutrition Supplements
5) Keep your dog in it's ideal weight.
6) No human food, except for some raw meat, raw fruits, raw/cooked veggies (for nutritional boosters).

Beyond that, there is nothing more you could do. Just enjoy every second you have with your pup and pray.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

One thing we learned after dealing with cancer the first time... the most important thing past doing everything you can to prevent cancer is knowing your dog and recognizing the signs of cancer. Early detection with dogs, like with people, gives you more options as far as management and treatment. And beyond that give your dog a good life every day at a time.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

There are a ton of things you'll see online that seem plausible but aren't based in any kind of sound science, so don't waste your time on them.

For example, you may hear that Frontline causes cancer and to avoid it, but in the only large-scale studies of topspot pesticides, dogs who got a regular topspot treatment actually had _lower_ cancer rates. This surprising result may be because the topspot dogs were better protected from chronic infections from parasites, and chronic infections may cause persistent inflammation, which is associated with cancer.

You may also hear that carbs cause cancer or somehow feed it. This is also not based in sound science. Neither do byproducts (organ meat, bone, and skin) in dog food.

There's some real evidence that fish oil can help, probably by reducing inflammation. There's also real evidence that a healthy weight is the single biggest thing you can do to protect your dog.


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## musicgirl (Jul 26, 2009)

I second this. 

Also...visit your vet regularly. I know in the future I'll be asking for blood tests for cancer...



Megora said:


> One thing we learned after dealing with cancer the first time... the most important thing past doing everything you can to prevent cancer is knowing your dog and recognizing the signs of cancer. Early detection with dogs, like with people, gives you more options as far as management and treatment. And beyond that give your dog a good life every day at a time.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

I often wonder how smoking in a household affects cancer in dogs.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

DNL2448 said:


> I often wonder how smoking in a household affects cancer in dogs.


It can't be good. Your smoke settles as particulate matter in the dust, and your dog is down on the floor in it all day.


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## Nath (May 12, 2011)

Fish oil pills and turmeric are suppose to help with tumors. A good diet and exercise will help too. BUT there are no guarantees.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

tippykayak said:


> It can't be good. Your smoke settles as particulate matter in the dust, and your dog is down on the floor in it all day.


Just to be clear, no one in our household smokes, nor are smokers allowed to do so in our house. :no:


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

My answer is you can't predict who will get cancer... my mom, the healthiest health nut on the planet, who ate oatmeal every day plus blueberries(organically grown) died in 3 months last year from pancreatic cancer. My 86 yo dad has outlived his dad's death date by 26 years and his brother's death date by 36 years, eats deep fried vegetables etc, plus he salts everything. My grandfather(dad's dad) died from colon cancer at 60 years.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

DNL2448 said:


> I often wonder how smoking in a household affects cancer in dogs.


Our vet actually has a note at the bottom of the invoices that says, "Remember: for the sake of your pet's health, please refrain from smoking around them. "


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

DNL2448 said:


> Just to be clear, no one in our household smokes, nor are smokers allowed to do so in our house. :no:


Sorry. I was pretty sure you didn't, since you brought it up. I was using "you" in the general sense. Definitely sorry for any implication you did, though.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

Blood tests for cancer? I'm not familiar with this? Sophie's blood work all came back fine even when she was with the oncologist at UW-Madison. There would have been nothing on her blood panel that would have alarmed them or tipped them off to cancer. She'd had a full CBC in August (2010) and another blood panel taken in early April (when she started limping). Nothing out of the ordinary. UW-Madison took more blood work and it didn't show anything alarming either.



musicgirl said:


> I second this.
> 
> Also...visit your vet regularly. I know in the future I'll be asking for blood tests for cancer...


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## Nath (May 12, 2011)

Sophie_Mom said:


> Blood tests for cancer? I'm not familiar with this? Sophie's blood work all came back fine even when she was with the oncologist at UW-Madison. There would have been nothing on her blood panel that would have alarmed them or tipped them off to cancer. She'd had a full CBC in August (2010) and another blood panel taken in early April (when she started limping). Nothing out of the ordinary. UW-Madison took more blood work and it didn't show anything alarming either.


Agreed on the blood tests. Both Belle and General had test done when they had cancer which didn't reveal anything. The white blood count will be different when they are really sick and bleeding out, but that happens when the diseased has really progressed. The is talk about a new type of blood panel for early detection, but nothing they have released to date.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

As others have noted, there are no guarantees that doing or not doing certain things will eliminate the possibility of cancer. But I do believe that a collection of behaviors may provide "a little insurance" against the cancer process starting.

Limit the number of vaccines in a dog's lifetime
Exercise and maintain a healthy weight
Develop a strong immune system - include fresh healthy human foods
Limit environmental toxins in the home
Hope your dog has good genes


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Our golden is now 7. We are going to semi-annual Wellness check ups and blood profiles. He has a few medical issues which are monitored by abdominal sonogram, which gives us an additional look every 6 months into things going on internally. None of this is a guarantee unfortunately. We could get a good report on the labs and the sonogram and he might be diagnosed with cancer weeks later. Until then we'll keep up with a good quality diet, supplementation, heartworm, flea and tick prevention and medical evaluations, keeping a close eye on him every day. We also switched to more natural cleaning solutions inside our house for our own benefit as well as Toby's benefit, hoping that works as well. All we can do is be proactive, observant, mindful and hope and pray that he remains healthy. 

We also donated his DNA to the CHIC DNA Databank for use in scientific research.


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## musicgirl (Jul 26, 2009)

Sophie_Mom said:


> Blood tests for cancer? I'm not familiar with this? Sophie's blood work all came back fine even when she was with the oncologist at UW-Madison. There would have been nothing on her blood panel that would have alarmed them or tipped them off to cancer. She'd had a full CBC in August (2010) and another blood panel taken in early April (when she started limping). Nothing out of the ordinary. UW-Madison took more blood work and it didn't show anything alarming either.


oh duh:doh:....i was thinking about something I read from another forum...obviously not too carefully...had to go back and re-read it and saw it said there is a SMALL chance of detecting it with blood tests...good to know now lol


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Sophie_Mom said:


> Blood tests for cancer? I'm not familiar with this? Sophie's blood work all came back fine even when she was with the oncologist at UW-Madison. There would have been nothing on her blood panel that would have alarmed them or tipped them off to cancer. She'd had a full CBC in August (2010) and another blood panel taken in early April (when she started limping). Nothing out of the ordinary. UW-Madison took more blood work and it didn't show anything alarming either.


This is one of the things that scares me most. My Acadia had a CBC and a full check up which she passed with flying colors at age 9. 3 weeks later, she was gone. The cancer gave no sign until it was fatal. With my others, Joplin 15 plus and Raleigh 13, they both lost weight, showed coat problems, gave hints- I knew. But Acadia- she just went on an ordinary day.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Just looking at a flyer from one of our suppliers.. Veterinary Diagnostics Institute has a test that they claim has early stage detection, prognostic indication, and progression monitoring of canine lympho and hemangio. Don't know anything about it...


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## Hiflyer (Jun 9, 2011)

Don't allow anyone to smoke around your dogs, ever. My beloved Shelby has nasal cancer(he will be 13 in September). I never have smoked, and my husband has never smoked cigarettes, but he would smoke a pipe or a cigar. He and Shelby would hang out in the screened-in gazebo we have, and my husband would be smoking, and the air would be thick with smoke. I would get upset, but he thought I was over-reacting. I don't know for sure that is what caused Shelby's nasal cancer, but it is possible. I am the most hyper-environmentalist- I use all natural cleaning products, no pesticides or herbicides, we live in a pristine country environment. Shelby always ate all-natural high quality food. He has always been slim and athletic and got lots of exercise. My husband feels devastated about Shelby's cancer. He has given up all forms of smoking.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Hiflyer said:


> Don't allow anyone to smoke around your dogs, ever. My beloved Shelby has nasal cancer(he will be 13 in September). I never have smoked, and my husband has never smoked cigarettes, but he would smoke a pipe or a cigar. He and Shelby would hang out in the screened-in gazebo we have, and my husband would be smoking, and the air would be thick with smoke. I would get upset, but he thought I was over-reacting. I don't know for sure that is what caused Shelby's nasal cancer, but it is possible. I am the most hyper-environmentalist- I use all natural cleaning products, no pesticides or herbicides, we live in a pristine country environment. Shelby always ate all-natural high quality food. He has always been slim and athletic and got lots of exercise. My husband feels devastated about Shelby's cancer. He has given up all forms of smoking.


Sorry to hear this about Shelby. I'm glad your husband has given up all forms of tobacco smoking. When I volunteered for rescue another volunteer's husband was a chain smoker--the smell permeated everything, including their clothing and home. I got a headache just being around her because her clothes reeked, and she never smoked! He developed terminal cancer and one of their Goldens developed a rare brain tumor at 6 years of age. I always associated the cigarette smoke toxins with the dog's tumor, though there was no absolute evidence. Their other golden lived to a ripe age of 12+. I think some people and animals are possibly at greater risk of adverse reactions to the toxins and it predisposes them to cancer. 

We also went to more natural methods of cleaning, using vinegar, water, lemon juice and baking soda. We mulch our yard in lieu of fertilizer. We zeroscaped our backyard where our dog hangs out to minimize risk of exposure to fertilizers. I pray these things help.


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## Nath (May 12, 2011)

Dallas Gold said:


> Sorry to hear this about Shelby. I'm glad your husband has given up all forms of tobacco smoking. When I volunteered for rescue another volunteer's husband was a chain smoker--the smell permeated everything, including their clothing and home. I got a headache just being around her because her clothes reeked, and she never smoked! He developed terminal cancer and one of their Goldens developed a rare brain tumor at 6 years of age. I always associated the cigarette smoke toxins with the dog's tumor, though there was no absolute evidence. Their other golden lived to a ripe age of 12+. I think some people and animals are possibly at greater risk of adverse reactions to the toxins and it predisposes them to cancer.
> 
> We also went to more natural methods of cleaning, using vinegar, water, lemon juice and baking soda. We mulch our yard in lieu of fertilizer. We zeroscaped our backyard where our dog hangs out to minimize risk of exposure to fertilizers. I pray these things help.


Same in this house, but I couldn't say it any better than then Dallas Gold.


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## Siques (Aug 9, 2011)

Ljilly28 said:


> This is one of the things that scares me most. My Acadia had a CBC and a full check up which she passed with flying colors at age 9. 3 weeks later, she was gone. The cancer gave no sign until it was fatal. With my others, Joplin 15 plus and Raleigh 13, they both lost weight, showed coat problems, gave hints- I knew. But Acadia- she just went on an ordinary day.


Same thing happened to me - I had asked earlier this spring about cancer signs and how I would know if my golden, Sophie, had cancer - just a gut feeling I had. The vet didn't have much of an answer and her exam/blood work came back fine. Then she started limping a few weeks later - she wouldn't put any weight on her front right foot. Took a month to figure it out - UW Vet school found a mass in her elbow. Took an xray of her lungs which were full of tumors. She was in so much pain at that point - we said goodbye the next day.


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## PrincessDaisy (Dec 20, 2011)

We got a diagnosis in April 2009 of advanced Mast cell. Our Ivory was given 4 to 6 months. I changed he diet from Purina 1 to near raw (blanched) chicken fortified with coconut oil and unsweetened coconut flakes, astrogalas, tumeric, A, D, E, benedryl and pepsid... With chemo she lasted 25 months. I sent my Ivory to The Bridge in May this year. 


Max


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## Lucky Penny (Nov 13, 2011)

I agree with a lot of the other posts. There is really no way of knowing. Just make sure you feed a good diet, and the pup gets good exercise. I learned from my dog now who has cancer, to investigate everything abnormal with your dog; even if it seems like nothing. It could help you catch cancer early. Also, if you ask a oncologist the most common breeds that have cancer, goldens are always on that list.  Just a risk we take, because we love the breed so much. But when I think about it, every breed has something that is common in health problems.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Siques said:


> Same thing happened to me - I had asked earlier this spring about cancer signs and how I would know if my golden, Sophie, had cancer - just a gut feeling I had. The vet didn't have much of an answer and her exam/blood work came back fine. Then she started limping a few weeks later - she wouldn't put any weight on her front right foot. Took a month to figure it out - UW Vet school found a mass in her elbow. Took an xray of her lungs which were full of tumors. She was in so much pain at that point - we said goodbye the next day.


There is a serious truth in this post. There is a bad feeling you can get before there's anything specific to point at- you just know. it is a scary place to be with your dog. 

A breeder who is very involved with cancer research told me she gives buffered asprin( ascriptin) and Esther-c every day.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Same thing with Selka. He had all blood tests, senior health check 1 month before his tumor (osteosarcoma) appeared and he began limping. This is a dog who was never ill a day in 11 and a half years and had no arthritis (I say thanks to Cosaquin).
I pray some day they figure out how to prevent cancer. My dogs eat a great food, are active and a good weight. Cancer sucks.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Debles said:


> Same thing with Selka. He had all blood tests, senior health check 1 month before his tumor (osteosarcoma) appeared and he began limping. This is a dog who was never ill a day in 11 and a half years and had no arthritis (I say thanks to Cosaquin).
> I pray some day they figure out how to prevent cancer. My dogs eat a great food, are active and a good weight. Cancer sucks.


That definitely pinpoints a true thing too. When you have a vivacious, healthy dog, you think well at least he will definitely live to a very old age bc that joy and energy seems invincible, but cancer can get absolutely any golden any time.


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## Lucky Penny (Nov 13, 2011)

Very true. Any golden, no matter what age, sex, or how healthy it is, can get cancer. Cancer does suck, and I agree that I hope that one day when someone we love gets cancer, we aren't as scared, because we know there is a cure for cancer, and they will be okay.


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## PrincessDaisy (Dec 20, 2011)

Each of the items in Ivory's diet either contributed to her immune system, or were included to actually fight cancer cells. Benedryl and pepsid were suggested by the oncologist. The blanched but basicly raw chicken is for essential protean and amino acids. The coconut and coconut oil will directly harm cancer cells, as will the tumeric (curcumin) and astrogalas. A, D, E fight free radicals and inhibit cancer growth. Between your grocer and health food store, it is all easily available. Our oncologist was surprised at the shrinkage of the tumor, and the fact that it did not spread for 24 months, but when it did spread, we only had 7 - 10 days before Ivory was too miserable for her to stay with us. We sent her to the Bridge because no one should suffer like she did the last 36 hours. But up until that last 36 hours she was happy and loving as she had always been.

She was a rescue from Tennessee Vally G.R.R., and was probably closer to being a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever than she was a Golden Retriever, but she was a great dog.


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