Dogs and cancer

[Bryce]

Anybody else notice that dogs have a very high rate of cancer? Easily 75% of the people who have bought a puppy from us to replace a lost dog report cancer as the cause. I just lost one. She was 12 1/2 and had arthritis bad so while it was time for her to go, it was tough to see the tumors grow and then the weight start to drop. She was spayed after her last litter at 8 1/2 years.
Got a theory/rant that it is caused by the dog food we are giving them. Read a list of ingredients. Many brands are listing known carcinogens(to humans at least). Are dogs not susceptible to these chemicles like humans? These are not just your bargain brands. Even high dollar foods include the carcinogens.
Just a heads up. When you read the label, meat byproduct is an animal carcass dipped in hot water and then allowed to cool. Just like when you put a piece of meat in the fridge, a gel forms. This gel is the meat byproduct. Protein but totally unassumable by the animal.
I don't have a course of action but maybe someone will read this and have more answers and/or info.

[BLACKJACK]

Bryce, what kind of dogfood do you currently feed? How many dogs do you have (not counting puppies)?

[Bryce]

Currently feeding only the one after losing the old girl. Feeding Exceed (only available at Sam's Club) Both dogs were at different kennels that used this as the food of choice. Supposed to be very similar to Eukanaba at half the price. Fed Diamond to the old girl 6 or 7 years ago but quit after she started blowing her coat and it came back when I switched brands. Probably just a bad batch but not willing to take chances. Have heard of owners having coat problems and allergic reactions to Exceed but none in mine or puppies we've sold that are kept on this brand. Not sure of where you're going with the question? Each dog needs to be matched to a food that performs well. Some that do well with brand A, won't do well on brand B. The next dog is just the opposite. My point is the chemicles that are being put into ALL brands. Noble or Nobles and one other brand are the only 2 I have heard about that don't have known carcinogens (to humans) in the ingredients. Noble is almost impossible to find and the other is over $1 a pound. Maybe no one else sees cancer as a problem in dogs and I'm just ranting. I guess that's why i posted this up for feedback.

[Guest]

Bryce,

I truly appreciate your sensitivity here from your kind words in my post regarding my loss!

I had no clue my Blk Lab Reven had any health problems whatsoever until just last year when she began to have seizures. She has a superbly brilliant black coat and has had her enitre life to the end.
I fed her Purina chow mostly along with Pedigree and Science D for enhancers. She showed no signs of problems all along. No stool changes to speak of and can say the same with my 15 month Ylw "Aspen".

It is very hard to say what really is the factor with these health problems in dogs for certain. My vet stated the food is a possibility, but would be a very long-shot ponderance.

In all the Labs I have had and been in contact with these 38 years now, I have not seen any as violently evident as this last Blk I just lost. It was devastating

But, we move forward with the new, young pups always. Life is not always fair...but then again, do we expect it to be...always?

"LUND-MAN"

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"Leave NO Trace"

[BLACKJACK]

Bryce, just trying to figure out what other guys feed and whats a good deal for the price. And I asked how many dogs you have simply because if you have 5 dogs, its gets more spendy than feeding one dog, which would influence your choice. I've tried some of the cheaper brands-Old Roy etc, and they just end up crapping a lot. What I've fed a lot of recently is Pro-Plan. They do well on it and their coats shine - but its spendy. The one problem is that its hard to find a store here in Willmar that sells the maintenance versions of Pro-plan, in the summer I like to give them the lower fat/protein food to keep their weight down. Currently I'm trying some of the Science Diet because they do have the different varietys. Last time I talked to my brother he was ranting about Diamond dog food so I may look at that.

Our old dog had a hair problem a couple of years ago, it was falling out in patches, we called her 'baboon butt', the vet found out that it was a thyroid problem, some pills solved that. As far as the carcinogens, this is the first time that I've heard anything like this about dog food. I've always assumed that the protein in dog food was the leftovers from people food production that didn't meet people standards. Chicken feet, beaks, guts, bull balls, anything that got rendered down was game.

[Seabass77]

Maybe you could consider a natural diet. I know that sled dogs eat chicken fat in water for all of there meals, and they seem to have long lives. Granted, they need the high fat for the work they do but you might be able to figure out some sort of formula.

[Bryce]

I've always kept my dogs on the same food year round. Just adjust the amount accordingly to keep the weight proper. You're right about the beaks and hooves being used but I believe this has to be listed in the ingredients as by-product also. Look for the first ingredient to be meat. Have heard good things about Purina One. Think it's under $25/50 lb bag. Just haven't had need to switch.

[Fisher Dave]

About a year ago, I lost a dog to cancer. She did not develop it until the last year of her life .. she died at 19 years old (half malimute, half wolf). Not a hunting dog, but a great dog.

In the past I had another dog eventually go from cancer, and have seen the same thing commonly in my families dogs .. but they never seem to get it until a very old age where their time is near up regardless.

All mammals (including humans) have some type, or several types of dormant cancer in their bodies at all times. Humans in most cases dont start to develop cancer until an older age, and usually after we are physicaly weakend, and past our prime health.

This statement will probably reach some controversy from other dog owners... between my direct family and myself we have had several dogs grow to very old ages, and retain good health throughout their lifetime feeding them primarily Kibbles and Bits®.

My dog died at 2nd oldest (19 years old)
Mothers dog died at 21 years old.

All of our animals lived into the teens, and were healthy, and no weight problems.

[Guest]

My parents have a 15 year old Dachshund (sp.?) weiner dog that has lived off of Kibbles and Bits practically his entire life! No health problems at all, besides old age! He eats a lot of people food too.

Purina Dog Chow is my #1 choice for my labs. Other food makes my one lab puke all the time, especially the Fleet Farm dog food. Yuck!

[bigdog]

Bryce,

I asked my own vet and the Oncology doc's at the University if there was any chance that something I was doing would be related to canine cancer. I have had cancer in two labs that were on Science Diet all their lives. My brother had a lab with cancer that was on Iams all of it's life. None of the vets could tie the food to the cancer.
One did make a comment that "if mast cell cancer killed all dogs, we wouldn't have any dogs" essentially meaning that some cancer types are very common and I don't think they know why.

That being said, I did do allot of research into canine cancer, treatments and preventative care. What I found and what was confirmed by the U is that Omega 3
fatty acids seem to reduce the risk and help
in recovery from cancer. Science Diet has a prescription, canned dog food specifically for cancer. It is terribly expensive. The vet said it is essentially the senior diet dog food with extra Omega 3 added and then in canned form. You can get the same protection/effect from the normal dog food and a supplement. Wal-Mart has Flax Seed oil capsules that provide the Omega 3 Acids. I now give one 1000mg capsule to my remaining dog on a daily basis. Not sure if this will make a difference but I am going it a try.

[Bryce]

Now that's some good info. You noticed the high rate of cancer and got some knowlegable answers. Sounds like the experts are even a little baffled. Exceed does have the Omega 3 but I doubt in the dosage you are talking. Be interesting to see how your dogs do in the future. Best of luck.

[Guest]

I have info on an all natural food that my dog has been on all is life. I can also recommend a great pet insurance plan.

[email protected]

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Duffman]

I lost a 6yr old Golden Retriever to canine lymphoma two years ago. I did some research online and found out that there was a higher occurance of this type of cancer in dogs who's owners applied herbicide more than once a year to their yards. We live on a park, so she might have been exposed more frequently than most dogs. I like my yard weed free just like anyone else, but I've changed the way I approach it (only apply before I'm going to be gone for a few days with the dog).
Just giving you guys something to think about, be careful with those chemicals, your best friend will thank you.

[CornPirateKiller]

My dad is a vet and I've assisted him and picked his brain for info for years. He always said that most of the dogs that did not get spayed or neutered would eventually contract cancer. It seemed to me to be true as I saw a lot of old unspayed female dogs come through his office with cancer. Unless you're a breeder, get your pet fixed... they'll be healthier in the long run.

The herbicide idea is right on track too. Dogs pick up everything with their mouth. If you're playing fetch with your lab on your lawn, its ingesting those chemicals you sprayed on it to kill weeds. Pretty tough to keep stuff out of their mouths though. Best solution I heard for keeping weeds down in your lawn is to over seed it with good grass seed once a year and keep it watered. A healthy lawn will naturally choke out weeds and keep your four-legged pal healthier too.

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

[Dano2]

I feed my lab Iams, I decided to be a cheapo for awhile and went to another brand, but then her coat didn't shine as well so I started giving her a supplement, then figured out I was spending about as much between the two, so its back to Iams.
I have to agree about the filler phylosophy, I dont think she craps as much when she eats Iams.
When i fertalize my back yard, the dog stays in her kennel until i know ots been soaked in well.
My dog will eat anything, I cant hardley have her near me if I'm doing any, painting, caulking, staining etc. etc., she always has to take a taste.
One day last winter she was licking the truck, I figured she must have been tasting the salt from the roads, and whatever else may be mixed in. She puked up what looked like a couple days worth of food, then tryed to go back to more licking of the truck,
just doesn't seem to learn.
I cant believe how close you have to watch these dogs from eating something poiseness,,
If she starts having any health problems at an early age, I'll know why.
Gotta watch them mutts eh?

[Surface Tension]

You have to understand that dogs are descendants from wolves by selective breeding. Wolves have a natural life span of what maybe a few years? Cancer in a wolfs later years was never a determining factor in a wolves evolutionary selection of survival of the fittest. Size, strength and intelligence was what it took for the wolves survival. Its rein as Alpha was short. Instead of our cannine dieing from starvation, disease or territorial battles like wolves do they simple die from something else. We can induce cancer but genetic makeup also is a factor. Is cancer in someones later years preventable or inevitable? No one knows, yet.

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

My parents always have English Springer Spaniels, and we feed them Ol'Roy dog food from Walmart. My dogs are always healthy, never had a cancer problem with any dog. They usually live to 16 to 19 years. And we had to put our last one down because the meels on wheels guy walked into our house when know one was there, and the dog was sniffing the food like usual dogs do and the guy kicked him and the dog nipped him on the leg, and the insurance company made us put him down or lose the policy. Dumbest thing I have ever heard of from an insurance company, the guy was trespassing for crying out loud. But it was really hard to see him go. Our current dog "hunter" is healy as a horse at 4 years old and and hopefully he lives a long healthy life.