This post is written with heartfelt sympathy thinking about the people and their pets whose cancer wasn’t found until “the very end”. With all the technology and innovation available, how could it be that cancer is often very hard to find? In fact, many times pets suffer with unusual symptoms, sometimes misdiagnosed as a simple infection, when cancer is lurking underneath.
Cancer often evades detection and while we all wish it could be diagnosed with a simple test, it usually doesn’t work that way. Most cancers aren’t easy to find until they are in a more advanced stage (e.g. a tumor), which can make them harder to treat.What’s a pet owner to do? BE VIGILANT! While no one wants to spend extra money for an ultrasound or get their pet’s tummy shaved, push forward. A noninvasive ultrasound can often reveal so much more than simple lab tests. Keep a close eye on older pets and be proactive. Don’t wait to see if an unusual growth gets bigger— have your vet look at it now. Early detection of cancer can and does save lives.
If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, our dog cancer guide includes all the steps to follow to help you navigate what to do. It is written by Pet Nutritionist Susan Davis, whose own dog Legend was diagnosed with liver cancer. She spent every night reading the latest research on cancer treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, medication, immunology and supplements. As a result her 80 pound dog Legend lived to be almost 15 years old.
