What's With All The Cancer?

[Cheryl2]

Morris animal Foundation is now in the third year of a 3 year study on cancer in dogs. They are funding clinical trials also for new treatments. I've read a whole lot of studies that would disagree with Dr. Couto on the incidences of cancer in different breeds. Almost all of them list the giant breeds (Great Danes, wollfhounds, etc) well above greyhounds in numbers that will develop osteo. Greys are generally listed in the second tier with goldens, labs and others of that size. I've had a lot of dogs in my life and I tend to support research that is not breed specific. JMHO.

[Guest Snowy8]

A friend of mine went to the seminar by Dr Cuoto, he said it was really good.

My vet told me that research showed more racing greyhounds get cancer than non-racing greyhounds because of the trauma to the body.

I have had at least 13 different greyhounds in 15 years & only one had cancer & it was kidney cancer.

[RobinM]

I have asked my vet about it and he said (whether it's true or not, this is what he said) it really isn't more common in greys than any other breed.

 

On greytalk you have 99.9 people with greys so you are going to hear about it because as black and brindle said this is where people are going to come for advice and support.

 

Bottom line is it sucks the big one.

[Batmom]

From what I've seen in my own life -- which is sure not definitive -- I don't think greyhounds have a higher rate of cancer or early death than other breeds. Rather less. And I think dogs in general are living longer than ever before -- perhaps long enough now that more die of cancer than die of the diseases that *used* to take them earlier.

 

Doesn't make it any less sad when a pup dies, for whatever reason.

Edited June 22, 2007 by Batmom

[cowpantslady]

a vet told me 50% of all dogs get cancer of some form

our chester died of mass cell

now saullie has osto.

our group has place close to 1,000 greys and no way have 41% died of osto

no matter what it stinks. hopefully they will find a cure in time to help our saulle and all those who are suffering now

 

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

I will ask again, but the last time I asked I think he got money once from them.

 

Is the study currently underway? That post was from Nov. 2005.

 

You will notice posts at the end that are current. I sent him one spread sheet and would like to send another!

 

I sent in 2 forms for my Osteo. boys.

[GreytNut]

I once asked the vet I worked for about this, and he said the breed with the most common incidence of osteosarcoma is actually the Rottweiler. Still, any long-limbed breed is at high risk, greyhounds certainly included. Other breeds have diseases that hit them disproportionately hard as well, such as cardiomyopathy in Dobermans and hip dysplasia in German Shepherds. It seems like you just can't get away from it!

[HopeForHounds]

As a society we are taking better care of our pets than ever before. Many dogs died of cancer years ago, but we didn't know that was what they had. With better diagnostics, studies and treatment more pets are diagnosed, the end result is still the same.

 

I still think that with the huge number of greyhounds on the board we are going to see a rising number of cancer dx. I have send tn email to Dr Couto asking him for some current statistics. I will post them once he responds.

 

Hope for Hounds is committed to helping Dr Couto and his team at OSU find a treatment that will lead to a cure. I'm sending a cheque tomorrow for $3,000.00 and after the 2nd Annual Miss Nellie Auction starting July 23rd we hopefully will be sending much more than that. Help us fund the fight.

[Guest Snowy8]

I agree, I think most people don't even know their dog has cancer. When I said something years ago when Bool died, that he had cancer, everyone at work was surprised that dogs get cancer.

You're 100 percent right, IT SUCKS!

[RobinM]

This post along with just finding out about a special dog I know just recently diagnosed with CA, possessed me to donate to Hope for Hounds.

 

Please donate.

 

www.hopeforhounds.com

 

We woke up today to find Teddy limping horribly. I sit here and I am in complete and utter discust, fear and anger.

 

It could be nothing, and that's what I have to tell myself, but in the not so back of my head, is the fear of all fears.

 

I am waiting until tomorrow to bring him in. Hopefully, he either pulled something or slept wrong.

Edited June 22, 2007 by RobinM

[Guest MountainHounds]

And have all you people filled out and emailed the survey form in the pinned topic?

 

I will, but I hope it will be awhile still before I can answer all the questions

 

I'm in the same boat. There were several questions that I couldn't answer, and the last time I looked at them I thought I'd wait until I could before I filled it out. Now it's been three months since Kavana's diagnosis and he's still doing so well, I am actually holding out great hope that he's actually going to see his 8th birthday in September.

 

Six years ago we lost our beloved basset/schnauzer mix to hemangiosarcoma when the tumor in his heart ruptured, he was 10. Twenty years ago we put down our beagle due to liver cancer, she was 13.

[Guest vtgreys]

It's taken 2 greyhounds from me last year, and it's taking a human friend away from me right now.

[Guest dwolfe711]

We've lost four of four to cancer - Toby at age 12 to hemangiosarcoma, and Red at age 12.5, Elaine at age 11.5, and Lizzy at age 14.5 to osteo - our 12yo Duncan was diagnosed with osteo three months ago - we are managing pain and giving nonprescription meds until it is time to let him go. Maybe it's because we adopt senior returns that we seem to see so much of it - like others said - they have to die of something and very few die from old age. We have conditioned ourselves to expect it at this point. I watch our 13yo Allie every day for signs of a limp - but it could just as easily be 7yo Ripley or 8yo Ellie who will be next -

 

Burpdog - I have started to fill out the survey forms for our five today - hopefully I can get them to you this weekend - we want to do all we can to help with Dr. Cuoto's research - it is important to find out why this is diagnosed so frequently and what we can do to prevent or at least decrease the occurances -

 

Donna

[HopeForHounds]

Just wanted to update you, Dr Couto is away until Tuesday, so I probably won't have his stats before then.

 

Robin, I'm praying that Teddy just pulled something. It's so hard not to think the worst. Hang in there.

[RobinM]

Just wanted to update you, Dr Couto is away until Tuesday, so I probably won't have his stats before then.

 

Robin, I'm praying that Teddy just pulled something. It's so hard not to think the worst. Hang in there.

 

Thanks Foxysmom.

 

Yes, it's very scary. It does seem to have gotten better as the day went on, he even did 3 rounds of very intense zoomies. I DID NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN, try stopping a greyhound. As he zoomed by me as if to say... "mommy. what's your problem" leaving dust in my face...

 

It probably was a pull or he slept on it wrong, but with all the Ca going around, it just plain scary. He's only 3. I wil lnot cancel the appointment for tomorrow until I see there is no limping till tomorrow. I will not allow him in the backyard without a lease, as I have no control.

[Guest fastdogs]

... it certainly seems to be happening a LOT more often.

 

It's probably not happening at a greater rate, just that people are more attuned to the symptoms and there is more in the way of treatment. So you are hearing more about it. Back in the day, vets had less available to them for diagnosing ailments, so the options were limited with what you could do.

[HopeForHounds]

Dr Couto responded to my eamil today. Here is what he said:

"Hi Janet:

Thanks for the Greyt news! I am at Scooby with 910 additional people doing a lot of work with the Galgos (and of course, other dogs). I'll send you a reply when I get back on Tue (and will include data from the paper we just got accepted for publication). Thanks again, and please say "hi" to the gang."

 

The Greyt news is the cheque I'm sending I will post his data once I have it.

[marion]

I'm convinced that the high cancer incidence in dogs is partly due to several factors. Neutering and castration predisposes

for Osteosarcoma and Hemangiosarcoma. Furthermore, overmedication and overvaccination (yearly shots) as well as

lack of sufficient physical activity, sunlight, lack of healthy, natural food contribute to the development of canine cancer

in our modern society...

 

 

I found this article...

 

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

[Guest iaksma]

Since we adopted a tripod, in the back of my mind I wonder what would happen if she got cancer in her only other hind leg.... I don't really want to think about it.

[romansperson]

From the American Veterinary Medical Association site:

 

"Cancer is common in pet animals, and the rate increases with age. Dogs get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans, while cats get fewer cancers. Cancer accounts for almost half of the deaths of pets over 10 years of age."

 

Unfortunately cancer is just really common. I'm sure every one of us knows a person who has or had cancer, and the older you get the worse it gets.

[JerseyGirlInOz]

... it certainly seems to be happening a LOT more often.

 

It's probably not happening at a greater rate, just that people are more attuned to the symptoms and there is more in the way of treatment. So you are hearing more about it. Back in the day, vets had less available to them for diagnosing ailments, so the options were limited with what you could do.

I wish that was accurate, but it's simply not the case. The American Cancer Society estimates that cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today, and that by the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals.

 

So, judging from the stats, cancer rates have risen exponentially since the dawn of the Industrial Age (and, in pets, since the introduction of commercial pet food). Cancer in dogs was fairly rare not so long ago; however, osteosarcoma and lymphoma (and more recently several other cancers) are becoming alarmingly more common.

 

In the past 50 years more than 75,000 chemicals have been introduced into the environment---many of which have been insufficiently tested for safety (that is, if the were tested at all!) Synthetic chemicals, pesticides, food additives, colorings and preservatives, environmental pollutants, etc. are believed to be significant contributing factors in the increase of cancer in humans and animals alike---as well as many other "syndromes", asthma, allergies and illnesses.

 

Similar to humans, there's been a huge industry built around processed dog food, health treatments, and 'snack foods' for our dogs--IMHO, it's no coincidence that there has also been an increase in cancer and developmental disorders in our pets as well.

[romansperson]

I wish that was accurate, but it's simply not the case. The American Cancer Society estimates that cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today, and that by the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals.

 

Have you considered the fact that in the U.S. in 1900 the average lifespan was only 47 years and in 2000 it was averaged at 77 years? And that cancer incidence increases with age? I'd say that has an awful lot more to do with cancer rates in human populations than anything else. Food sources have actually become much safer since 1900. Cancer is a disease that often takes a long time to surface (lung cancer is a good example - smokers usually have to smoke for years before they are diagnosed) - if you die of something else first, then it never has an opportunity to develop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm

 

 

[Guest fastdogs]

I wish that was accurate, but it's simply not the case. The American Cancer Society estimates that cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today, and that by the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals.

 

Have you considered the fact that in the U.S. in 1900 the average lifespan was only 47 years and in 2000 it was averaged at 77 years? And that cancer incidence increases with age? I'd say that has an awful lot more to do with cancer rates in human populations than anything else. Food sources have actually become much safer since 1900. Cancer is a disease that often takes a long time to surface (lung cancer is a good example - smokers usually have to smoke for years before they are diagnosed) - if you die of something else first, then it never has an opportunity to develop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm

 

Good point. Also, ACS studies humans. It's a big leap to apply human stats to animals. Additonally, ACS is in the cancer research business so doom and gloom is good for business.

[JerseyGirlInOz]

I wish that was accurate, but it's simply not the case. The American Cancer Society estimates that cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today, and that by the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals.

 

Have you considered the fact that in the U.S. in 1900 the average lifespan was only 47 years and in 2000 it was averaged at 77 years? And that cancer incidence increases with age? I'd say that has an awful lot more to do with cancer rates in human populations than anything else. Food sources have actually become much safer since 1900. Cancer is a disease that often takes a long time to surface (lung cancer is a good example - smokers usually have to smoke for years before they are diagnosed) - if you die of something else first, then it never has an opportunity to develop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm

 

Good point. Also, ACS studies humans. It's a big leap to apply human stats to animals. Additonally, ACS is in the cancer research business so doom and gloom is good for business.

 

Lifespan may account for the rise in cancer in older people, but what about rise in cancer in children and adults under the age of 50? And the fact that cancer rates in developing nations are now equaling those in industrialized nations? Lifespan is hardly a factor in many of those countries.

 

The link that references “safer food sources” only addresses the decline in nutritional deficiency diseases. So while food sources (as well as transportation and storage methods) are safer, this fails to address the advent of overprocessed foods that are full of artificial colors, synthetic preservatives and fillers that have little or no nutrional value at all. Foods such as these are being consumed in massive quantities by people AND by pets---and there are some pretty obvious health ramifications.

 

Considering that our pets are being exposed to many of the same risk factors as humans--- exposure to hazardous chemicals, food colorings and preservatives, pollutants, pesticides and secondhand smoke; poor diet; obesity; inadequate exercise---I’d say it’s a pretty big leap to think that these factors have NO impact on the statistics of the health problems we are seeing in pets today---including cancer.

[HopeForHounds]

I started a new thread with Dr Couto's answer to my email.

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=172445&hl=