Cancer In Legs And Joints And Length Of Racing Career

[gryhnd_adoptee]

Several years ago we took one of our greys in for pain in her upper body. Naturally the vet feared the worst and x-rays were done right away. Turned out she had a degenerating fourth disk in her neck. Several years later when she was 11, it was also found she developed another one further down in the middle of her back which also contained calcification points which pressed on the nerves of her spine causing pain.

 

But getting back to my point. When the first set of x-rays were done years ago, my vet mentioned that the theory for bone cancer in greys was due to the repeated stress on their developing bones. He said the cancer is most often seen on the right side due to the turns in training and on the tracks always being in the same direction. The theory is that the constant stress on the turning side from the weight shift causes microscopic fractures in in the bones which are suseptable to cancer settling in as they age.

 

I never did any looking into this theory myself when I heard it, but it certainly sounds like it makes sense. Any one else hear of this?

[Aerosmom]

Snickers broke her leg racing -- right rear but she developed bone cancer in her left front. She retired at 2 1/2 and she was diagnosed with cancer at 5 1/2.