Content
- How long does a dog with cancer have to live?
- How Cancer Affects Dogs
- General Care of a Dog with Cancer
- Treatment for cancer in dogs
- Recommended food for a dog with cancer
Hearing the word cancer is synonymous with bad news. Just by listening, the images that come to mind are a long process of medications and intensive care, radiotherapy, chemotherapy. Not only humans suffer from this disease, but also animals, such as dogs.
When a pet is diagnosed with this disease, many questions arise. Between them, How long does a dog with cancer have? Besides, how cancer affects him, what care he needs, among others. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading this PeritoAnimal article.
How long does a dog with cancer have to live?
If you want to know how long a dog with cancer has lived, the truth is that it is not possible to give a concrete answer to this question, because each case is different. It can be from a few months to a few years.
In reality, recovery and treatment success depend on the type of cancer your dog has, as well as his race, general health, history of other diseases, lifestyle, diet he had up to that time (and during treatment), age, tumor reaction to treatment, disease progression when it is discovered , among many other factors.
To cite an example, in the case of lymphoma, after diagnosis many experts say that the dog's lifespan is, on average, two months. But this can vary depending on the factors already mentioned.
Furthermore, it is well known that a proper treatment it prolongs the life of these furry companions, and there are many cases of complete recovery.
Still in this article, we'll talk about how cancer affects dogs, the recommended diet and the different types of treatment that exist for cancer. Keep reading!
How Cancer Affects Dogs
Canine cancer attacks the body cells, causing them to multiply uncontrollably. After that, they divide and form more cells in succession, affecting the internal organs and damaging tissue. All this gradually turns into a tumor.
There are several types of cancer that are common to all dog breeds, such as the following:
- Lymphoma: attacks the lymphatic system. It is characterized by an increase in the size of the lymph nodes found in the mandible. It is one of the most common types and all races can have it.
- Breast cancer: it is a neoplasm that affects the mammary glands. It is very common in all dogs, especially those that have not been neutered.
- osteosarcoma: it is a very aggressive type of cancer that attacks the bone system. It mainly affects large dogs, but it also occurs in medium and small dogs.
General Care of a Dog with Cancer
Once the presence of a cancerous tumor in your dog is confirmed, it is necessary to perform regular check-ups with the vet. Avoid exposing your dog to any kind of stress or situations that generate anxiety. He must be in an environment where he always feels comfortable and calm.
It is essential that you play with him often, keep him company and make him feel loved. This will keep you happy and in a good mood. It's also very important. strictly comply with the prescribed treatment by the veterinarian who follows the case, since the future of the animal will depend on it.
Treatment for cancer in dogs
When it comes to cancer, there are different types of treatment, as each manifestation of this disease requires different methods. In addition, there is also the factor of age, physical condition and general health of your dog, as well as the progression of the disease.
In this sense, the veterinarian will detect the type of tumor your pet has, which may have characteristics benign or malignant. For benign tumors, drugs are generally used without the need for surgery; the drugs are able to reduce or completely eliminate the tumor without major complications.
On the other hand, malignant tumors often require surgery depending on the size and location of the tumor. It is also common to apply chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the patient, in order to reduce the malignant cells in the dog's body.
In this other article by PeritoAnimal we talk about alternative therapies for dogs with cancer that might interest you.
Recommended food for a dog with cancer
With regard to diet, it is an important pillar in the recovery of the dog with cancer. Due to the treatments, it is common for them to lose their appetite and therefore lose weight little by little and feel very weak. Therefore, one of your tasks will be to take care of your food more than ever.
First of all, you need to make it attractive and appetizing, with the intention of attracting his attention and encouraging him to eat. It is important that the food contains high protein content of red meat, as well as the presence of green vegetables is also recommended, as they contain properties that help to strengthen the dog's immune system. Among them, we recommend:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- spinach
these vegetables should not be offered in abundance, but as a supplement. Some vegetables, rich in sugar, should be avoided, such as:
- Carrot
- Potatoes
- Peas
Why are these foods not recommended? O cancer feeds on sugars, so a diet in which you add these vegetables only facilitates the spread of cancer. On the other hand, it's important to emphasize that a dog's diet cannot include grains because their digestive system doesn't process them correctly. Of course, a bowl of fresh, clean water should always be available.
Now that you have known general care and have also seen that it is impossible to define how long a dog with cancer has to live without evaluating all the factors, the important thing is that you strictly follow the veterinarian's recommendations, apply the suggested treatment and care at home, and give your pet all the love, understanding and support he has given you during his lifetime with you.
Although sad, we recommend the following video where we talk about the 5 signs that indicate when we have a dog dying:
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
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