■ Above: Inbreeding in German Shepherds
has increased the incidence of tumors.
are discovered. The rate of osteosar-coma in dogs is eight times greater than
in humans.
Understanding the Cause
In the last several decades, our understanding of cancer in dogs has greatly
increased. We have learned that cancer
can be genetic or caused by environment, diet, viruses, chemicals, or
hormones. Whatever the cause, tumor
cells differ from normal cells in that
they are free of the normal controls that
signal growth to stop. Cancer cells continue to divide and tumors continue to
grow, often at astonishing rates.
In part two of this article, you will
learn that cancer is not a death sentence, and that much can be done for
dogs that contract the disease, particularly with early detection and diagnosis.
For those reasons, your dog should be
regularly examined by yourself and by
your veterinarian. ■
Kevin T. Fitzgerald, DVM, DABVP, is a staff
veterinarian at the Alameda East Veterinary
Hospital in Denver. Colorado.
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