Cancer in our pets - how to prevent?

[Stefrobrts]

Where to get the next dog is a big concern for us. Although we put in a an app to a rescue, after thinking about it I contacted some breeders, and next weekend we are going to go up and meet an Eskimo breeder in Seattle. Her dogs are shown, her breeding program involves dogs from other breeders, so she's not just cranking out puppys from her own dogs, and she tests for joint and eye problems. I think it's about the best bet you can make.

I have to admit, Alki, coming from a reputable breeder, was never sick a day in her life until the cancer diagnosis. Chester, a rescue who probably started out in a puppy mill during the last Dalmatians movie rush, is poorly bred, has bad conformation which is really starting to effect him as he gets older, and has been sick with allergies, bladder stones and ear infections, for as long as we've had him. It's been a constant battle. He's also not very bright, but I think that was beat into him by his original owners. There is a HUGE difference between a poorly bred dog and a well bred one. And when you get a dog from a rescue you really do take a chance by getting a dog with an unknown history, both genetically, and how it has been treated during it's formative years. There are many happy rescue stories out there, but it is a gamble.

I think if this eskimo breeder checks out, this will be the right way to go for us. She has a couple planned breedings next year, and we'll get to meet her dogs who will be involved, the mother of one breeding and the father of the other. Of course, we'll be putting down a deposit just to get on a waiting list, but that's how it should be with good breeders. We can be patient and wait a bit for our next buddy.

[cameront120]

Puppy mills are a huge peeve of mine as well. Regardless of where one lives, you'll find people who treat dgs like disposable property. Kai came from a reputable breeder, one of the best around my neck of the woods. He's a great dog and I know his family history and can fairly predict that he'll not have any health issues. Samm is my rescue. He was found wandering the backroads somewhere in Kansas and put in a shelter when he was picked up. Fortunately, I was able to have a rescue pull him from the shelter and assess his personality for me. I don't know his history, nor what sort of genetic problems we may face as he gets older, but that isn't even a concern. Samm is one of the best dogs I've met. He's happy and a pleasure to have around. I'm proud to be able to give this guy a good home and a happy life. If it weren't for rescues, this fine boy would have been gassed. So if a person can get over the fear of the unkown, a rescue dog can be a fine and rewarding choice. Oh, and you get to save a life.

Originally Posted by juel

AH puppy mills...one of my pet peeves. We seem to have a good supply of them here in Oklahoma. Then we have the "Pit Bull" crowd of bubbas also. If you want a good dog, go to a breeder who does testing or go to the shelter and give a stray a second chance. You kinda take your chances at the shelter, but you will be giving an animal the chance to live a good life and give it more time to be on this earth giving you love. I'm rescue poor at my home, not from a shelter but from the clients I serve in a State child abuse prevention program. To many here in the "bible belt" think dominion over means you can do with them as you please. It's heartbreaking at times. Everyone in my family now has a rescued animal or three. Also a note about vaccinations.....most vets are now spacing those first shot out over a longer period to reduce the stress on a young animal's immune system. And, a good vet is a blessing for you and your hairy/furry friends.

[Mackhopp]

Originally Posted by rettoc625

I found a home cooked diet that was developed by a noted veterinary oncologist.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this diet - would it be possible to pass along a link or some info? That'd be great!

I was also thinking about the to spay/neuter early or later issue. From what I've read, there are pros and cons to both earlier and later. By earlier I mean around the 6 month mark, and later would probably be about 1 year or so.

Based on what I've read, if you wait until later to "fix" your animal, then you've allowed the animal to fully develop their hormones and thus affect the bone structure as it ought to be, among other things.

If one considers a female animal, there seems to be some disagreements over whether to spay before 1st heat cycle, after one heat cycle or after 1st pregnancy (or not at all). I did some reading and decided for a spay prior to 1st heat cycle (thus practically eliminating mammary gland cancer incidence).

It's one of those decisions that seem to have no right or wrong answer - just one that needs to be made after weighing all the info.

As for vaccination schedules, that really didn't come into play for my case specifically, as my dog, a lab-mix rescue, was an unfortunate soul who had the misfortune to be born in the presence of an evil person, who took all the pups in the litter and tied them up in a garbage bag within hours of their birth and tossed them from a moving vehicle into a ditch (sorry - I'm still ticked about this). So while my dog lived (though 2 of her sibs died from heat and dehydration), she most likely did not have proper access to her mother and so didn't get any immunity from her. So I had to vaccinate her as per convention.

But this has made me start thinking for when I get my next dog (am on waiting list for American Mastiff - woo hoo!) - I do like to keep my options/ears/opinions open about everything.

Cheers,
-Michelle

[rettoc625]

Today I had my first training as a home visitor for families wishing to adopt a golden through Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue. I am going to volunteer for them to conduct home visits of prospective adoptors.

My young blonde, Blaze, is a rescue from YGRR. All I know about his past is that he was past around as a puppy from one soldier to another as each was sent to Iraq. Blaze ended up in the home of one of the parents of a soldier with a resident rottie. Blaze is my 'wild child'! He is fun, but has no manners! It has taken a lot of training to teach him the rules.

I don't know his health history, but physically he is much larger than a conformation golden. Blaze has some behavioral issues, but they are really no worse than anything I might expect regardless of the source of the puppy. He has some resource guarding issues, but then he was a step-dog to a rottie at a crucial developmental period in his first year. He also has some stress related behaviors, possibly from not feeling secure in his living arrangements as a pup.

He is a fun goof ball and will be competing in agility with me this spring.
I don't know what type of health issues he may experience. Each of my 4 goldens has had something different (Auto-immune mediated anemia, thyroid tumor, skin cancer).

Just like two legged kids, whether adopted, fostered, or biological, ya never know what nature will bring. There are no guarantees. Only lots of fur and sloppy kisses!!!

Mary

[rettoc625]

The diet I found was developed by Dr. Greg Ogilvie, a veterinary oncologist at Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine. He conducted research on dogs with lymphoma to see if he could develop a diet that would starve the tumor while providing great nutrition. Dogs with cancer frequently lose substantial weight due to the fact that the cancer cells thrive on carbohydrates and utilize it before the dog's body has a chance to.

Ogilvie's recipe is high in essential fatty acid and protein, with no simple carbohydrates, complex only. This recipe is the foundation of the Hills Science Diet n/d food for dogs with cancer. Here is the link to the recipe

http://www.vetoncologyconsults.com/O...cer%20Diet.pdf

I have 15# of ground sirloin and 5# of beef liver in the frig to be cooked tomorrow.

Keep in mind that this recipe was developed for dogs with lymphoma. No suggestion has been made that it will prevent cancer in dogs.

You might be interested in learning more about cooking for your dog. Check out the K9 kitchen group on Yahoo and this website owned by a canine nutritionist
Welcome to Monica Segal

Monica Segal has written some books about preparing nutritionally balanced home cooked food for dogs with all sorts of dietary needs. She owns the yahoo list and comments frequently. Her recommendations all follow the government guidelines for nutritional recommendations for dogs.

I don't think all of our dogs health problems can be prevented with diet alone. But as with people, obesity and highly processed foods create health issues for our dogs too.

Mary

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by cameront120

If it weren't for rescues, this fine boy would have been gassed. So if a person can get over the fear of the unkown, a rescue dog can be a fine and rewarding choice. Oh, and you get to save a life.

I agree, many rescues are good dogs, and our Chester is certainly a good boy who didn't deserve what happened to him, and his resilience is inspiring to see. But the first dog we got from the dal rescue did not work out so well. I understand now that the rescue was short handed and should have done a better job of temperment testing Dominic before giving him to us. Right off he attacked our cat (we were there to intervene, so she didn't get hurt, just scared), growled at us, and Alki was constantly growling at him (very unusual for her) and barking, which we should have seen as a sign - she was trying to protect us. Luckily he never made a move at her, but one day at the park a dog wandered up to us off leash (Dom was on leash) and Dom jumped him, pinning him to the ground and poking a hole in his ear, while that poor dog was screaming and the owner was screaming, and the dog was bleeding, it was horrible! I took him to a professional trainer who was recommended to us, and she tested him and said he had serious issues, and that it really wasn't safe for him to be around our other pets until they were worked out, if they could be worked out at all, because he was already an old dog. Dominic immediately went back to the rescue. There was no way I could risk him attacking Alki, or the cat again. Unfortunately Dominic went to several other homes and threatened people and got in fights with other dogs until he had to be put to sleep. Not all dogs are suitable for rescue. Not his fault, he had been treated badly for years, but he paid the final price.

So when we think about rescue we've had a bad experience, and a good experience. That's only 50/50 to me. The thought of bringing home another Dominic turns my stomach, and makes me think maybe starting with a puppy is the best route for us. Not that rescue isn't a wonderful thing, but there is an element of the unknown involved, and it can turn out pretty scary.

[rettoc625]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

I agree, many rescues are good dogs, and our Chester is certainly a good boy who didn't deserve what happened to him, and his resilience is inspiring to see. But the first dog we got from the dal rescue did not work out so well. I understand now that the rescue was short handed and should have done a better job of temperment testing Dominic before giving him to us. Right off he attacked our cat (we were there to intervene, so she didn't get hurt, just scared), growled at us, and Alki was constantly growling at him (very unusual for her) and barking, which we should have seen as a sign - she was trying to protect us. Luckily he never made a move at her, but one day at the park a dog wandered up to us off leash (Dom was on leash) and Dom jumped him, pinning him to the ground and poking a hole in his ear, while that poor dog was screaming and the owner was screaming, and the dog was bleeding, it was horrible! I took him to a professional trainer who was recommended to us, and she tested him and said he had serious issues, and that it really wasn't safe for him to be around our other pets until they were worked out, if they could be worked out at all, because he was already an old dog. Dominic immediately went back to the rescue. There was no way I could risk him attacking Alki, or the cat again. Unfortunately Dominic went to several other homes and threatened people and got in fights with other dogs until he had to be put to sleep. Not all dogs are suitable for rescue. Not his fault, he had been treated badly for years, but he paid the final price.

So when we think about rescue we've had a bad experience, and a good experience. That's only 50/50 to me. The thought of bringing home another Dominic turns my stomach, and makes me think maybe starting with a puppy is the best route for us. Not that rescue isn't a wonderful thing, but there is an element of the unknown involved, and it can turn out pretty scary.

Not only do you need to evaluate the dog, but you need to evaluate the rescue group too!!!

At YGRR there is a 4 page application for the adoptor and a home visit is required to make sure the adoptive family is responsible. Strict rules are in place for adoptors with cats and small children. The dogs at the kennel go through an extensive health and behavioral evaluation, including reactions to other dogs and cats. All are spayed and neutered and any health problems are treated and addressed prior to adoption. All at no cost to the adoptive family. Blaze had an undiagnosed ear infection when we adopted him. YGRR paid the bills incurred with my vet. Dogs at YGRR will only go to a good match. We had to bring our resident golden up to the kennel to meet Blaze. There was one dog at the kennel for 3 years waiting for her forever home!!!

The YGRR facility is impressive - air conditioned, areas for senior dogs, ill dogs, and unruly dogs. There is a pool for dogs who need hydro therapy and miles of trails through the woods covering the grounds. And never any rush or pressure to make a match or send a dog off with a family if the situation is not right.

There are lots of rescue groups that take in tractor trailer loads of dogs and send them to homes with very little screening. My dil is going to help transport a truck load of greyhounds in early January. She said some of them may be adopted on the spot by those who assist, no screening at all!!!

It can be very discouraging when things don't work out at first. Some people think YGRR is too strict, but hopefully it reduces the number of dogs who get returned to the kennel.

Mary

[Stefrobrts]

I think a very strict rescue group is best. It shows they want to make sure it's a good match for everyone involved. Unfortunately this was our first experience with a rescue, and the folks running it were very good people, with big hearts, but overrun with work. Now we know more, and could ask more informed questions if we went that route again!

[Poprivet]

My lab mix, Zap, turns 12 new Years Day and she is doing pretty good. As in people, diet, weight control, and a lot of love are most important.

Zap gets no people food. She's fed once a day - one can of wet mixed with one cup of dry. Both have animal products as the #1 ingredient. For desert, she gets 3 dog biscuits and one raw hide. At 12, she is trim, alert, happy, and active. She has developed some fatty tumors and has some allergies that affect her skin.

[rettoc625]

Originally Posted by Pop Rivet

My lab mix, Zap, turns 12 new Years Day and she is doing pretty good. As in people, diet, weight control, and a lot of love are most important.

Zap gets no people food. She's fed once a day - one can of wet mixed with one cup of dry. Both have animal products as the #1 ingredient. For desert, she gets 3 dog biscuits and one raw hide. At 12, she is trim, alert, happy, and active. She has developed some fatty tumors and has some allergies that affect her skin.

A twelve year old thin lab is impressive!!! Many of them get paunchy and fat as they age (don't we all?!!!!)

Large dogs run the risk of developing bloat, a life threatening condition that must be treated immediately if the dog is to survive. While it is not known for sure what causes it, it has been suggested that feeding a dog 2 times a day and limiting the amount of food that will swell up in the belly may reduce the risk.

I have noticed a decrease in the amount of scratching my older golden does now that he is on a home cooked diet that does not include the grains found in dry kibble. I am not opposed to feeding kibble, my younger golden still gets it, I have just noticed an improvement in allergy related skin issues since we began.

Just my two cents for what it is worth.

Mary

[Stefrobrts]

Zap sounds like she's in great shape for 12! Good for her (and you)!

Both of our dogs have fatty tumors too, They aren't anything to worry about, and the vets don't seem to have any answer for why they get them. Seems like all old dogs do. Both of our dogs have several. Alki had to have all her's checked before we started treatment this summer to be sure they were harmless, and they were.