Another article from Dr. Robert Berger.

Some Mainstream Causes of Canine Cancer, by Robert Berger, MS, MVSc, Ph.D.

Cancer cells are present in most of us at sometime in our lives. For both human and animals (in this case, our canine companions), the odds of us not at least having pre-cancerous or fully intact cancer cells found somewhere in our bodies at any given time are fairly slim.

The best way to lower the chances and inhibit the onset of cancer (and stop it from becoming a full-blown malignancy), is to possess a well-functioning, powerful immune system. A strong immune system will enable the body to recognize, isolate, and destroy cells in the body that are foreign and potentially dangerous which obviously includes cells that are pre-cancerous or are cancer cells themselves.

If cancer is considered an epidemic in humans, it is even more so that in our canine companions. If one is to look at the history of cancer in dogs, you can be assured that it claims about one out of every three; around 33% or higher. Dogs that live to seven years or older have about a 50% chance of being diagnosed with cancer with some breeds showing an even higher incidence. Full breeds, and even some such as Golden Retrievers (where about 60% of this breed alone will die of cancer), have an even greater chance. Yet, according to the American Cancer Society, for the entire canine population, only 10-15% of cancers are due to genetics. The other 85-90% is due to many other factors, especially environmental and dietary ones.

Remember that dogs live their lives lower to the ground than humans do. This means that they are more subject to the effects of toxins and chemicals that are heavier than air and fall to the ground. Then they breath these toxins and chemicals in or absorb them through their skin.

Prime examples of the above are cigarette smoke, industrial fumes, car exhaust, and even smog. As much as humans are negatively affected by these toxins and chemicals, dogs are even more so affected by them.

Also remember that dogs are covered with fur/hair which attracts and holds onto airborne toxins and waste products many times stronger than would skin alone. Another fact to note is that dogs don’t sweat through their skin (they do so through their lungs/mouths…why they pant).

This means that many toxins have to be “panted” or “exhaled” out before or after metabolized by the liver. The panting and exhaling of these toxins can (and do) take a toll on the dog’s health over time, and will affect the lungs, esophagus, nasal passages, and all areas of the mouth, (i.e., tongue and gums).

This article is not about whether one believes in the use of traditional vaccinations for your furry friend, as that decision is entirely up to the owner (s). What has been shown to be a health issue when using injectable vaccines is something named ” Vaccine Induced Carcinoma” or ” Vaccine Associated Sarcoma”.

This is where lesions can form or develop in the area, (or at the point), of the injection site on the dog’s body.

There are a number of varying components in different types of vaccines….depending on the type of vaccine, of course. These are, the make up of the vaccine itself as well as the carrier solvent or solution. One type of solvent used may contain formaldehyde, for instance. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, (we know it as embalming fluid), and can make up part of the vaccine itself, as it can reduce an antigen’s strength to cause simple antibody production, or be just a constituent of the liquid transport substance. Regardless, the presence of formaldehyde at the injection site can cause inflammation and lesion development over time. These lesions can develop into specific types of tumors that can be highly invasive (i.e., cancerous), and spread rapidly to a pet’s lymph nodes and/or lungs.

Although the above concept is on the same lines of thought, the same can be said about tick, flea and anti-parasite medications which will be discussed in future articles.

There are numerous types of meat products (found either as part of a food or as the sole constituent), that because of the nature of how a “food-source” animal is fed or raised (i.e., certain types of livestock), may have elevated levels of steroids in their systems. These animals may have been given steroids to either increase size or to combat inflammation/infection, or (in many cases), produced and secreted an extreme amount of steroids (i.e., due to fear), just prior to slaughter. These steroids, whether they be anabolic or anti-inflammatory (such as a corticosteroid), can do harm to a dog if present in his/her food over a period of time. These steroids, when present, have been linked to specific cancers in dogs.

Many dog foods or diets have an abundant amount of fat in them.

Depending on the amount of fat/fatty acid concentration (to be discussed in detail in future articles), fat not only causes unwanted weight gain of non-functional tissue (fat), but also holds many dangerous fat-soluble toxins in the body. When these toxins are released from fat they enter the circulation and get embedded in body tissues. Again, many are carcinogens and/or co-carcinogens and are causative factors for cancer….especially in our pets!

Future articles will focus on the effects of excess carbohydrates and simple sugars in many dog foods and how these are related to cancer development in our canine companions.

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