Home Podcast TOP #128: Everything You Need to Know About Canine Cancer

TOP #128: Everything You Need to Know About Canine Cancer

Just mentioning the word “cancer” instills fear in dog owners and makes them think of the worst possible scenarios. It is indeed a very serious condition and a lot of research is invested in combating this disease in dogs. If your dog receives this diagnosis, it is extremely overwhelming. There is so much to learn, and the faster you educate yourself about canine cancer the better off your pup will be.

Cancer is defined as a group of malignant cells, or cells that have turned bad. Cancerous cells usually appear due to mutations caused spontaneously or by some outside effect. While the division of regular cells has strict rules of spreading and multiplying, cancerous cells don’t abide by any rules. They multiply in great quantity and use the substances needed for the development of healthy cells for their own growth.

The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research says that about 6 million of the 65 million pet dogs in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. This is an extremely common disease with many different variations. While your dog’s treatment options will vary based on the type of cancer that he has and the stage of the disease, there are some things that you’ll need to know no matter what type of cancer your pet has.

Dr. Lori Cesario is a Board-Certified Veterinary Oncologist. She received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Bioscience from Penn State University. After college, Dr. Cesario worked in a lab at Cornell University developing mouse models of human prostate and mammary cancers, amongst others. She then attended Ross University Veterinary School, with a clinical year at the University of Wisconsin. She completed two one-year internships: a small animal rotating internship at the University of Illinois, followed by an oncology specialty internship at NC State. She then returned to the Midwest for an oncology residency at Michigan State University.

In this podcast episode she discusses some of the common signs of canine cancer, some of the most common types of cancer, and treatment options that are available.

Listen to the podcast episode in the video above and subscribe below.

Everything You Need to Know About Canine Cancer

Samantha’s biggest passion in life is spending time with her Boxer dogs. After she rescued her first Boxer in 2004, Samantha fell in love with the breed and has continued to rescue three other Boxers since then. She enjoys hiking and swimming with her Boxers, Maddie and Chloe.