How to Determine if Your Dog is at High Risk for Dog Breast Cancer

breast cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed in the unsprayed female dog. If detected early, the prognosis of these breast tumors can be good but there is always the risk of spread to other parts of the body. A more effective way to ensure your dog doesn't succumb to dog breast cancer is to practice prevention.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Cancer of the mammary glands is usually seen in a middle aged, unsprayed female dog greater than the age of five, although rare cases have occurred in dogs as young as a year and a half. As in humans, they usually present with a firm knot or nodule beneath the skin in the region of the mammary glands. There may be more than one nodule present in some cases. The only way to determine definitively whether a nodule is malignant is to biopsy it. About half of the mammary nodules biopsied by a veterinarian will be malignant with the other half being benign. With early detection and treatment of dog breast cancer, the malignant nodule or nodules can be successfully removed surgically and your dog may have a favorable prognosis, although the potential always exists for the cancer to spread through the lymph system to other parts of the body.

2. Fortunately, there is an easy way to dramatically reduce the risk that your canine will develop dog breast cancer. Female dogs that are spayed before their second heat at around two years of age have a significantly reduced incidence of mammary tumors. If a dog is spayed before the first heat, the incidence of mammary tumors drops even more dramatically. This is likely due to the alteration in hormonal factors that occurs when spaying occurs and the resulting drop in estrogen levels which can fuel the growth of mammary tumors. Spaying your female dog after the age of two may not give a reduction in the risk of dog breast cancer.

3. If your female dog is over the age of two and hasn't been spayed, it's important to do regular exams to check for abnormal knots or nodules in the region of the mammary gland as well as in the surrounding tissue. If you notice a nodule, particularly if firm or immobile, have your dog seen by her veterinarian as soon as possible. Your vet will very likely recommend a biopsy to rule out dog breast cancer.

4. If you're concerned about your female dog's potential risk of developing dog breast cancer, consider spaying her as early as possible. If your dog is older than two years of age, dog regular checks and have any nodules you feel evaluated quickly by your vet. It may just save your dog's life.