Facts About Cancer in Labradors

By Richard Cussons

Labradors are widely used by people such as police because of their excellent detection and working abilities. United States, Australia and many other countries are making use of these dogs' services. But how can they be of service to people when they are sick?

A lot of people all over the globe died because of cancer. Unfortunately, victims of this dreaded disease are not just humans but dogs as well. Cancer is considered as the leading cause of death among dogs especially the older ones. Cancer therefore is a serious problem affecting humans and dogs alike.

Cancer is an immune dysfunction disease, meaning this disease occurs when the immune system fails to work properly. The dog's body is composed of millions of cells. One of these cells must have errors in replication, thus giving way to cancer. Toxins, radiation, congenital disease and age help increase these errors.

If the dog's immune system recognizes the errors in replication and destroys the abnormal cells, then problem is solved. However, if the immune system failed to detect the presence of abnormal cell, the abnormal cell will surely replicate itself. The growth of abnormal cell may not be evident in the first few days or months. But the tumor continues growing until such time that it is large enough for veterinarians to detect.

Detecting or diagnosing cancer can be difficult but there are signs to watch out for. These signs include bloated abdomen, presence of blood or mucous in the feces or urine, constipation, diarrhea, difficulty in urinating or defecating and sudden loss of weight.

What makes cancer a dreaded disease is the fact that there is no specific drug that could cure it. Some experts coined it as a "no-cure" disease. However, there are some ways to address the problem. First is to reduce the tumors through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. These methods are definitely important in reducing tumors. Then along with these methods, the main root should be addressed as well, that is to trigger the dog's immune system to respond. When the recognition response is triggered, there is a high risk of overcoming cancer.

Cancer has many causes. It is a result from the combined effects of genetics, physical and chemical carcinogens. Breeders should make sure that only healthy and disease-free dogs should be included in the breeding process. Dog owners and care takers should also be careful with the foods they fed to their Labradors because some dog foods contain cancer-causing chemicals.

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