May is Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Just as their human companions are, pets have more chance of getting cancer the older they get. While cats are less prone to cancer than humans, dogs develop cancer at about the same rate as people.According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, you should be aware of these top 10 common signs of cancer in pets:
- Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
- Offensive mouth odor
- Sores that do not heal
- Difficulty in eating and/or swallowing
- Weight loss
- Persistent lameness and/or stiffness
- Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
- Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating
- Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
- Loss of appetite
Because there has been some correlation to injury and cancer, it’s important that you keep your pets safe in their daily lives. If the pet door that your dog is using causes him to hit his shoulders when he goes through, the repeated injury could later in life become a site where cancer develops.
Be sure to get the right size pet door for your precious companion. Check out our size chart here.
And for more tips and ways you can help, visit the National Canine Cancer Foundation, a Hale Pet Door Rescue Rewards Partner.