Why Do Dogs Get Cancer?

It is not an uncommon thing these days for animals to get cancer.  Our household pets often succumb to cancer.  Why do dogs and cats get cancer?

Since putting up this post, Channel 3 TVNZ  has shown a koala being treated for cancer in Queensland, Australia,  on one of its nature programmes in the past week.  Today is the 25th September, 2010.

Agricultural chemicals and industial pollution surely must be the reason that koalas living in bushland in Queensland are succumbing to cancer:  The vets on the programme said that it is not uncommon these days.

Like people, dogs and cats do not simply  ‘get’ cancer in the way that many people perceive it.  You do not get struck down with cancer without there being a cause.  The cause is almost always environmental.

Environmental reasons which can cause dogs and cats to get cancer are:

• Poisons in the environment: Such as herbicide sprayed onto grass verges where dogs may walk.
• Poisons in food: Such as agricultural herbicides, growth hormones, and antibiotics in animal feed which is  given to chickens, sheep and cows.   Preservatives, artificial flavourings and flavour enhancers in dog and cat food  are also bad.
• Too much processed food which is deficient in important life-giving minerals and vitamins.
• And probably the most important of the cancer causers:
• FLEA KILLERS AND WEEDKILLERS. PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES.

Most insecticides which are used to deflea cats and dogs are incredibly toxic. Harmful chemicals should never be used anywhere in our environment – people get exposed to these harmful substances in the factories where they are made, for a start, which directly affects the health of these factory workers and their families, let alone the people and animals where the product finally gets to be  used.

A simple thing such as a flea killer which we might imagine to be pretty harmless because it kills fleas, which are small, has ongoing negative effects which cannot really be measured.  The harmful effects of a simple little flea killer are big.  Cancer and arthritis, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s disease, are some of the serious degenerative  diseases which can be caused from chemicals found in many poisonous flea killers.

It might take several years for sickness to develop in your dog because of a poisonous insecticide which you use regularly on your pet.  But it is inevitable that your pet will suffer with the use of harmful pesticides on his or her skin.

Pesticides Cause Depression: Pesticide use affects the emotional and physical states  of your pet.   Your pet is affected immediately upon  coming into contact with flea poisons.  Flea killers make your pet feel sick for a start. Have you noticed your dog getting depressed, losing the appetite, looking sad and moping around,  or getting hyperactive after applying flea killing chemiclals to its coat, or giving it a pill for the eradication of fleas?   You see the same effect on cats, who often get jittery after having flea killers put on them. You often see dogs and cats in a frenzy, trying to rub this stuff off on the grass immediately after they have been dosed.

Depression, Hyperactivity, Loss of Appetite, Cancer, Arthritis:

The two main long term effects of using toxic chemicals on your pets, or giving them poisons internally, are arthritis and cancer.  Types of muscular dystophy are also not uncommon in dogs and cats.

Pesticide chemicals are absorbed through the skin of your pets just as they are absorbed through your own skin.  And that brings up another issue – by using insecticides, pesticides, which have harmful chemicals in them, you and your family will be absorbing these harmful chemicals as well.  This puts YOU and your FAMILY at risk of getting cancer and other degenerative disease.

Perhaps we should stop stroking the cat, then , or patting the dog, some people might ask.  No – of course we do not stop stoking the cat or patting the dog.  We must show our pets that we love them. They need reassurance just as we ourselves do.  Patting your pet and showing it affection is important.

“No” – the answer is NO to poisonous chemicals. We must stop using harmful chemicals on our pets, or anywhere in our environment.  There are organic products which will do the job of getting rid of fleas.  There are home-made remedies which we can make to kill fleas or to deter them.  These remedies may not be quite as effective as the harmful commercial poisons, but it is far better to have the odd flea about than risk getting cancer or arthritis yourself, or have your dog or cat suffer these diseases.

Herbicides Sprayed By Councils and Householders:  This is a serious problem, as, while people are still allowed to use toxic chemicals about the place, we have no control over our exposure or the exposure of our pets to these toxic chemicals.

Herbicides and Pesticides usage is a very common way in which our pets are getting poisoned. Taking your dog for a walk over parkgrounds which have been sprayed with herbicide is very bad for the dog.  It is also bad for us, as we get the poison on our shoes and carry it home and into our houses.

Sprayed chemicals also get carried about in the air which can contaminate wide areas in the region where they are used.

But dogs and cats are especially at risk, because they absorb the chemicals which are sprayed on the grass straight into their little paws. They have DIRECT contact with these harmful chemicals which are sprayed about the place. Herbicide use around parks and grass verges in the city pose a real threat to all dogs and cats living in the area.  On farms, dogs are at risk when paddocks are sprayed with chemicals, as are the animals who will eventually get to eat the grass. All toxic herbicides and insecticides should be banned.  Only natural organic, or herbal, or homeopathic herbicides and pesticides should be allowed, especially where food is produced, or in the cities where people, and dogs and cats roam.  That means there is  no suitable  and safe place for the use of any toxic chemicals.