Cancer and tumors are more prevalent with age. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over eight years old. Although those numbers seem grim, 50 percent of all cancers and tumors are curable. Cancer is not an automatic death sentence.

If you find a lump or bump that isn't normally on your dog, have it checked immediately. Some cancers and tumors are fast spreading. If you wait too long, it may be too late for your veterinarian to do anything about them. Signs of cancer include strange growths, excessive weight loss, lack of appetite, bleeding, sores or wounds that will not heal, abnormal swellings, excessive sleep or lethargy, and difficulty breathing, eating, or drinking.

Veterinarians use a combination of techniques to battle cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation have all been standard tools against cancer, but they have now been significantly improved and can be joined with other methods. Chemotherapy, long maligned for its side effects, now has some refinement. Using the latest DNA information, researchers have developed certain drugs that leave the healthy cells alone and aim specifically at the tumors and cancer. Cancer vaccines may offer hope that someday, once diagnosed with cancer, your dog may simply go in for a vaccination and have the body fight the cancer itself.