Is Hemangiosarcoma on the Rise?

[JakodaCD OA]

Sometimes I wonder if it's the 'water'. Something we so take for granted

In my town, there is a little side street, with maybe 25 houses on it, people are dying left and right on that street from some form of cancer. It's weird

I have never had a dog with cancer, and hope to gosh I never do, so heartbreaking.

[middleofnowhere]

It's hard to say. There's junk in our food (and in dogs' food) that wasn't there 50 years ago (and stuff there that wasn't there before that). We pollute the earth readily. Even tin cans are lined with plastic. We have all sorts of devises in our houses that emit all sorts of energy. We pump all sorts of exhaust in the air our dogs with their incredible noses inhale.
Looking at human longevity, those same things start factoring in making family histories less a predictor of human life span in an individual.
I think it is true that we now pay more attention to a pet's health, diagnoses are better etc. And that's true of people too I think.

So I join the group that is saying "Who knows?"

[obxterra]

After our recent loss, I wondered the same thing. Genetic or environmental?

My grandfather was a doctor, just a simple country family GP. He convinced me many years ago that most cancers may be an individuals genetic propensity, but there has to be a trigger in that individuals environment that initiated growth. He was convinced that most were triggered by viruses, while others might be set off by contact with other things, maybe even as simple as allergies.

With my remaining GSD's I'm now looking at their diets, and eliminated the dry dog food I have used for the last 10 - 12 years. I may not be able to prevent it, but possibly limit contact with what ever the trigger might be.

[JakodaCD OA]

I'll tell ya, one breed that I won't ever own that is just rampant with cancer is goldens I don't know one person who's had a golden who didn't lose it to cancer. All one has to do is look on a golden forum and the majority of dogs that are sick, have cancer

[shilohsmom]

I tend to think its on the increase. I can't help but to think that a lot of the causes are enviormental. Years ago we left our dogs outside and gave them cheap dogfood. It seemed like they were living longer (at least based on what people have said about dogs they grew up with). Now we've brought them indoors and are feeding them better foods. The problem with bringing them indoors is our homes. In order to save energy we've sealed up our homes as much as we can with who knows what kinds of chemicals. In addition to that, we use chemicals to clean and spray so that our homes always have that 'fresh smell'. Then in the mornings we kiss our pups goodbye and leave them all day in this sealed enviorment. It can't be healthly.

Recently, I redid my living and dining rooms. One of the projects was to sand down the hardwood floors. I'm waiting until Spring to seal and finish them but do you know that NO ONE would agree there was an option to Polyurathane for the finish. I refuse to use it.

I have to run, but will add more later.

[jaggirl47]

While talking to my vet, she thinks some portion of HSA is genetic but for the larger part she feels it is environmental. I had a long talk with her last week after losing Zappa that we devised a plan for Leyna. She is done getting vaccines but will be going in yearly for blood draws. At age 6, we will do blood draws twice a year. After 8, we will be adding in ultrasounds. I will gladly post Zappa's pedigree though since he just passed from it.