Cancer Risks in Cats and Dogs
By Theresa A. Fuess, Ph.D.
Information Specialist
University of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine
"Most people are familiar with environmental risk factors for cancer in people," notes Dr.
Barbara E. Kitchell, oncologist and veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary
Medicine Teaching Hospital at Urbana. "Pet owners should also be aware of the risk
factors for cancer in their pets."
Spaying and neutering can reduce the risk of cancer. Dogs spayed before the first heat
cycle have only half the risk of mammary carcinoma of those spayed after the first but
before the second heat cycle. Dogs spayed after the fifth heat cycle or never spayed have
the highest risk of mammary cancer. Testicular carcinomas or tumors in dogs are common,
but having your dog neutered eliminates that risk. Fortunately, testicular cancer rarely
spreads in dogs, unlike in human beings, so treatment has a high success rate.
What are testicular tumors?
Testicular tumors are considered one of the most common tumors in older intact male dogs. The overall incidence in dogs is not very high because most dogs dogs are castrated (neutered) at a young age. The three most common types of testicular tumors are Sertoli cell tumors, interstitial (Leydig) cell tumors, and seminomas. About one third of dogs that develop a tumor will have more that one of these types of tumors present. Other types of testicular tumors (i.e. embryonal carcinoma, lipoma, fibroma, hemangioma, chondroma, teratoma) can occur, but are rare.
The current cause of testicular tumor development is unknown. Although they are most common in intact older male dog (>10 years), they can occur in intact males of any age and breed. Male dogs that have one or both testicles that have not descended from the belly cavity are much more likely to develop a tumor than dogs with normal (scrotal) testicles.
One of my dogs had a tumor which released female hormone & made one testicle shrink , so it felt like he had two small & a normal one.
the person we got him from said he was neutered & as he had the typical fluffy neutered coat I assumed what she had said was true & didnt check , it was the vet who noticed it
OMG!! :yikes:
:lol: I did wonder!I have to point out it was only a couple of days until it was spotted...I would have noticed eventually honest ,lol
Thanks all!
Would you expect both testicles to be the same size?