Cancer strikes golden retrievers at twice the average rate for all breeds, and mammary cancer is a common form. Fortunately, 50 percent of cancer cases in golden retrievers can be completely cured by surgical tumor removal, but the other 50 percent require follow-up care.
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Why Goldens?
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Nobody knows why cancer strikes goldens more frequently than other breeds. It is thought to have something to do with the original breeding stock from which modern goldens are descended. Some researchers also think that immune systems play a role in cancer development.
The Golden’s Immune System
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Golden retrievers are known for having faulty immune systems. This is one reason that they are so prone to skin, ear and eye infections, as well as other immune-related conditions.
Relation to Spaying
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Mammary tumors rely on female sex hormones to survive, so spaying before the first heat cycle almost eliminates the risk. Even if the cancer is already present, spaying can greatly slow the growth and spread of the tumor.
Relation to Age
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Most mammary tumors occur in female goldens between five and 10 years old, but they can occur rarely in dogs as young as two years. Rarely, male goldens may develop mammary cancer; prognosis in these cases is usually poor.
Treatment
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The tumor must be removed surgically, and chemotherapy and radiation can prevent a reoccurrence and slow the growth of secondary tumors.
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