Cancer in any dog is heartbreaking. Large-breed dogs are more susceptible to certain cancers than smaller dogs, though there is not much that can be done to prevent the cancers. Treatment includes blood transfusions, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
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Large-breed Dogs
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Large-breed dogs include Alaskan Malamutes, boxers, bloodhounds, Dalmatians, Doberman pinschers, English Setters, German shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhounds, Labrador retrievers, Mastiffs, Rottweiler and Saint Bernards.
These dogs are tall, and weight anywhere from 50 to more than 100 pounds as adults.
General Cancer
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Cancer, also known as neoplasia, forms when there is a transformation of normal cells into abnormal ones, according to the website Pet Place. Cancer can occur anywhere on a dog, from skin, to bone to blood or specific organs. Cancer can spread from one area in the dog to another if left untreated. As with cancer in humans, there is currently no cure for the condition.
Bone Cancer
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Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in dogs, and large-breed dogs are the most susceptible to it. This cancer occurs often in long bones, hip and shoulder bones, according to Bone Cancer Dogs.
According to the website Pet Place, osteosarcoma often appears in dogs six years or older. Bone cancer in dogs spreads rapidly.
Signs of bone cancer include lameness, swelling of a limb or limbs, difficulty breathing, reluctance or inability to exercise and broken bones with minimal trauma, according to Pet Place.
Histiocytosis
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This type of cancer is thought to be hereditary. This cancer appears as "lesions in the spleen, lymph nodes, lung, bone marrow, skin and subcutis, brain and periarticular tissue...of joints," according to the website Canine Cancer.
There are two types of histiocytosis: nonmalignant (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous). It is prevalent in Bernese Mountain Dogs, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Labs and other retrievers, according to Pet Place.
Symptoms include lethargy, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, enlarged lymph nodes and an enlarged abdomen, according to the website.
Treatment
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Treatment of osteosarcoma, as with other cancers, is most successful if it is done early in the cancer's development. Treatment can include pain medications, surgical removal of the tumor (which sometimes involves amputation of the infected limb), chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Treatment of histiocytosis includes electrolyte therapy (for dogs who become dehydrated from lack of eating and drinking), blood and plasma transfusions and chemotherapy.
Prevention
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There is little that can be done to prevent these types of cancers in large-breed dogs. If you purchase a dog from a breeder, ask to see the pup's genetic history and be sure that the puppy you choose doesn't have a prevalent history of cancer in its genes.
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