Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I have just lost two genetically unrelated dogs to two separate cancers in about a one month period. Is this coincidence? Due to their age - he was about 8 on diagnosis and she died at about 9 1/2? Or is there something toxic about my home environment? I used a weed and feed product on the grass 3 years ago, but kept them off it according to instructions. The neighbors all use it - we try to bypass sidewalks where there are evident fertilizer bits, but don't always see them in time. I use regular household cleaning products, but don't think I overuse them. I am not aware of any particular risks in my community - we don't live next to a nuclear waste dump or on uranium tailings or anything. Just worried about the health of the cats, as well as my daughter and I.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Just curious, are you by any chance on well water?
If not, have there been any issues with your water source where you live?
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Nope. Lake Michigan, and water safety reports for my area check out every year.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
I think it's a brutal coincidence. I also think it's natural when life throws such incomprehensible tragedies at us to try and look for an explanation, a cause for the effect. I'm no cancer expert, by any means, but all the research I've read suggests a complex interplay of genetics and environment and a million factors we don't understand.
I asked these questions searchingly when my father and my last dog, Billie, died within two weeks of each other, not only both from a brain tumour, but from the same type of (rare) tumour on the same part of the brain. I contacted people researching brain tumours to try and get them to look into it, or at least to record the details of the two cases somewhere meaningful. There seemed little interaction between veterinary and human research, which I found frustrating.
I very much hope that we will in time come to understand much more than we currently do about what causes different types of cancers and what can be done to prevent and treat them, but I suspect the answers will be very far from straightforward.
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
I suspect it's just bad luck. Somebody "wins the lottery" even though the odds are incredibly low.
Many people have Chem Lawn or whomever treating their yard weekly. They have cleaning ladies using potent chemicals daily or weekly in the house -- you can smell them when you walk in! There are people feeding their dog the cheapest, made-in-China dog food. The majority of dogs probably have a much worse environment than your dogs did. The fact that you are aware enough to ask the question says alot about the level of care and concern and environment they have. And the majority of dogs do not end up with cancer. You got hit by the crappy bad luck. Like the poor soul who is walking down the street when part of a building falls on him, or the guy who was jogging on the beach when a plane crash landed and clipped him with a wing and killed him, or the kid driving down the highway at night and hits the black cow that escaped from the farmer's field. It's just horrible, terrible luck.
I guess the only thing that would give me pause is if the neighbor's dogs all seem to succombing to cancer, too. Then I would question the environment at a higher level. But from what you've said, it doesn't sound like that's the case.
In the book Freakonomics, they talk about the person who buys 10 parenting books when they have their first kid. There is nothing to indicate that the information in those books makes any difference in the kids life. However, the fact that the parent cares enough to want to buy the books indicates the parent cares and is likely to be a good parent, independent of them ever opening the books. You clearly fall on the caring "pawrent" side of the fence and I doubt there is anything you've done, or anything in your environment.
That said, I know that if I had lost two babies in one month, I'd be a mess and asking the same questions. You better believe I've tried to figure out what could have caused Milo's cancer. (And what could have caused my dad's cancer.) It sounds like you've done your due dilligence, looked at your environment, given thought to yours and your daughter's health, and may just have to accept the incredible bad luck and try not to drive yourself insane.
Truly wishing you peace,
-Jenifer & Milo
I wondered that too... I live so very close to LAX airport and wondered if that was what gave Shelby her cancer (hemangiosarcoma). But I do think you have a valid thought process but I also believe it was an incredibly horrible coincidence.
I do believe our environmental factors play into our health (I suffer from migraines but only in LA so I suspect it is the poor air quality here)... my dad passed from cancer almost 20 years ago and while he was a smoker, it was also environmental we believe. (brain and lung cancer which ironically, brain cancer is what ultimately took my Shelby.
But I think you are doing a good job being aware and diligent! HUGS!!!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
There are no stupid questions or concerns here.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
The only actual link I know of is that there seems to be a slightly higher risk of lymphoma in dogs or people that have been exposed to lots of farm or yard chemicals. There is no link that I know of (other than genetic) for other cancers although there is some evidence that early spay or neuter may contribute to some cancer types.
Pam
I get where Christine's coming from, though. It's scary, wondering is there something that we do, don't do, could do to cause or prevent all of this? Like, when we lived in our mobile home we had Chemlawn - they came out every couple of months & sprayed our yard with chemicals that were supposed to be ok for dogs. And I always made sure that they didn't go out until well after it was dried. Since we've been in this house (9 years), we haven't had them, but I have used Round Up in a couple of spots ( I really, really, really hate weeding!), but I don't use it very often in the back yard and I never let the dogs out when I use it. I don't think I've used it at all in the back yard since Murphy's been diagnosed. How do we protect them?
Donna 
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Christine, here's another book for you, that addresses toxins these concerns we all have:
Are We Shortening Our Dogs’ Lives?
How to help our dogs live long, healthy and disease-free with tips and insight by Ted Kerasote, author of Pukka’s Promise: The Quest for Longer Live Dogs.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Christine,
I'm afraid I'm one of those people that think our (human) and dog's cancer is caused by man (mostly). I totally agree with Dr Pam on early spay/neuter as contributing to some cancers. I think our dog food, water, vaccines, chemicals (both flea products and stuff in our house) can cause cancer. We in the US are not as conscious as some other countries about not using certain industrial chemicals. Caveat here; of course we should use certain vaccines and try to keep fleas and ticks off our dogs and cats. My dog's cancer was genetic as her father had the same cancer and died at the same age so I do believe some are genetic. Working in a hospital for 35 years I have seen tons of cancer in my patients and amongst friends. I don't know the stats but (actually just googled, US is 6th) we are up there. I think we can only do what we can do. But if we are aware like you are, of what we feed, what chemicals we use and basically our environment I think maybe we can lessen this awful disease. OK I'll step off my soapbox.
Penny, Blink, Hank and Angel Maggie
otisandtess said
Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I have just lost two genetically unrelated dogs to two separate cancers in about a one month period. Is this coincidence? Due to their age - he was about 8 on diagnosis and she died at about 9 1/2? Or is there something toxic about my home environment? I used a weed and feed product on the grass 3 years ago, but kept them off it according to instructions. The neighbors all use it - we try to bypass sidewalks where there are evident fertilizer bits, but don't always see them in time. I use regular household cleaning products, but don't think I overuse them. I am not aware of any particular risks in my community - we don't live next to a nuclear waste dump or on uranium tailings or anything. Just worried about the health of the cats, as well as my daughter and I.
Oh no, Christine, we are so very sorry to hear about the devastating news regarding Tess! No words really can convey the sadness that we feel over your news. My husband and I understand your pain however because the same week that Cayenne was diagnosed with osteosarcoma back in July, our beloved golden retriever, Sequoia, passed away from malignant melanoma. Very painful and heartbreaking. One of the hardest weeks that we have endured in many years so we know how hard this is for you and your family.
Many years ago, our very 1st golden retriever (not the aforementioned Sequoia) collapsed suddenly on a weekend. An emergency trip to the vet who was an hour away revealed that she had splenic hemangiosarcoma (in the spleen) and the vet worked diligently to save her but we lost her on the operating table (due to bleeding caused by the inevitable rupturing of the tumor). She was my ultimate bud, so naturally I scoured every tid bit of info out there looking for answers and basically it seems that the primary "cause" (not sure if 'cause' is the correct term here) of hemangiosarcoma seems to be genetically linked. It tends to develop in mid to large size breeds and especially German shepherds, golden retrievers, labrador retrievers, Boxers, Dobermans, and English setters. And our vet at that time suggested that it occurs more often in middle aged to older dogs (but can actually occur in younger dogs also). My golden was 9.10 years old when we lost her to hemangiosarcoma.
One does wonder about environment as a causative agent with regards to pet cancers, because we, as dog or pet people want to do everything in our power to make sure our next pup or remaining pets don't suffer the same fate. But I do think that what you have gone through is just really terrible luck. The worst, in fact! Nothing that you could have done or should have done or didn't do would have changed the outcome. The timing was just coincidental.
I also think that as our pets are starting to live longer, just like people, the numbers change and the longer lived a pet is, the more apt they are to end up with a serious health diagnosis. It sucks but at least we were able to have them in our lives for a wonderful span of time! Your Otis and Tess were so lucky to have you as their 'pawrent'!
Hugs to you and your family.
Gayle and Cayenne
Another nugget - Here in Tennessee (high risk), the general public is encouraged to test their households for radon gas. It's a natural occurring gas that can cause cancer. With tighter and tighter, energy efficient homes, the gas gets trapped while we live "safely" in our abodes. I encourage everyone to check your geo-location for your risk level. You can read more about radon on Wikipedia.
For Radon testing, explore this link - Radon Info
Here's a map of the US with radon exposures:
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
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