Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care

Q: Do animals get breast cancer? A: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This disease does occur in our pets as well. Fortunately, almost all of it can be prevented by spaying your pet before her first heat cycle. Dogs are particularly prone to breast cancers. Their bodies are not designed to cycle continuously without nursing pups. With every heat cycle their bodies go through a sixty day hormonal pregnancy regardless of whether they are bred or not. This hormonal cycle continuously stimulates the mammary tissue for at least four months of the year. The constant stimulation leads to very high rates of cancer. Fortunately, 99% of canine breast cancer can be prevented by spaying young dogs. While breast cancer is less common in cats, it does occur. The risk is also drastically reduced when cats are spayed. Also, just like in people, reproduction and nursing reduces the risk of breast cancer in intact dogs and cats. Q: Does the current economic downturn hurt pets?Many people have been asking me about the economy’s impact on my practice. Last week I met with a group of colleagues from various parts of Virginia and Maryland. The state of the economy was a popular topic of discussion. It seems that many of us are beginning to notice some changes in our caseload that may be related to economic conditions.Many companion animal practices are seeing a lower proportion of preventive care patients. Some pet owners seem to be skipping or delaying routine examinations, vaccines, laboratory screenings, dental cleanings, and parasite preventives. Some owners are also waiting longer to bring a sick pet to the veterinarian. As a result we are seeing more serious illnesses and larger veterinary bills.In the past two months, my practice has seen three cases of leptospirosis in dogs who did not receive appropriate vaccine boosters. One of these cases ended in tragedy. Two ended in large bills. We are seeing more parasite infestations from lack of proper preventives and more side effects from cheap over the counter flea chemicals. Just this week I treated a dog in severe heart failure whose owner had declined basic diagnostics just a week ago. The delay resulted in more suffering for the patient, less likelihood of treatment success, and more expense for the owner. Another doctor in my practice tried in vain to get a cat’s owner to let us run a urinalysis to diagnose the pet’s urinary tract problem. Five days later, the cat ended up being rushed to an emergency clinic with a total blockage and potentially permanent kidney damage. This type of case is becoming all too common.In addition, more and more complex cases are being treated at the general practitioner level. Less owners are willing to drive to regional specialty centers. A cardiologist friend of mine reports less patients on his schedule. He also notices that people are waiting until pets are much sicker before coming to him. As a result, bills are higher and treatment success is lower.As a veterinarian, I enjoy keeping my patients healthy. When they get sick, I like to help them get well quickly. When owners skip important prevention steps and wait longer to have sick pets treated, my ability to help them is significantly impaired. Although budgets are tight, I encourage readers to make their pets a priority. In the long run it will be better for your pet, your budget, and your happiness.

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