Detecting Dog Cancer
Our doctors encourage us to keep an eye on ourselves for signs of cancer. Screening for breast and cervical cancer in women and prostate cancer in men is now routine. In the same way, it is wise to keep a close eye on your pet for signs of cancer such as lymphoma.
Currently PetScreen is able to provide the most advanced screening test for canine lymphoma. Additionally, we are working on new screens for other major dog cancers and these will become available shortly. If you are interested in receiving information about these new screens as they become available, please complete our Pet Owner Registration Form and we will keep you up to date with our latest developments.
If you want more information about the future of this technology in human medicine, please see the following two articles:
Why screen?
One of the big problems with cancer is that it often develops slowly and so goes unnoticed for a long time. Since our pets can’t tell us when they are ill, cancer is often discovered late, limiting the type of treatment that can be given. When cancer is discovered early, the chances for successful treatment are much greater.
Routine screening can improve cancer care by helping to pick up tumours that might otherwise go unnoticed until it is too late.
Screening is particularly helpful for those breeds which show a high risk of cancer and for individual dogs whose parent or sibling has suffered from the disease.
Keeping a close eye on your pet’s health is the best way to avoid problems. Most vets now recommend annual health checks and the lymphoma screen can be included with these tests. In those instances of higher risk, it would be advisable to have the test performed every six months.
The Test
As far as your pet is concerned, the test is very simple.
A small amount of blood is taken by your vet or vet nurse. This is then sent to Petscreen. About two weeks later, your vet will get the result and contact you.
The Results – what next?
In most cases the result will be negative, giving you peace of mind. If a positive result does occur, your vet will be in a better position to complete a thorough investigation. Should this confirm lymphoma, your vet will decide on the most appropriate treatment to give your dog the best chance of recovery. PetScreen is able to help your vet to find the most effective treatment using a unique Treatment Optimisation Test called DCA. The following link is a guide to the results:
Screening Your Dog for Lymphoma, an Owners Guide to Results
You can book your dog’s lymphoma screen through this website using the online booking form:
Book Your Dog's Screen
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