Dogs have become a great part of the lives of human beings, even earning the name of "man's best friend". They are welcomed into homes as puppies, becoming a part of these human families who begin to treat them as any other family member. Working at a dog grooming shop, I have seen all kinds of breeds and all kinds of behaviors; from the most spoiled of dogs to the most tame, I have seen them all. We have puppies just a few months old, right up to canines who have grown frail from old age. In this blog I would like to discuss the different dogs I encounter, and even take it a step further. Now and then I will meet a dog who somehow arouses my interest. Whether it be their history or simply the manner they have among humans or other dogs, often leading me to research different stories and information to understand these canines a bit better.
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| Cockapoo |
Just the other day we had a fourteen year old Cockapoo named Rocky come in, whom we consider to be a 'regular'. A Cockapoo is a mix between an American Cocker Spaniel or an English Cocker Spaniel with a poodle. They are rather small dogs and it is not uncommon for such small dogs to live to be 14-18 years old so Rocky being this age is not very strange at all. However, this dog has experienced something which makes him stand out from the rest. He has had cancer twice before, each time he had to undergo Chemotherapy to rid his body of this. One of the times the cancer was in his foot, so as expected, he is very sensitive in that particular area. Even just touching it will cause him to cry out, though it does not hurt him, but having such a bad history with it, it is only reflex for him to react this way.
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| Common lump from cancer in a canine's foot. |
The first sign of cancer in a canine is a new lump or the change in the size of an already existing lump. Very often the dog will get a runny nose, sometimes bloody, or will have difficulty urinating or even bloody urine. Vomiting and diarrhea, increased water intake, bad breath, excessive drooling, drainage in ears or even just limping are signs that a dog may in fact have some kind of cancer. Some breeds or more likely than others, for instance, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boxers, Golden Retrievers, and Greyhounds are more likely than other breeds to get cancer. This does not mean that your Boxer who has recently started limping has cancer, these symptoms are often signs of other issues as well. However, as Rocky is a great example of, dogs just like humans can be incredible survivors as well. Just make sure to always be aware of your pet's behavior and be observant of anything strange going on with them, and please remember that their veterinarian is just a phone call away!
LOVE,LOVE,LOVE your blog! I'm an animal lover too. I actually feel that the compassion I lack for people I make up with animals- so reading your posts are very helpful/entertaining for me. This post, though, really hit home. I had to put my 12 year old beagle, Moe to sleep back in November. He had cancer and I mistakenly thought his lump was a fat deposit (he had several). He also had a few of the other symptoms like the runny nose and bad breath. Very helpful to know the signs I should look out for with my new pup.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason when I'm watching movies the thing that bothers me most is the death of animals. Maybe this is bad - the fact I don't have nearly as potent a guttural reaction to the death of people in movies as I do to the death of animals.
ReplyDeleteThere is this commercial with Sarah Mclaughlin and injured dogs. Sufficed to say, I need to change the channel.
I come from a long line of dog lovers. My parents always have had dogs (and therefore, so too have I) and their parents also had dogs.
Thanks for blogging about "man's best friend."