Like many of us, our pets are living longer. And as they do, they develop more cancers. According to an October 1997 Morris Animal Foundation survey, cancer is the number one killer of dogs and cats, and the number one concern of pet owners. Some seventy types of cancer have been identified in domestic animals. As with humans, there is no one cause for this virulent disease, but there are plenty of things we can do to prevent many cancers from occurring.
Prevention can start inside our homes.
We generally think of cleaners, paints and human medicines as the most dangerous for our pets. But not all commercial pet products are animal-friendly, either, even if your dog or cat likes them. One of the biggest culprits is commercial pet food. Perhaps the largest moral reason not to feed your animal these foods is that much of it contains rendered, euthanized pets. In both the U.S. and in Canada, this rendering of pets is not illegal.