Two Dogs Cancer Same House

Doubt it is the house. If I remember correctly, cancer is comm in labs. If they were one or two years old, I would possibly question it, but not at their age.

I am sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately these types of cancers are very common in this breed, as well as Boxers, Goldens, and a few others. While it's natural to want to look for something in the environment or blame something in your home, it's more likely genetic, given how often these cancers develop in certain breeds, especially as they get older. I would focus more on getting your dogs treated if you choose to treat them, and keeping them as healthy and comfortable as possible, rather than trying to investigate the possible reasons why. Good luck to you and your fur-babies!

Oh I'm so sorry.
((Hugs))

I don't think it uncommon for elderly pets to succumb to cancer. Much like people, we know a lot more now than we used to about the exact causes of death---maybe a few decades ago, it would have gone undetected and been labeled "old age". Just because both dogs have been determined to have cancer doesn't necessarily mean your house is sick and the cause of it though.
However, I don't think it is ever a bad idea to do radon testing.
Good luck and let us know what your results are.

I am so sorry.

We lost one of our German Shepherds to cancer last month. He was ten.

As far as I understand, cancer is the most common cause of death in dogs of a certain age. It strikes me as unlikely that there is a problem with your home, it's probably just one of those things. By all means, have your house tested if you feel its a good idea, but don't blame yourself for this.

Here's a link you may find interesting:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2011/03/causes-of-death-for-dogs...

How very sad for you and your family :( I'm sorry to hear about this.

My sister's 7 year old Lab was just put down last week for cancer. She was told by her vet that Labs are predisposed to cancer. She never even used Flea and Tick or had her yard or home treated for anything.

Be strong and I'll be praying for you and your family.

I'm so sorry. Take care of your elderly pups as well as you can, and LOVE them every minute you can. Cancer is so prevalent among dogs that it probably isn't the radon, but it wouldn't hurt to have your house tested anyhow. At least you'll know one way or the other, instead of wondering. :'^(

At 12 and 11, I don't think it's the house.
Are the dogs related? It's likely genetic.
Pure breed dogs have histories of cancers, heart problems and diabetes.

So sorry you are going through this. Puppy love to you!

I understand your concern all too well.

In late 2009, our 13 year old cat passed away from stomach cancer (not sure which kind).

In late 2010, our 8 year old dalmatian passed away from a rare cancer called hepatic spindle cell sarcoma.

Then just last month, our 17 year old cat passed away from oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Not only that, but in 2011, four more pets on our block, including the dog next door and the dog behind us, passed away from cancer. The dog across the street is currently being tested to see if he has oral cancer.

I do understand that cancer of any form is a common thing for pets to get. And that like us, they don't live forever and have to go from 'something.' After all, the cat was 17! And, yes, some breeds are more prone to certain cancers. Still doesn't make it easy to hear.

Losing three of my pets - more than pets, my first babies! - to cancer has been devastating. That combined with the incidences on our block made me question the safety of our own home. I talked to our vet and our pediatrician, neither of whom seem too concerned, mostly because they were all different kinds of cancers. However, we are currently doing the 6 month radon test.

So scary to not know all the answers. So heartbreaking to lose our pets.

These cancers are common, especially in older dogs. It's probably nothing you've done or nothing specific you can pin point in your house. I had two Jack Russells who had three mast cell tumors between the two of them. I too wondered if it had something to do with my yard products or the environment, but the vet told me it did not. On the positive side, if caught early mast cell tumors are surgically removable. My dogs lived to be 17 1/2 and 15 1/2 and did not die from their mast cell tumors. Best wishes! I've had two elderly dogs at the same time and I know it's very difficult.

I am so sorry to hear that your dogs have cancer. I know this won't really help you now, but sometimes dog foods and treats have ingredients that cause cancer. I just read this article today - http://goodnessgracioustreats.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/wh... You can also go to www.dogfoodadvisor.com to check out the ratings of your dogs food.

And if you have a holistic vet in your area they may be able to offer you some natural help. Here is an article on that - http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/herbs-for-canc...

We had a dog that had prostrate cancer. He only lived 2 weeks after his diagnosis because the tumor blocked his urine flow. He lived with a catheter that we had to empty every couple hours. We tried so many things to help him but the tumor was already too big. During that time we learned so many things about what we did wrong during his lifetime - the food we fed him, the medicines we used on him, the cleaning supplies we used in the house, etc. Do some research on the internet about natural dog care and hopefully your dogs will still have a few good years ahead of them.

Oh, I'm so sorry! This is a time that all us pet owners dread. As many others have responded, cancers are quite common in older dogs. We just didn't have the technology to detect them all when we were young growing up with pets. They just got old, tired, and died. Or, they got a lump, and we knew it was something bad. There was nothing we could do about it. Unfortunately, as common as cancers are with older pets, there is also a genetic component and labs are more prone to cancers than some other breeds.

I also strongly believe that there are contributors that we don't even know about yet. I was reading just yesterday about keeping plastic water bottles in the car and when they get heated how they can release dioxins, which cause cancer. Well just guess how we water our dogs when they are out hunting? We use the same cheap disposable water bottles over and over because we like the nozzles. And our oldest hunter is currently 8 years old. I shudder to think we've set her up to have cancer which would take her from us sooner.

Well, I'm sorry, and I hope that they don't suffer. Love them as much as you can and cherish the memories you have with them.

The other posters may be right, it could be genetic (after all, cancer risk increases with family history of cancer even with humans) and it may be common among certain breads. However, I follow your line of thinking...if two dogs in the same house have both been diagnosed with cancer, could it be in the house and pose a risk to your family? Common or not something CAUSES it so it makes sense to have your home checked.

So sorry for your pet's diagnosis. I agree with the other comments about large dogs - they tend not to live as long as smaller dogs and cancer is usually the culprit. My inlaws had 4 large dogs of various ages and mutt-breeds (and other homes as they "inherited" 2 of them) and as each of them approached 10-13 each one developed cancer. My neighbors had 2 labs, 3 years apart, and one developed tumors at 14, the other 12.

It's not easy to lose a pet at any age though.