Dog Cancer Knowledge Base

These knowledge base articles are the core of DogCancer.com. Every article is carefully vetted. Each one is researched, written, and medically reviewed by at least four independent experts (veterinarians, cancer researchers, and science journalists. The result is organized, easy-to-understand explanations of everything relating to dog cancer. Whether you need to find out more about a prescription drug, a supplement, a food, or a medical procedure, these knowledgebase articles will give you medically sound, nuanced, and complete information. We update articles regularly, so you can always rely on the information you find.

Latest Articles

Brain tumors in dogs can occur in any breed

Brain Tumors in Dogs

Brain tumors are typically benign, growing slowly and only rarely spreading to other areas of the body. However, they grow within the confines of the skull which can cause many serious neurological symptoms. Neurosurgery, radiation... read full article

Some tumors respond to radiation therapy for dogs.

Radiation for Dogs

Radiation is a cancer treatment method that can shrink tumors or kill lingering cancer cells left behind by other treatment methods. It's also great for pain control. Radiation can extend your dog’s life and also... read full article

Can Plastic Cause Cancer in Dogs?

Plastic use is ubiquitous throughout our daily lives, but plastics can be packed with some hard-hitting chemicals known to be dangerous for human (and canine!) health. Even concerted efforts to minimize plastic use and make... read full article

Dog Cancer Remission

Remission is the word that every person who loves a dog with cancer wants to hear – it means that your dog is responding to treatment. read full article

Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Dogs

Soft tissue sarcoma in dogs is a slow spreading cancer that can develop almost anywhere on your dog’s body. If accessible and detected early, it can be cured with surgery. However, larger tumors that are... read full article

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Anal Sac Cancer in Dogs

Anal sac cancer in dogs can metastasize and be deadly, but a cure is possible for anal gland tumors with early, prompt, aggressive treatment. read full article

Multivitamins for Dogs

A high-quality multivitamin can help bridge the gaps in nutritional needs missing from your dog’s diet, providing them with the metabolic and immune system support necessary to fight cancer. read full article

Commercial dog food can be healthy for dogs, with reservations.

Commercial Dog Food and Dog Cancer

Commercial dog foods are a convenient option for dog lovers and may be a good fit for your dog with cancer. read full article

Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage for dogs with cancer is a great idea.

Cabbage for Dogs

A powerful food filled with vitamins and antioxidants that offer some anticancer benefits, cabbage for dogs with cancer is a good idea. read full article

You can use mung beans for dogs with cancer as a great immune boosting food.

Mung Beans for Dogs

These legumes are not only a great addition to your dog’s diet as a source of low-carbohydrate vegetables and dietary fiber, but they may also boost the immune system and are a good part of... read full article

Cruciferous veggies like cauliflower for dogs with cancer are packed with potent cancer-fighting properties.

Cauliflower for Dogs

Cauliflower is a superfood that’s low-calorie, readily available, and packed with some promising compounds that may help resist and fight cancer as well as improve the therapeutic outcomes of chemotherapy. read full article

Brussels Sprouts are delicious and packed with nutrition and cancer support.

Brussels Sprouts

Small but mighty, Brussels sprouts contain vitamins and nutrients that can help prevent canine cancer and stop it in its tracks. read full article

Broccoli For Dogs

Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, full of important nutrients and cancer-fighting properties. read full article

Providing bell peppers for dogs with cancer is a great idea. They're packed with antioxidants and even have anti-cancer properties.

Bell Peppers for Dogs

Bell peppers are packed full of health benefits. They are actually a fruit, although many think of them as a vegetable. They are safe to feed your dog and contain many vitamins and antioxidants. read full article

An excellent low-carb source of energy, oatmeal for dogs is tasty, too.

Oatmeal for Dogs

Oatmeal is an excellent addition to your dog’s diet. It is inexpensive and adds many nutrients including antioxidants to your dog's diet. It can also be used as a soothing bath additive. read full article

the connection between grain free dog food and heart disease is not as solid as first suspected. It may not be grains, but legumes that are the culprit.

Grain Free Dog Food and Heart Disease

Grain free dog food is not necessarily low in carbohydrates, and has been linked to heart disease in dogs. Is it the lack of grain, or the presence of other sources of starch? read full article

Don't be afraid of brown rice for dogs with cancer. It's packed with cancer-fighting properties, and its complex carbs break down slowly. avoiding blood sugar spikes.

Brown Rice for Dogs

Brown rice is a readily available, highly nutritious food that may help reduce the incidence of certain cancers. read full article

There is no official dog cancer diet, like there is for kidney or heart disease or for diabetes.

Dog Cancer Diet Guidelines

While there is no one-size-fits all recipe for the perfect dog cancer diet, there are a number of easy steps you can take to give your dog a nutritional boost on his cancer journey. read full article

Berries for dogs with cancer is a wonderful way to pack in nutrition.

Berries for Dogs

Tasty, versatile, and chock full of nutritional compounds that are well-scientifically supported as having anti-cancer properties, berries are a great go-to food item to supplement your dog’s diet. read full article

Is there a raw food diet for dogs with cancer?

Raw Food Diet for Dogs with Cancer

Raw diets are great for some dogs, but a totally raw diet can expose your dog with cancer to potentially harmful pathogens. read full article

Salmon for dogs with cancer is an excellent source of protein and nutrition.

Salmon for Dogs

Salmon is a popular dietary item full of healthy compounds like omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and astaxanthin that can benefit your dog when given in healthy fully cooked portions. read full article

Veterinarians recommend sardines for dogs with cancer for many healthy reasons, but also because they are delicious.

Sardines for Dogs

Sardines are small-bodied fish with big health benefits. They’re nutrient dense, packed with compounds known to have anticancer properties, and are a tasty treat easily added to your dog’s cancer fighting diet. read full article

a great choice for protein, venison for dogs is very nutritious, lean, and less likely to trigger allergies.

Venison for Dogs

Venison is a nutritious, low-fat protein source for dogs that comes from antlered game animals like deer and elk. It is an excellent source of important vitamins and minerals and can help senior dogs, overweight... read full article

Rejoice! Eating liver for dogs can be healthy and delicious, in moderation.

Liver for Dogs

Liver is one of the most nutritionally dense foods. It contains protein, iron, and important vitamins, which makes it supportive for anemia and bone health. It is inexpensive, easy to find, and is available in... read full article

Is a ketogenic diet good for dog cancer? Maybe, for some, for a short while, but there are lots of considerations.

Ketogenic Diet for Dog Cancer

A high-fat, low-carb diet that nearly eliminates glucose from your dog’s body, giving their cancer cells fewer sugar molecules to thrive and feed off of. Too good to be true? This diet does come with... read full article

Is lamb good for dogs? Yes, and dogs love it.

Lamb for Dogs

Lamb is a great alternative protein source to feed your dog which has many health benefits. Lamb has a high nutritional value and is rich in vitamins and minerals. read full article

Is duck good for dogs? Yes, as part of a complete and balanced diet!

Is Duck Good for Dogs?

Duck is a tasty high-protein poultry that’s low in unhealthy fats and great for dogs with allergies. It's packed with nutrients known to have anticancer properties, including omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and B vitamins. read full article

Are eggs good for dogs? Yes, they are.

Eggs for Dogs

Eating chicken eggs (or the eggs of other poultry) including the white, yolk, and shell can add many key nutrients to your dog's diet at a very low cost. read full article

Can Dogs Eat Turkey?

Can dogs eat turkey? Yes, turkey is a great protein source for dogs with cancer. It’s lean, packed with nutrition, and tasty! read full article

A diet that includes chicken for dogs with cancer is sure to please your pup and pack them with delicious protein.

Chicken for Dogs

As a meat that’s considered tasty to dogs and packed with lean protein, chicken is a great option and arguably a must-have item in your dog’s diet. read full article

Can dogs eat pork? Yes, and they love it!

Can Dogs Eat Pork?

Pork is a readily available protein source that can provide nutritional benefits to your dog when prepared and fed safely. Pork is available in many commercial diets as a source of amino acids and important... read full article

Can dogs eat fish? Yes, they can, and happily will!

Can Dogs Eat Fish? Yes!

Adding cooked fish to your dog’s diet in moderation is a great option to add omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can decrease inflammation and protect against cancer in dogs. Be sure to cook the... read full article

Beef for Dogs

Beef is a readily available protein source that, when included as part of a balanced diet, can help counteract muscle wasting and weakness in dogs with cancer. Bonus: most dogs love to eat it. In... read full article

high fiber foods often serve as prebiotics for dogs: foods that feed a healthy gut microbiome.

Prebiotics for Dogs

Prebiotics help build and maintain healthy microorganism communities in your dog’s digestive tract to help boost their immune system. read full article

veterinarians may recommend stereotactic radiation for dogs who have inoperable tumors.

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Dogs

Stereotactic radiation therapy is a treatment option for tumors that are hard to reach or cannot be removed surgically, with less damage to normal tissues and fewer treatment days needed compared to traditional radiation therapy. read full article

histiocytoma in dogs

Histiocytoma in Dogs

Though they may look dangerous, histiocytomas in dogs are benign. These skin tumors are common in young dogs. They typically resolve on their own in a couple of months with limited to no treatment. read full article

Mammary tumors in dogs can occur in any breed, but cocker spaniels are at elevated risk.

Mammary Tumors in Dogs

Mammary tumors in dogs are the equivalent of breast cancer in humans, but unlike our breast cancer, they are not as aggressive as other cancers. Mammary gland adenocarcinoma in dogs generally responds well to treatment,... read full article

Osteosarcoma in Dogs

Osteosarcoma in dogs is an aggressive bone cancer. It is a scary and devastating diagnosis, but there are treatment options available that can extend and improve the quality of your dog’s life. Osteosarcoma in dogs... read full article

leukemia in dogs is rare, but golden retrievers and german shepherds are at higher risk.

Leukemia In Dogs

Leukemia is an aggressive blood cancer, but thankfully it is uncommon in dogs. The treatment options and likely outcomes vary widely based on the type of leukemia your dog has. read full article

Stomach cancer in dogs is very rare, but chow chows have an increased risk.

Stomach Cancer in Dogs

Stomach cancer in dogs is very rare and has a poor prognosis. However, if caught early enough, surgery to remove the stomach tumor can often provide months to years with a good quality of life. read full article

Histiocytic Sarcoma

Histiocytic sarcoma is a rare but stubborn dog cancer. There are some early signs of hope that advances in chemotherapy, and immunotherapy-based treatments will provide better treatment options. In the meantime, if you treat it... read full article

Lipomas in dogs are benign. They tend to happen in dogs who are overweight.

Lipomas in Dogs

Chances are, if you have an older dog, you are familiar with “fatty tumors.” These benign (non-cancerous) growths appear on dogs of all shapes and sizes, especially as they age. The really great news is,... read full article

Lymphoma In Dogs

Lymphoma -- also called lymphosarcoma -- is one of the most common cancers in dogs. There are over 30 different subtypes of lymphoma in dogs that show a wide variety of behavior, but many of... read full article

Acrylamides are carcinogens formed during the Maillard reaction when food is heated at high temperatures.

Acrylamide in Dog Food

Acrylamides are cancer causing compounds created during high temperature food processing. While the risks are being established for human acrylamide exposure, less is known about levels in dog food and potential effects on their health.... read full article

There are foods dog should not eat, and that includes char-grilled meats.

Foods Dogs Should Not Eat

We always want to feed our dogs the very best diet, but there can be ingredients and by-products in their food that may cause or worsen cancer and other health issues. Thankfully there are ways... read full article

Prostate cancer in dogs is rare, but often studied because of how common it is in humans.

Prostate Cancer In Dogs

A common cancer in humans, prostate cancer in dogs is quite rare. Dogs are often used as a model to study human prostate cancer, which will help new therapies evolve for both people and dogs. read full article

Adiponectin is a protein that protects dogs from cancer. It's levels drop when a dog is overweight.

Adiponectin: Why Too Much Body Fat Can Be a Cancer Risk

Adiponectin is secreted by fat cells and has many potential anti-cancer benefits. Despite a greater number of fat cells in overweight dogs, they produce lower amounts of adiponectin than their leaner counterparts. Dogs with too... read full article

Veterinarians use blood work for dogs with cancer to help find cancer, and monitor your dog's disease and treatment results.

Blood Work for Dogs

Whether your dog is ill, injured, or having a routine yearly wellness exam, your veterinarian will often want to start with blood work. A potential or confirmed cancer diagnosis is no exception. Blood work is... read full article

Radiographs (X-Rays) for Dogs

Radiographs, or x-rays, are a safe, fast, and painless diagnostic tool in the battle against canine cancer. read full article

Thyroid cancer in dogs is uncommon, but has promising treatments.

Thyroid Cancer in Dogs

Thyroid cancer in dogs is uncommon. If your dog is one of the unlucky ones who develops a cancerous thyroid tumor, there are several promising ways to effectively treat this cancer. read full article