Pet Body Weight and Cancer Risk

Pet Body Weight and Cancer Risk

Excess body weight is an important factor as it relates to the risk of developing tumors and cancer in dogs and cats. Simply put extra pounds increase your pet’s risk of developing cancer. If your dog or cat is 15 percent or more above his or her ideal weight, he is obese. Being just 10% percent overweight decreases your pets healthy life span by one-third and predisposes him to heart, liver and kidney disease as well as to arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

Mentor dog participates in an innovative canine cancer research trial at Chagrin Falls Pet Clinic

Mentor dog participates in an innovative canine cancer research trial at Chagrin Falls Pet Clinic

In addition to being an ideal companion, Farley, a 12-year-old Tibetan Terrier, has truly been an inspiration to his owners Tom Donelan and Carla Woodcock of Mentor. “I started out with cancer and that was a big enough blow for us, then we found out the Farley had it too,” Woodcock said. Donelan said Farley was lethargic, his stomach was distended and his colitis worsened.