Comments on: Bladder and prostate cancer: neutering male dogs increases risk http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/ Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM, the dog cancer vet blogs about canine cancer Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:46:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dr. Dressler http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2661 Dr. Dressler Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:41:01 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2661 Dear Denise, as always, always work under your vet's guidance..as to your question, it is difficult to get the high amounts needed by feeding actual mushrooms. A little cooked shitake is one option. Best, DrD Dear Denise,
as always, always work under your vet’s guidance..as to your question, it is difficult to get the high amounts needed by feeding actual mushrooms. A little cooked shitake is one option.
Best,
DrD

]]> By: Denise http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2657 Denise Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:50:02 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2657 Whenever possible, I prefer my dog's supplementation to come from fresh food rather than a capsule. Will simply feeding the actual mushroom instead of mushroom extract offer the same benefits to a dog with bone cancer? If so, should the mushrooms be raw or cooked, how much should be fed, and what kinds are best to feed? I've always thought that mushrooms were toxic for dogs- Is this not an issue? Whenever possible, I prefer my dog’s supplementation to come from fresh food rather than a capsule. Will simply feeding the actual mushroom instead of mushroom extract offer the same benefits to a dog with bone cancer? If so, should the mushrooms be raw or cooked, how much should be fed, and what kinds are best to feed?

I’ve always thought that mushrooms were toxic for dogs- Is this not an issue?

]]> By: Dr. Dressler http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2424 Dr. Dressler Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:44:43 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2424 Dear Charles, at that age, pragmatically, it will probably be okay with respect to the cancer issues. You may want to contact them and find out whether they would allow a vasectomy in lieu of the neuter in this case. Best, Dr D Dear Charles,
at that age, pragmatically, it will probably be okay with respect to the cancer issues. You may want to contact them and find out whether they would allow a vasectomy in lieu of the neuter in this case.
Best, Dr D

]]> By: Charles http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2418 Charles Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:18:37 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2418 Hello Dr. Dressler, I hope you don't mind this question about neutering. I just adopted the most wonderful Corgie mix from a shelter. It is required by law that I have this dog neutered, and so I must do so. However, I am heartbroken over what this might do to his personality - he is the perfect little guy. The dog is 2.5 to 3 yrs old. Is there anything you can tell me to allay my anxiety over this procedure? Thank you. Hello Dr. Dressler,

I hope you don’t mind this question about neutering. I just adopted the most wonderful Corgie mix from a shelter. It is required by law that I have this dog neutered, and so I must do so.

However, I am heartbroken over what this might do to his personality – he is the perfect little guy. The dog is 2.5 to 3 yrs old. Is there anything you can tell me to allay my anxiety over this procedure? Thank you.

]]> By: Dr. Dressler http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2322 Dr. Dressler Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:31:33 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2322 Dear Reader, You did nothing wrong. You did the testing, got an expert opinion, and used the information you had to make the decision that was in the best interest of your dog. This is being your dog's primary health advocate. Yes, cancer is a disease where there is decompensation. You should read this post: http://www.dogcancerblog.com/signs-of-dog-cancer-and-decompensation/ Also, about the guilt, and the desire for more information, <a href="http://www.dogcancersurvival.com" rel="nofollow">The Dog Cancer Survival Guide</a> may really help. It also has exercises that help release some of these feelings. A lot of people read it after their dear one has passed. Another post that I think could benefit you is this one: http://www.dogcancerblog.com/escaping-dog-cancer-days/ I think if you take some time with the ideas in these posts and The Guide you will find there is light at the end of the tunnel. May you find peace, Dr D Dear Reader,
You did nothing wrong. You did the testing, got an expert opinion, and used the information you had to make the decision that was in the best interest of your dog. This is being your dog’s primary health advocate. Yes, cancer is a disease where there is decompensation. You should read this post:
http://www.dogcancerblog.com/signs-of-dog-cancer-and-decompensation/
Also, about the guilt, and the desire for more information, The Dog Cancer Survival Guide may really help. It also has exercises that help release some of these feelings. A lot of people read it after their dear one has passed. Another post that I think could benefit you is this one:
http://www.dogcancerblog.com/escaping-dog-cancer-days/
I think if you take some time with the ideas in these posts and The Guide you will find there is light at the end of the tunnel.
May you find peace,
Dr D

]]> By: skgifsno http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2316 skgifsno Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:04:46 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2316 I also should add that he was not neutered.. neither one of our dogs have been neutered because we did not want to put them through an elective surgery when there is even the slightest chance that something could go wrong.. Also our other dog, male, had breast cancer earlier in the year. He had an inverted nipple that started bleeding and there was a lump underneath that turned out to be cancer. It was caught before it had spread.. so he had surgery and he is ok now.. Our vet told us that male breast cancer is rare... and so is prostate cancer, so we have been told. .. how could lightening strike twice for us- in the same year!! We are now on the fence about having our other dog neutered.. He will be 10 soon. and your article about neutering and prostate cancer caught our eye. Thank you for any input- the loss of one of our babies is driving us crazy.. they are not "just dogs" to us.. they are our children.. As we never spent a night apart from them, they never saw the inside of a kennel, and were with one of us 24 hours a day. I also should add that he was not neutered.. neither one of our dogs have been neutered because we did not want to put them through an elective surgery when there is even the slightest chance that something could go wrong..

Also our other dog, male, had breast cancer earlier in the year. He had an inverted nipple that started bleeding and there was a lump underneath that turned out to be cancer. It was caught before it had spread.. so he had surgery and he is ok now.. Our vet told us that male breast cancer is rare… and so is prostate cancer, so we have been told. .. how could lightening strike twice for us- in the same year!!

We are now on the fence about having our other dog neutered.. He will be 10 soon. and your article about neutering and prostate cancer caught our eye. Thank you for any input- the loss of one of our babies is driving us crazy.. they are not “just dogs” to us.. they are our children.. As we never spent a night apart from them, they never saw the inside of a kennel, and were with one of us 24 hours a day.

]]> By: skgifsno http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2315 skgifsno Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:41:37 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2315 Our 9 year old lab was diagnosed with prostate cancer -adenocarcenoma that spread to his bones- last November. He showed no signs of being ill, until he some lameness in his back leg. We attributed it to the fact that he had just gone on a long run (5 miles) with us a few days earlier. His appetite decreased, and we thought it was because he wasn't exercising as much (due to the limping on his back leg) It was very common for him to go running with us- he hiked or ran a minimum of 5 miles a day. We took him to the vet on a Saturday, and they had us come back the next week for bloodwork, etc. He walked into the vets office the next week, and while he was there, they noticed he was dehydrated, put him on an IV and gave him a shot. Over the next 12 hours, he lost the ability to walk on his back legs- we took him to the vet the next day and he went back on an IV and we drove him to a vet hospital an hour away to have an ultrasound done. The ultrasound showed he had lost most kidney function and they believed it was prostate cancer.. They said the only way to tell for sure was to sedate him, but the vet did not think his kidneys would be able to take the sedation. We took him home and had him on an IV round the clock for the next few days as we waited - we fed-exd his xrays to colorado state for evaluation. On Monday the radiologist said that it was cancer that spread to the bones. His bloodwork, urine and ultrasound supported this diagnosis. Our sweet baby was up all night crying. It was gut wrenching.. We made the decision to end his suffering, even though every day we second guess ourselves because we made this decision after being up with him for 5 days straight. and neither one of us ate or slept more than 3 hours during that time... Could someone have been wrong? Could it just have been in infection? Should we have gotten the moraphine for him and let him live his life out? How can a big strong dog go from running 5 miles one week, to not being able to walk in a matter of 5 days? Did we miss any signs? We are very vigilant about having a minimum of 2 blood tests done per year.. his last one was in April.. What could we have done? The guilt is is driving us mad. Our 9 year old lab was diagnosed with prostate cancer -adenocarcenoma that spread to his bones- last November.
He showed no signs of being ill, until he some lameness in his back leg. We attributed it to the fact that he had just gone on a long run (5 miles) with us a few days earlier. His appetite decreased, and we thought it was because he wasn’t exercising as much (due to the limping on his back leg)
It was very common for him to go running with us- he hiked or ran a minimum of 5 miles a day.
We took him to the vet on a Saturday, and they had us come back the next week for bloodwork, etc.
He walked into the vets office the next week, and while he was there, they noticed he was dehydrated, put him on an IV and gave him a shot. Over the next 12 hours, he lost the ability to walk on his back legs- we took him to the vet the next day and he went back on an IV and we drove him to a vet hospital an hour away to have an ultrasound done.
The ultrasound showed he had lost most kidney function and they believed it was prostate cancer.. They said the only way to tell for sure was to sedate him, but the vet did not think his kidneys would be able to take the sedation.
We took him home and had him on an IV round the clock for the next few days as we waited – we fed-exd his xrays to colorado state for evaluation.
On Monday the radiologist said that it was cancer that spread to the bones. His bloodwork, urine and ultrasound supported this diagnosis. Our sweet baby was up all night crying. It was gut wrenching..
We made the decision to end his suffering, even though every day we second guess ourselves because we made this decision after being up with him for 5 days straight. and neither one of us ate or slept more than 3 hours during that time… Could someone have been wrong? Could it just have been in infection? Should we have gotten the moraphine for him and let him live his life out?
How can a big strong dog go from running 5 miles one week, to not being able to walk in a matter of 5 days? Did we miss any signs? We are very vigilant about having a minimum of 2 blood tests done per year.. his last one was in April..
What could we have done? The guilt is is driving us mad.

]]> By: Dr. Dressler http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2279 Dr. Dressler Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:17:01 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2279 Dear Reader, you may want to double check the diagnosis before proceeding. Was there a biopsy or a fine needle aspirate done? What pathologist saw the cancer cells? Cancer and infection need to be differentiated clearly. In humans some benefit has been shown using EGCG, which is discussed in the Guide and also on the blog: http://www.dogcancerblog.com/egcg-and-dog-cancer-beyond-chemo-radiation-and-surgery/ Of course conventional treatments may help if we are dealing with cancer. Here is the info from a veterinary lecture: "With intraoperative orthovoltage, median and mean survival times for 10 dogs were 114 and 196 days, respectively. The goal is temporary control of the tumor and amelioration of clinical signs; cure is unlikely. The longest reported post-operative survival in dogs with prostatic adenocarcinoma has been 9 months." If you are close to an oncologist, you could pursue this. Chemotherapy does not help very much for this cancer. Don't forget to use diet, life quality enhancement, increasing social interactions, immune support and so on as part of your complete plan. Good luck, DR D Dear Reader,
you may want to double check the diagnosis before proceeding. Was there a biopsy or a fine needle aspirate done? What pathologist saw the cancer cells? Cancer and infection need to be differentiated clearly.

In humans some benefit has been shown using EGCG, which is discussed in the Guide and also on the blog:
http://www.dogcancerblog.com/egcg-and-dog-cancer-beyond-chemo-radiation-and-surgery/

Of course conventional treatments may help if we are dealing with cancer. Here is the info from a veterinary lecture:
“With intraoperative orthovoltage, median and mean survival times for 10 dogs were 114 and 196 days, respectively. The goal is temporary control of the tumor and amelioration of clinical signs; cure is unlikely. The longest reported post-operative survival in dogs with prostatic adenocarcinoma has been 9 months.”
If you are close to an oncologist, you could pursue this. Chemotherapy does not help very much for this cancer.
Don’t forget to use diet, life quality enhancement, increasing social interactions, immune support and so on as part of your complete plan.
Good luck,
DR D

]]> By: Srivers http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2263 Srivers Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:51:30 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2263 My dog was just diagnosed with Prostate Cancer today. He had been bleeding when he used the restroom and put on antibiotics a few times and then they said he was a urinary tract infection. A few months went by and I noticed he was using the restroom funny and he looked like he was in pain. They told me it was an enlarged prostate and a few days later that it was cancer. My dog is 10 years old and he's currently on antibiotics and he seems to be just the opposite now. He couldn't use the restroom to much at first and now he's going uncontrollably. I know what I need to do, but it's just really hard. He's been with me since he was six weeks old. He was neutered at that time as well. I will enjoy his last few days, weeks with us. But I will miss him dearly. I love you Onyx! My dog was just diagnosed with Prostate Cancer today. He had been bleeding when he used the restroom and put on antibiotics a few times and then they said he was a urinary tract infection. A few months went by and I noticed he was using the restroom funny and he looked like he was in pain. They told me it was an enlarged prostate and a few days later that it was cancer. My dog is 10 years old and he’s currently on antibiotics and he seems to be just the opposite now. He couldn’t use the restroom to much at first and now he’s going uncontrollably. I know what I need to do, but it’s just really hard. He’s been with me since he was six weeks old. He was neutered at that time as well. I will enjoy his last few days, weeks with us. But I will miss him dearly. I love you Onyx!

]]> By: Dr. Dressler http://www.dogcancerblog.com/bladder-and-prostate-cancer-neutering-male-dogs-increases-risk/comment-page-1/#comment-2029 Dr. Dressler Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:10:46 +0000 http://www.dogcancerblog.com/?p=47#comment-2029 Steve, the more common causes of prostate enlargement benefit from castration. Not all, but most. Probably a good choice, but every dog is different and your decision should be made with your vet who knows your particular dog. Statistically speaking it is a logical step. Best, Dr D Steve, the more common causes of prostate enlargement benefit from castration. Not all, but most. Probably a good choice, but every dog is different and your decision should be made with your vet who knows your particular dog. Statistically speaking it is a logical step.
Best,
Dr D

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