Chubby Golden Retriever has less Cancer Protection
ByI was talking to one of my clients today in the exam room. She owns an awesome Golden Retriever named Baloo. Like his namesake in the movie “The Jungle Book,” Baloo is happy, friendly, goofy and….chubby.
I started telling Baloo’s owner about the cancer rate in the breed. It is estimated that around 2/3 to 3/4 of all deaths in Goldens are due to cancer. This is the effect of breeding over many generations. Very, very scary stats if you own a Golden Retriever. Lymphosarcoma (a white cell cancer), osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and hemangiosarcoma (usually in the spleen) are common cancers they get, but others are possible too.
So here we have a Golden, one of the big cancer breeds, and he is getting fat. I couldn’t even feel his ribs when I pressed on the side of his chest. His owner told me his brother is 100 lbs…just big boned, you know…
Too much food, not enough exercise…and another cancer risk is created. Most of us know naturally that a lot of body fat is not healthy. But cancer in dogs?? Yep, it increases odds. Turns out that fat cells secrete a substance called adiponectin. Adiponectin has a cancer protective effect. So more fat, more protection, right?? Wrong.
Adiponectin is released only in very small amounts if there is STORAGE of fat, in overweight dogs. When fat is getting BURNED, adiponectin is released. Lean animals secrete more adiponectin than chubby ones.
So the take home message is that exercise and good body condition lower odds of cancer and this applies to dogs. Hate to sound like a broken record, nag nag, but true. So get outside and get your dog’s adiponectin up.
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
3 Comments
October 25th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Aloha,
I have pennypie. She was diagnosed with, lymphoma, 1 1/2 years ago. I think you were the first one to notice it. I was
and have been so broke I could not get all the medical care she needed. I did give her lots of Q10, vit c, e, salmon oil, and now shitake. I gave her low but high quality protien,and real food. I was told, that she should have prednisone.
She was going strong until 2 weeks ago, when I thought I would loose her. Maybe she had a stroke? I double her dose of pred, which was low, 5 mg. to begin with, but as we know it is a double edged sowrd. What to do, it is a problem now, since she has become totally paralized in her rear legs, but whe eats well, and wags her tail. Will her paralysis be premanent, and why did that happen. I think the antioxidants have worked, so far.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:43 am
See my other comment on your 1st post, mahalo,
D
June 16th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Ok so I am the owner of beautiful Baloo and I am happy to say that Baloo weighs at least 10 pounds less than he did when Dr. Dressler saw him last year. We reduced his dry food intake by 1/2 cup and gave him a cup of green beans. He loves his ball and the park next to our home where he goes twice a day. He also enjoys his swim on Sunday’s at his favorite West Side beach. I would say that his weight reduction has increased his energy level and stamina.