SophieB

Does anyone else think that the incidences of various cancers are happening far too often these days, say in the past 20 years, especially compared to when my parents had several Bassets (and like me, always Bassets in twos or threes) when we were growing up (and grown up) and never ever did any of our dogs get cancers of any kind, there was rarely the need for vet visits and they all seemed to stay fit and well until their faces went white with old age.

In those days, there didn't seem to be all the cocktails of vaccinations that vets are all to keen to pump into our dogs year after year, if people are gullible enough to believe they need it every year - £62 at my vet three years ago, most probably it's a lot more now! There are lots of elderly people in my town who have their dogs done every year and vets send them 'annual reminders'!!! Why aren't sope vets being honest in telling these people that most vaccines have a 7-year to lifelong protection and others a 3-year protection?

For a few months, out of interest when I have met people walking their dogs, especially the elderley, for whom their dog might be their best friend, if we're in a discussion about dogs, as often happens, I have brought up the vaccination subject and elderly people seem to have their dogs done every year and are afraid not to!!!

I do wonder if these 'chemicals' could be contributing to the cancers (also skin problems and ear infections) because we have had several Bassets with cancer and ear problems over the years, having rescued quite a few of varying ages and I must admit, we did used to respond to the 'annual' boosters every time the vet's card appeared, but having read many books, articles, websites etc about the over-vaccination of our dogs, we decided with our Basset sisters we got just over three years ago, to only have their puppy jabs and booster and see how we get on... and thankfully they have been very healthy and happy and long may it continue!

Another thing, in the 'old days' we never fed our dogs the popular dried concentrated foods and I often wonder if this food has anything in it that could lead to health problems. What do other people think because even on this board, I am reading more and more about Bassets with cancer and it always makes me feel sad and wonder why there is so much of it around nowadays!

Our local Basset Hound Club is taking part in a UK wide survey into the health of Basset Hounds and everyone all over the UK is welcome to fill in a form for each dog, including those who have died in the last 15 years.

Quote from form: "We ask your help in completing this survey on the general health of our breed. This will help us pinpoint the most important health issues affecting our Basset Hounds today. The survey is completely anonymous as we just want facts and figures, no names. Audrey Carter has kindly offered to help collate this information together with a veterinary surgeon. We will publish results on the web so you are kept fully in the picture. The list of problems may seem rather long and worrying - this does not mean that all Basset Hounds suffer from them! We just want to find the most prevalent problems affecting our breed so we can investigate further."

Please complete one form for each hound. Further copies can be downloaded from many of the Basset Hound Club websites. If you know someone with a Basset Hound please give them a form to complete - the more information we have the greater our knowledge. Only tick a problem box if a condition has been diagnosed by your vet - We need our survey to be factually correct so no guesswork please! If you are unsure please contact your vet. You can add further details of a particular problem, or one that is not mentioned, at the end of the survey.

We are also including Basset Hounds that have died in the last 15 years. Please complete this form even if your Basset Hound has never had any of the conditions mentioned - we need healthy details as well!

If anyone in the UK would like to participate, please download a form to fill in for each of your Bassets and return to the address on the form.
http://www.southeastbasset.org.uk/features/healthsurvey2011.pdf

bubbad

I've heard it said that it is as common for Bassets to have cancer as it is for Boxers and Golden Retreviers,who lead in canine cancer.

shallhb

I think your local veterinary medicine school might have some useful statistics on this issue. However, there probably are more dogs who die of cancer now than say 30 years ago because dogs are living longer, and are less
Likely to die of other causes, like infectious diseases and heart worm. Cancer is a disease that is strongly associated with age, so if we have more older dogs living who have not died of other causes, it becomes more likely they will develop cancer. In earlier years, they wouldn't have lived long enough to develop it.

__________________
Sharon Hall

Grace (puppy in training)
Bella, UD, VER, TD, RE, CGC
Pearl,UD, TDX, RE, CGC (Waiting at the Bridge)
Samantha, Theodore, CGC, Louella, Zeke and Arty, Bassets All; (All Waiting at the Bridge)

Princess Buttercup

Well said Shallhb!!

Mikey T

which is the same reason cancer is on the rise in humans as well.

bubbad

I'm not so sure that holds true in many breeds this day and age.There are an awful lot of dogs passing from cancers at much younger ages the last 20 years or so.My Bubba was 3,Grace 8 ,I believe more environmental factors are a problem today in causing cancers in younger animals. When is a dog old 8-9-10-11 or is the new old 5-6-7.

Mikey T

Personnally I do not think that will bear out with the perponderance of young dog cancers link via breed rather than location it is much more likely that there is a genetic link. and unless and until those factors are determined it is very hard to breed against cancer but the very nature of cancer is preprogramed into cell and as such very likey to have some genetic components. I know most breederd do not want to here this but shince particular cancers are more prevelent in one breed than another it is most likely genetic factors involved, and that is the case with many breed and IMHO more so in cancers that occur at a young age.

bubbad

To some extent I agree and unfortunately we may never know how much environmental factors do hurt our dogs which could take them before a genetic componet kicks in,or are they predesposed to cancer because of genitics and environmental situations,such as pesticides being in the air or on the ground so we compound the effects and they develop cancer earlier than at an older age.

SophieB

Not just Bassets... all dogs... I said Bassets because we are all Basset owners, but I should have said that I meant it to be ALL dogs!
I'm not sure we have heart worm in the UK... or I have not heard of it.

I have discussed this with a lot of dog owners and many people have said their parents' dogs lived to a greater age than some of their own dogs (all breeds) from the past 20-30 years, so it's not all dogs that are living longer... I had a 7-yr old rescued Basset with Glaucoma and a huge growth that vets tried removing and couldn't as it was joined to shoulder muscle... sadly all the money for various treatments we spent couldn't save him.

We also had two sweet female Bassets sadly die of cancer aged 9 and nearly 11 but we have also had Bassets who have live to 15 (rescued Bassets that didn't appear to have been so 'highly bred' -- if that's what you could call having champion Bassets in their family, as my two did who died aged 9 and 11, when there seemed to be Bassets mated to relatives, when the same name occurred several times in the five generation pedigrees, which I suppose is what happens.

SophieB

Bubbad, this is exactly what I have found when chatting to other dog owners when out walking... so many people have lost very young dogs who should have had another 8 or 10 years of life, yet had cancer at relatively young ages, so for people who say dogs are living much longer... try talking to every dog walker you meet about their previous dogs and see how many have lived to 15 or 16... most of the ones that do (and even 18) are mainly cross-breeds or terrier/collie types rather than expensively bred pedigree dogs like our Bassets....

Edit... not Basset related, but this time last year, a good friend of mine lost a very costly champion Leonberger aged only six to the horrid cancer and a neighbour's 4 year old Pug has a tumour on its leg!