Author Topic: Idea about cancer in dogs...  (Read 11162 times)

Offline moonlitcroatia

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Betti Boo March 2008
    • View Profile
    • Greta's Page
Idea about cancer in dogs...
« on: June 06, 2005, 05:45:08 pm »
Greta is eight years old and cancer free.  Some may say she's lived more than a normal lifespan for a dog with a heart condition.  Lou is also nearly eight years old.

Greta's breeder had a very beautiful, sprawling lawn...probabl y over an acre.  How did they keep it so green and without a single weed?

Greta's mother died of stomach cancer when she was four years old.

I never use any kind of pesticides in my garden or lawn.  I fertilize with Alaska fish fertilizer and painstakingly pull dandelions out by hand.

I personally believe there is a direct link between chemical fertilizers/weed killers/pesticides and cancer in our dogs.

The stuff is poison.  Just because the label says to wait a couple of days does not mean it is safe.  Sometimes I think if we knew the hard facts and were able to make the connection via statistics (which are not available to us, let alone even studied properly) we would not buy these products.
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive.  ~Gilda Radner

Offline mastiffmommy

  • Chief "All Knowing"
  • *****
  • Posts: 2099
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2005, 06:34:58 pm »
I agree with you, not only with all the stuff for our yards, there are so many products that, when you think about it, can not possibly be good for us or our pets.

I am asamed to say, that we have a front yard that I keep nice, but the back yard has totally gone to the dogs, no weed pulling there  ::) I am hoping that if they pee hard enough on it, the weed will die the same way the grass always does. At lease where you dont want it to die.

Marit
what the lion is to a cat, the mastiff is to a dog

Offline NatsaintB

  • Big Paws-a-holic
  • **
  • Posts: 386
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2005, 06:56:21 pm »
When I was a kid we had our lawn sprayed for weeds monthly and would remove our Old English Sheepdogs dish, house, etc. before they came out.  Well, they ended up coming out at 7 in the morning and sprayed the yard, her dish, her house, you name it.  She ended up dying a slow painful death and it killed my dad inside to have to learn a lesson that way.  I don't use anything on my lawn either and I hate to see people who let their dogs roam the neighborhood because you never know whose lawn they will get into and what that person uses on it. 

Offline 4everblu

  • Full Fledged Chewer
  • *
  • Posts: 61
  • Lord help me be the person my dog thinks I am.
    • View Profile
    • The Spotted Dog
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2005, 10:20:47 pm »
Oh, my gosh that is so sad!
I ache for you.

What an unexpected  lesson to learn.
You have my sincere condolences.  (((HUGS)))

I hope we will all have learned a valuable lesson from your unfortunate loss.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2005, 10:23:18 pm by 4everblu »
Please Visit "The Spotted Dog" for  Personalized Doggie signatures and graphics.  http://forums.delphiforums.com/ourdogs/start

Offline pndlake

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 487
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2005, 10:33:41 pm »
I really did not want to post here because I have so many mixed emotions.  If it were not for some chemicals, I would loose all control of my acreage.  I must spray for weeds around fences and borders and driveways.  It is just too much to pull weeds by hand everywhere.  I am very careful about where I spray and keeping the animals away but it is hard too.  I have done this for over 30 years.  I had an 18 year old dog that I just lost.  That has to be old age only.  Most all of my animals have lived to ripe ages but I lost  a horse to cancer and a dog many years ago to stomach cancer who was very young.  Was it my water that we get from a well? It is very hard to determine if that is a problem or not  Can you blame every cancer death to chemicals, I wish I knew. 
Peggy

Offline moonlitcroatia

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Betti Boo March 2008
    • View Profile
    • Greta's Page
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2005, 04:55:40 pm »
I really did not want to post here because I have so many mixed emotions.  If it were not for some chemicals, I would loose all control of my acreage.  I must spray for weeds around fences and borders and driveways.  It is just too much to pull weeds by hand everywhere.  I am very careful about where I spray and keeping the animals away but it is hard too.  I have done this for over 30 years.  I had an 18 year old dog that I just lost.  That has to be old age only.  Most all of my animals have lived to ripe ages but I lost  a horse to cancer and a dog many years ago to stomach cancer who was very young.  Was it my water that we get from a well? It is very hard to determine if that is a problem or not  Can you blame every cancer death to chemicals, I wish I knew.  

I think there is an answer that we cannot blame every cancer death on chemicals.  Some beings are genetically predisposed to cancer due to mutations within specific genes.  Researchers have discovered a marker that identifies the breast cancer gene in human females and there is a test that can be taken, but there are many ethical questions surrounding this.

I know, it is difficult.  I just think that, in certain dogs, cancer may develop due to a weakness in genes when exposed to certain conditions.  For some, it could even be the sun!

Here is a good website, by the "Mastiff Club of America":  http://mastiff.org/exhibit-hall/health/olcan1.mv
« Last Edit: June 07, 2005, 05:01:40 pm by moonlitcroatia »
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive.  ~Gilda Radner

Offline moonlitcroatia

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Betti Boo March 2008
    • View Profile
    • Greta's Page
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2005, 05:04:37 pm »
Purdue University researchers have discovered an increase of bladder cancer in Scottish Terriers exposed to lawn chemicals.

To read further:

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/news/daily_news_archive/2004/05_03_04.htm
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive.  ~Gilda Radner

Offline pndlake

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 487
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2005, 06:15:12 pm »
Very intesting, just read it, now I am worried - I am scottish!!!  Just recently got back from Scotland too. 
Peggy

Offline moonlitcroatia

  • BPO Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Betti Boo March 2008
    • View Profile
    • Greta's Page
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2005, 06:25:32 pm »
Very intesting, just read it, now I am worried - I am scottish!!!  Just recently got back from Scotland too.  

Wow!  Scotland?  One of my good friends is Scottish, too.  She's an artist.  She makes glass art beads, necklaces, etc.  She gave me a glass window for X-mas with an Egyptian scarab beetle on it.  It changes colors as the light reflects on it throughout the day and evening.  It's in the front door, so the porch light illuminates it at night.  I will have to show you a picture of it. 

She watches a lot of Scottish TV shows.  What was Scotland like?
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive.  ~Gilda Radner

Offline pndlake

  • Leader of the Pack
  • **
  • Posts: 487
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2005, 06:29:18 pm »
Wow, sounds pretty.  I noticed a lot of Gaelic art work there that was beautiful.  They even have their own language.  Did not see the Loch Ness Monster, but it is a beautiful country.  Thanks for asking.  Peggy
Peggy

Offline shi_ni_ke

  • Gnawer
  • *
  • Posts: 20
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2005, 03:56:17 am »
I think there are some chemicals that are definately cancer encouraging.. but I think there is a genetic link as well.

That being said, although we keep the front yard, nice, short and green, it is not all Kentucky blue grasss and we have some buffalo grass and clover mixed in.. we pull weeds, but I do use Sevin dust to control ticks, fleas, mites and grubs. Because of Amanda's age I do not even use the monthly flea and tick preventative and at 17 if she gets heartworm, she would probably die of old age before the heart worm. She also only goes to the back yard. She doesn't even have to travel to the vet's office.. he comes to the house.

I do use the a combined flea tick and heart worm preventative on the other two dogs who do go places other than our own backyard.

The back yard is a mix of vetch, buffallo grass, and wild strawberries which seems to hold up to the dogs fairly well. We use one specific spot in the yard for Potties and in the fall, I do a soil PH test and apply a product called  PDZ that is used in horse barns to neutralize horse urine just to that area.

We have baby locks on all the cabinets that house our household cleaners even though our baby is 10, just to keep the dogs out of them and we limit access to places like the bathroom where they can get ahold of shampoo and soap and other items.

Just a word of caution.. Zest brand soap is not poisonous in small doses, although it will definately clean out their digestive track for a few days. This is how we found out Lily knew how to turn door knobs and we had to install baby door knob covers to put on the bathroom doors.

Offline traklover

  • Ankle Biter
  • *
  • Posts: 33
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2005, 06:40:18 am »
I personally don't spray my yard, but the nextdoor neighbour(upwind) does, I have lost two dogs now to cancer, the last one also suffered from severe allgeries. A close friend and neighbour(across the street) three years ago lost her border collie to cancer, again her nextdoor neighbour sprays heavily. The dogs with cancer on our street, all live beside people who spray their lawns with various herbicides and pesticides. The other dogs on the street, don't live beside sprayed properties are fine and are dying of old age. It seems like more than just coincidence. By law the property owners are required to post their premises several days and after spraying, but not all do. I have as well asked my neighbour to let me know when the spraying has occurred so I can keep my dog of the grass next to her yard, until I get the chance to wash any overspray off.

Offline newflvr

  • Tail Wagging Champ
  • *****
  • Posts: 3390
  • Cowboy is four years old and Chester is almost two
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2005, 08:52:22 am »
Hi pndlake,
What is "PDZ" and where do you find it?  My dogs do their business in one spot as well (at least the early morning work) and I'd love to be able to clean it up!

Thanks!

Offline mastiffmommy

  • Chief "All Knowing"
  • *****
  • Posts: 2099
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2005, 11:53:17 am »
Newf..... I have no idea either what PDZ is, but there are a couple of real simple things you can do to make the grass not turn brown where they go potty. one product that is working really well is "greenum" can ge bought in most pet stores or catalogs, it is all natural and does a great work. I also hears someone on this board who use tomatoe hmmmm sauce, paste not sure which and said that works just as well. just a little bit in the feedings and that does it.

Marit
what the lion is to a cat, the mastiff is to a dog

Offline newflvr

  • Tail Wagging Champ
  • *****
  • Posts: 3390
  • Cowboy is four years old and Chester is almost two
    • View Profile
Re: Idea about cancer in dogs...
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2005, 10:06:14 pm »
Yep...that was me with the tomato sauce...

It's just that that part of the garden smells AWFUL!  I thought if there was a magic something I could throw down there to neutralize the urine smell!