Post date: Nov 02, 2013 5:18:15 PM
The following is taken from Breed-Predispositions to Cancer in Pedigree Dogs by Jane M. Dobson (Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge).
The report, which is a review of the literature on canine cancers, says:
Cancer is an important disease in dogs and represents one of the major causes of canine death accounting for 27% of all deaths in purebred dogs in the UK in a recent mortality study. A general comparison of the incidence of canine cancer with that of human cancer highlights some striking similarities and differences. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the mammary gland is a common site for tumour development in bitches, although the risk is reduced in bitches spayed at a young age, demonstrating the importance of endogenous hormones in the development of this disease. In contrast, carcinomas of the prostate, a very common condition in men and also associated with hormonal stimulation, is relatively uncommon in dogs and occurs more frequently in neutered dogs. It is well recognised that differences exist between breeds of dog and their risk of developing certain types of cancer but there are few large scale epidemiological studies on the incidence of different types of cancer in the canine population which document the variation between breeds.
The paper concludes:
Much has been made of the many problems associated with pedigree dogs in the popular and veterinary press; it is therefore somewhat ironic that as a result of these problems the pedigree dog provides an ideal model to identify phenotype/genotype relationships relevant to human disease.
As a breed, the data quoted in this paper shows Dachshunds have a lower risk of cancer than many other breeds: 0.22% chance of dying of cancer, compared with Rottweiler 7%, Labrador 12%, cross-bred 13% [Ref. 1]. The average (median) age of death of Dachshunds due to cancers was just under 11 years. Nevertheless, 17% of all Dachshund deaths reported in one of the papers [Ref. 2] was due to cancer. There is no particular type of cancer which Dachshunds appear to suffer, although there are some reports that the breed is more predisposed to Mammary Tumours.
Our own online Health Report shows Cancers and Tumours to be the second most reported condition at 9% (No. 1 is IVDD = 26%). The average age of death due to cancers reported to us online is 9.9 years, with an average age of diagnosis of 9.4. Our Dachs-Life 2012 survey showed an overall Cancer prevalance of 3.5%. However, this needs to seen in the context of the sample population which was skewed towards younger dogs and Cancers are primarily associated with older dogs.
References:
1. A. R. Michell, “Longevity of British breeds of dog and its relationships with sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease,” Veterinary Record, vol. 145, no. 22, pp. 625–629, 1999
2. V. J. Adams, K. M. Evans, J. Sampson, and J. L. N. Wood, “Methods and mortality results of a health survey of purebred dogs in the UK,” Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol. 51, no. 10, pp. 512–524, 2010