by Frank Will

Created on: October 09, 2010

Mammary tumors in dogs are the most common cancer in females, and if your dog develops this potential killer, they have a 50 percent chance of it becoming malignant. Once it does become malignant and spreads, your dog may have very little chance of surviving this very dangerous form of cancer. While the exact cause of mammary tumors is not fully understood by the medical community, there is one fact that is fully understood. The risk of this cancer is almost entirely eliminated if they are spayed before their first heat.

What is it?

Mammary tumors in dogs are very similar to breast cancer in women, and they can be every bit as lethal. The exact cause of this form of cancer is not fully understood, but it is widely held that hormones play what is considered to be an elusive role. These include Estrogen and progesterone, and these tumors can occur in intact, or non-neutered dogs, as well as spayed dogs.  However, it is much more common in unspayed middle aged females.

The average age that a dog contracts this form of cancer is between five and ten, although in rare cases it has been found in female dogs as young as two years old. But there is one slight misconception about mammary tumors; they do not only affect females. Male dogs can also be attacked by this cancer, although it is not nearly as common. If it does affect a male, it is considered to be an extremely dangerous condition as it is usually very aggressive and most male dogs will not survive it.

It is also widely held by the medical community, that if you have your dog spayed, it dramatically reduces the chances of them developing mammary tumors. In fact, if female dogs are spayed prior to their first heat cycle, it is estimated that they have less than one percent probability of developing this cancer. Once they pass their first heat cycle, it is estimated that they now have about an eight to ten percent chance of developing it, and it you wait until the second cycle, their probability of contracting it jumps to twenty five percent.

It is a theory, and it must be stressed, just a theory, that by eliminating or reducing the two hormonal factors dramatically reduces your dog chances of developing this very dangerous cancer. However, the numbers seem to support this theory. It is also held that there may be other hormones that factor into this equation other than just estrogen or progesterone, although that has never been documented.  Mammary tumors in dogs can affect all breeds, but there are

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