Know Their Normal: Pet Cancer Awareness Starts at Home

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month—a time to learn more about cancer in dogs and cats and, just as importantly, to pay attention to the little changes that can tell us something may be different.

No pet parent can be expected to diagnose cancer at home. But you know your pet’s routines, personality, appetite, energy level, and body better than almost anyone.

That makes knowing their normal an important part of their care.

Start With What You Know Best: Your Pet

Maybe your dog is always waiting at the door when it’s time for a walk. Maybe your cat never misses breakfast. You probably know their favorite sleeping spot, how much they usually eat, how playful they are, and even which little lumps or bumps have been there for years.

When something changes and stays changed, it deserves attention.

Cancer can affect pets in many different ways, and its signs can overlap with many other health conditions. A change does not automatically mean cancer. It simply means there may be something worth discussing with your veterinarian.

Changes Worth Paying Attention To

Contact your veterinarian if you notice a new or persistent change such as:

• A new lump, bump, or swelling

• An existing lump that changes in size, shape, texture, or appearance

• Unexplained weight loss

• Decreased appetite or difficulty eating.

• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea

• Changes in bathroom habits

• Unusual bleeding or discharge

• A wound or sore that does not seem to heal

• Ongoing coughing or changes in breathing

• Persistent limping, stiffness, or signs of discomfort

• Noticeable changes in energy, activity, or behavior

Some of these changes can be caused by conditions that have nothing to do with cancer. A veterinary examination is the best way to determine what may be happening and whether additional testing is appropriate.

Finding a lump on your pet can be unsettling. Fortunately, not every lump is cancerous.

It is also difficult to determine what a mass is simply by looking at or feeling it. Depending on the lump's location and characteristics, your veterinarian may recommend monitoring it, collecting a small cell sample, performing a biopsy, or using other diagnostic tests.

If you notice something new, note where it is and contact your veterinary team. Avoid relying only on whether a lump feels soft, hard, movable, or painful to decide whether it is harmless.

Routine Care Gives Us Something to Compare

Regular veterinary examinations are about more than vaccines.

They allow your veterinarian to evaluate your pet from nose to tail, monitor changes over time, discuss concerns you have noticed at home, and recommend testing when appropriate.

Routine bloodwork and other diagnostic testing can also provide valuable information about your pet’s overall health. These tests do not diagnose every type of cancer, but they can help identify abnormalities or changes that may warrant further investigation.

This becomes especially valuable as pets get older or develop new health concerns.

Try a Monthly Nose-to-Tail Check at Home

You spend more time with your pet than anyone else does. A simple monthly check can help you become even more familiar with what is normal for them.

When your pet is relaxed, gently run your hands over their body. Feel around the neck, chest, abdomen, legs, paws, and tail. Look inside the mouth if your pet safely allows it. Notice the skin, coat, eyes, appetite, weight, mobility, and general behavior.

If your pet already lumps, keeping a simple record of its location and any noticeable changes can be helpful.

The goal isn’t to search for something scary. It’s simply to become familiar with your pet.

Awareness Is About More Than Cancer

One of the most important messages during Pet Cancer Awareness Month is that paying attention to changes can help with much more than cancer.

Weight loss, appetite changes, decreased activity, vomiting, changes in thirst, or unusual behavior can occur with many different medical conditions.

You don’t need to determine the cause at home.

You just need to recognize when something isn’t normal for your pet.

More Good Days Together

Our pets can’t tell us exactly when something feels different. They rely on the people who know them best to notice those changes.

This Pet Cancer Awareness Month, take a few extra minutes to look, feel, observe, and simply spend time with your pet.

Know their normal. Notice the changes. And when something doesn’t seem right, give your veterinary team a call.

Because paying attention today can help us provide the care they need for as many good days together as possible.