leukemia/lyphoma/lymphosarcoma??? - Page 1

I am interested in compiling some information about lymphatic cancers in the breed - the leukemias, lyphomas, lymphosarcoma - and would like to ask for input from those of you who have owned or have personal experience with  a dog that was diagnosed with either of these diseases. You can either PM at blitzengsd@comcast.net or post it here, your choice. It must be a purebred GSD.

1. sex of dog, neutered, at what age?

2. age of dog at time of diagnosis and how was the diagnosis made?

3. was the dog treated and how? was the treatement successful?

4. any other health issues and how treated?

5. bloodlines - working, showlines, Am lines, mixes. No names of dogs or breeders.

6. vaccination history - how often and for which diseases; if kennel cough, was the intranasal vac used?

7. diet?

8. flea and h-worm products used?

9. are you aware of any related dogs with leukemia or other health issues?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Good luck, I have been very fortunate in that I have never had a pet diagnosed with that heartbreak. May I suggest you include geographic location? Human leukemias/lymphomas have long been suspected to be triggered &/or caused by enviornmental suspects, at least in part.  Heavily industrialized areas tend to have a lot of heavy metal residues in the dirt & soil, where our dogs noses are so frequently....just a thought. jackie harris

 I suggest one start with reading the state of the art medical literature on the causes of Leukemias, for example. You will find that what is written above is not correct except in very rare types of leukemia (the one that comes to mind for example is benzene exposure and a specific kind of leukemia). Genetic causes have been discovered for many human cancers, including leukemia.

Hodie,

I don't have any facts in front of me and would rally have to research to get the info, but it seems to me that upper Michigan has an abnormally high rate of cancer especially among children and the associaton was made to the cooper mining and its residues.  This was from a friend that grew up there...  just heresay I guess, but......

Also, what about the viral /cancer connection that seems to be popping up now?  How is it that the viruses could be causing the cancer, but not the vaccination against the virus? 

wouldn't anything that causes deficiency in the immune system be implicated in cancers?

Darcy

My dog had lyphoma, she only survived 8 weeks after diagnosed.

To answer your questions.

1.  Female, spayed at 8 months.

2.  5 years, aspiration (spelling)

3.  Predizone (spelling)

4.  No

5.  American Lines

6.  Distemper - yearly

     Lyme disease - yearly

    Rabies - 3 years

7.  Dry (Purina One)

8.  Heartguard and frontline plus

9.  No

While it's true that medical literature has not established links between enviornmental exposures and human leukemias/lymphomas; some of the evidence that is noticed by practicing health care professionals is hard to refute. Many disease clusters are studied, I don't think that it's truely possible to factor in all the possible enviornmental issues and variables to make such correlations reliable enough to be included in most medical literature; however, as someone who practices nursing near a 'superfund' site, I can tell you we see a lot of bizarre childhood & adult disease process' all from one particular area....it's hard to ignore. And if you're gathering statistics, why not include that as well? Certainly it does no harm, and this is how strides are made...although the scope of such an effort would be enormous, it is sometimes a poultice for one's grief to reach out and try to find a reason for tragedy. Commendable efforts, Blitzen. jackie harris

Blitzen-

I've been working hard to put together a database for those who get lymphoma that have taken the insulin called Lantus.

I lost a cat to lymphoma and it was said to be related to taking this insulin. She died a year ago, and since then I've had 58 individuals come to me and said they've lost their cats AND dogs who were on the insulin Lantus.

Birdy...

I've been trying to learn about this disease since I lost my first GSD to lymphosarcoma in 2001.  My daughter also lost her Cocker a few months later and a friend her Sheltie.  I don't rememvber seeing many dogs with lymphatic cancers when I worked as a tech. Although my information is still fairly sketchy and I haven't asked many for pedigrees, some of the same dogs have turned up in the pedigrees I have seen of more than one dog with this disease. Some had littermates with allergies, some littermates that also had one of the leukemias. I agree that locale is also important. I remember Love Canal and cringe every time I drive by that area.  I can't recall all of those details,  but many people who lived there developed some form of cancer including one of the leukemias. due to groundwater contamination from a near-by chemical plant I think.

Thanks, Birdy, good to hear from you again.  None of the dogs I know about currently have taken any form of insulin, but if I hear of any, I'll surely let you know. Marj Zimmeramn has a nice web site regarding the causes of death in GSD's.  Some posters to that list have been threatened by breeders to remove their information or else and they have complied. How sad it that?

I don't know how commendable it is, Jackie, When I first started asking GSD breeders, Am lines, about leukemia I found that my dog was closely related to others than had also lost the battle to a lymphatic cancer. Cooincidence? Maybe, maybe not.  It made me want to know more. The oncologist I used for Dylan was partnered with the east coast animal cancer guru, Anne Jeglum. They were both convinced that leukemia definitely runs in some families of Golden Retrievers and most likely other breeds as well.

I believe, if what I remember from my nursing school biology is correct, that the origins of many cancerous tissues are present in the embryonic cells of the organism; which would implicate bloodlines...but why do some dogs/humans develope disease & others not? Viral assailants, enviornmental triggers (such as heavy metals), simply a 'timer' type of developement, even radio/micro/cell phone waves have all been discussed as things that can 'turn on' these cells to begin rapid & bizarre replication, some with very rapid doubling times. I would think that each disease would need to be studied on it's own; it would be exhaustive work; and very commendable. Doesn't matter what motivates you to do it, Blitzen. Some would just go get drunk & cry into their beer. Action of a nobler kind speaks of what fabric you are cut from, my dear. jh

Thanks, Jackie. Most think I'm just a nosey bitch .