Spooky season is over folks, so it is time to welcome November. This month ushers in the winds of gratitude and giving during the highly anticipated Thanksgiving Holiday. Alas, there’s plenty of time to gab about the gobble gobble and the frenzied orgiastic dinners taking place later this month.
Right now, we would like to acknowledge this eleventh month of the calendar year for another reason, National Adopt a Senior Pet Month. This initiative was implemented by the ASPCA and Petfinder.com.
Why, you ask yourselves, in order to highlight the worthiness of senior pets and the growing need for their adoption.
Typically a pet is considered a senior, at seven years old for dogs, and 11 for cats. This means many of us will care for one or more senior pets during our lifetime.
According to Pet Pardon, an organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the plight of senior animals, “senior dogs and cats are less likely to be adopted, with a 25% adoption rate for seniors compared to 60% for younger dogs.”
Adopting an older dog or cat does not necessarily mean the animal is sick, has special needs, or will require more of you than any other pet. Just like their human counterparts, they offer worldly experience, maturity, and a readiness to settle down.
Unfortunately, the similarities between our pets and ourselves do not end there. This brings us to another lesser known fact about November.
National Pet Cancer Awareness Month started in 2005, and was created by Nationwide and the Animal Cancer Foundation, with the goal in mind to raise money and increase awareness to fight the leading killer of pets.
According to Imprime Medicine, the most prevalent forms of cancer in dogs are:
Mast Cell Tumors: a skin cancer that is located in the connective tissues.
Melanoma: a malignant skin tumor, common in a dog’s mouth.
Lymphoma: a cancer of lymphocytes, (blood cells in the immune system), and lymphoid tissues.
Osteosarcoma: a bone cancer that causes a tumor to develop.
Hemangiosarcoma: a highly malignant cancer found most often in the dog’s heart and spleen.
13 Warning Signs of Pet Cancer
Loss of appetite or difficulty eating
Rapid weight loss
Diarrhea and/or vomiting
Loss of interest in playing or exercising
Difficulty with stool or urination, or changes in stool frequency
Abnormal stiffness
Severe lethargy
Unusually strong/foul odors
Blood coming from mouth or rectum
Increased thirst and urination
Respiratory changes
Abnormally firm swelling
Masses along the jaw or tooth line
While cancer is not always preventable, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk:
Regular Vet Check-ups: Routine veterinary visits allow for early detection and intervention.
Healthy Diet: Feed your pet a well-balanced diet, maintaining an appropriate weight to minimize obesity-related cancer risks.
Exercise: Regular physical activity keeps your pet’s immune system strong and helps prevent obesity.
Limit Environmental Toxins: Reduce exposure to environmental toxins, such as tobacco smoke or pesticides, which may contribute to cancer.
All is not gloom and doom, some ailing senior dogs rally and live pain free lives with the care and love of their owners and veterinarians long after a cancer diagnosis. The magnitude of their courage, loyalty, spunk, tenacity, and most of all, love is not measured by a diagnosis. They always let us know when it’s their time to go to the Rainbow Bridge.
Did You Know? The oldest dog on record is Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who lived for 29 years and 5 months. He was born in 1910 and passed away in 1939. While another dog, Bobi, was briefly recognized by Guinness World Records, this title is now under review and Bluey remains the oldest dog with a reliably verified age.