The smell of fear

The smell of fear


The canine nose is a true wonder. Not only can your dog smell bacon frying, he can also probably tell you how long it was cured and the age of the pig.

But for some unfortunate dogs, their nose can be the source of cancer. This is especially true for older dogs with long snouts.

Although only one to two percent of canine cancers are in the nose, almost all nasal cancers are malignant and tend to invade nearby tissues. Untreated dogs with this devastating illness last only weeks to months.

However, modern therapies such as radiation and aggressive surgery have increased survival to two years or more for many dogs. Over one-third of treated dogs show no further signs of illness, and for the rest, signs are typically less severe.

The cancer eventually recurs, but usually after your barking buddy has had many more months to stop and smell the bacon.

 

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