The Top 7 Symptoms of Cancer in Dogs

RELATED CONTENT

The best treatment for cancer is to catch it as early as possible. But apart from noticeable lumps, it’s easy to overlook some of the more subtle symptoms of cancer in dogs So I asked some of my holistic vet friends, what are the top 7 signs of cancer you should look for.

Before we get started, make sure you subscribe to this channel and if you’re on YouTube, click the alert notification. Apart from lumps, one of the most reliable signs of cancer is weight loss … especially if it seems to happen overnight. Cancer will rob your dog of calories and nutrition, so if your dog is losing weight, it’s a good idea to get a vet check. Sudden lethargy is another sign … if your dog just suddenly seems tired, a vet check might be in order, especially if you see any of these other signs. Don’t assume your dog is just slowing down with age.

Now, I don’t want to scare you with this one, but lameness can be another sign of cancer. Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, can be common in dogs over 65 pounds, especially middle aged dogs. So if your dog has pain and lameness that doesn’t improve, your vet will want to x-ray it for signs of osteosarcoma.

According to Dr Dee Blanco, another common sign of cancer is an unknown disease that doesn’t go away. If you find your vet doing a lot of diagnostics on your dog with no diagnosis, it’s a good idea to consider cancer. Any dog over 6 is at risk for cancer. And by the way, if you like this video please let me know in the comments below - and if have any questions, leave a comment and our team will help you out.

Another sign to look for is nose bleeds - these can indicate nasal cancer. According to Dr Judy Jasek, any abnormal bleeding can be a sign of cancer, so be aware of blood in the stools or vomit. And changes to the eyes, like bulging or differences in the size of the pupils, can be a warning sign for brain cancer.

Apart from lumps, you might see other signs of cancer on your dog’s skin. Weeping sores that don’t heal or even just generally itchy skin can be a sign that there’s chronic inflammation, which is a major cause of cancer. As a matter of fact, any chronic inflammation in the body is a significant risk for cancer.

So those are some of the top signs to look for. But the important thing is to be aware of them without obsessing over whether your dog has cancer or not. Dr Marty Goldstein says he doesn’t like giving people signs to look for because then you’ll start looking for them! And it doesn’t do you or your dog any good if you’re both stressed out about it. So even if your dog does have cancer, a positive, supportive approach is key. Don’t ignore these symptoms and let them go … be vigilant, but at the same time, make sure you enjoy the time you have with your dog today, regardless of whether she has cancer or not. If you have any questions about the signs of cancer, or cancer in general, just leave a comment below. And if you like this video, please make sure you like it, share it, and tell people about it. Thanks for watching!

[rickysutphin]

She's more than just a dog. She's my best friend for all of existence and infinite time. I don't want her to be without me in the afterlife.

[Yonabear]

Finding a vet in your local area that cares about the animals has become almost impossible

[notredamecoltsfan]

I lost my sweet girl to cancer. It still hurts so much 😢 Rest easy sweet girl

[georgianaberg]

My 8 year old BMD passed away from osteosarcoma on September 9th. One observation that I would add is to watch for changes in personality. Around this time last year our boy suddenly became somewhat 'dog aggressive' while out for walks. I think he was experiencing pain/discomfort and that was his way of telling the other dog to 'back off, leave me alone' because he knew that something was wrong with his leg.

[marizsa]

Weight loss
Sudden lethargy
Pain and lameness
Unknown disease that doesn't go away - no diagnosis.
Nose bleeds - or abnormal bleeding (stool, vomit)
Changes in eyes
Weeping sores that don't heal = chronic inflammation is significant risk of cancer

[zombiemedic]

My dog just died from hemangiosarcoma and really, there were no signs until the morning she passed. That morning she wouldn’t get up, eat or drink water. I brought her to the vet and they did an ultrasound and found a large mass on her spleen and liver and she was bleeding out and we had to put her down. She was almost 10. She was my best friend and I am heart-broken. 😢

[LoveDogs___]

I just lost my baby at 11:00 this morning. He had some kind of Tumor. The vet told me 2 days ago and I was trying to get him in the car to have surgery. He got down outside and couldn't get back up. I litterally drug him back in the house by his 2 front legs and he wasn't even able to hold his head up. I got him just inside the door and laid down by him until he took his last breath 15 mins later. 💔😭
It all started when he colasped. 2 weeks ago. And peed the bed. The next day he was better. Weak in his hind legs though. It happend 3 times that way. I took him to the vet and he had me give him meloxidyl. Then it started rolling down hill. Bloated belly, wouldn't eat, pee was dark orange, getting out of breath with me helping him on the bed. His gums were pure white and I noticed today his ears and stomach is white. He was 12 and a big dog. And he acted depressed. I don't know how Im gonna make it. He meant the world to me. He was my baby. 💔😭🐾

[Barbara-jp]

Your big chocolate dog looks like a good friend.

[WendyWahman]

Dogs Naturally is my go-to for fast, reputable information. Thank you!

[JudyRhudy]

Thank you so much for these facts to be aware of on and in our "best friends ".

[kimsecter]

Good video.. and the cute Senior Lab made my day!

[marcypollan]

Thanks, Dana. Very helpful. This is a great series. Just wanted to comment that osteo sarcomas, in dogs and particularly male children, particularly, is often related to drinking fluoridated water. Flouride is a major cause of osteo sarcoma in dogs. Good quality drinking water is a commonly overlooked critical factor in maintaining canine health, as people who typically would filter their own water will not consider that their dog or other ptts need good quality water too and will very likely fall ill if drinking tap water.

[lucylongenbach]

I lost my dog of multiple cancer in mediastaning lymphadenomegaly, abdominal lymphadenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and nodular spleenomegaly consistent of metastatic cancer last month. She was 9 years and 5 months to young even with quality food that I gave her. I missed her so much Im still grieving for her loss.

[pinkcoco]

RIP my golden retriever that passed away due to cancer. He was unlucky enough that the cancer started really deep in his shoulder joints. We took him to the vet when he started limping expecting it to be a joint issue. When it was diagnosed with cancer, we were told it was too deep to clean it out completely but operated on him to buy him a bit of time anyway. He was operated on in late April and the vet said they had taken out an 8in block of cancer. By July, his entire chest was covered with the tumour up till the shoulder joint and neck and he started having nose bleeds. By early August, we had to put him down. He was in so much pain that even with 2 pain meds, he was still panting and limping from the pain. Parts of his skin had changed into a darkened color due to the probably the cancer taking on the oxygen. A large sore had developed on his shoulder that grew bigger by the day, oozing all sorts of liquids, with edges covered in black. He couldn't bend down and eat without pain so we had to give him a stool to lift his bowl higher. Him passing away wasn't nearly as bad as seeing him slowly wither away.

[yvetterivera]

My Dog is a Shih Tzu 13 year old female she got Spayed in june 2024 and also had mammary gland surgery. She healed nicely. Thanks god.Now in the middle of January, 2025 I noticed a bump on the bridge of her nose which burst its an open sore now she also has one on her right foot on the outside, which Always burst .I took my Stella to two different vets one vet gave tablet antibiotics for 7 days plus, Chlorhexidine glucnate 0.2% to clean the wound . Plus. They gave my Stella Antimicrobial wound care . I seen no improvement. So I took my dog to another vet where she had her surgery. This vet said it was cancer just by looking at the dog with any testing done.He sent me home with Gabapentin liquid 250mg/5ml

[philliphall]

I think dog food brands have a lot to do with bone cancer

[emilyandros]

WE LOVE YOU! Thank you so much for your ongoing wholistic videos and articles. God bless. Emily

[EtishaVerma-sk]

Your videos are of tremendous help, I have a female dog, 12 year old Labrador, she has a lump on her skin near her stomach area, the vet has suggested not to touch and just wait basically not to operate and let it be because she is quite old and won't be able to go through the surgery. I'm worried I really request you to please tell me if it's the right thing to do or not.

[AbdulDean]

Love the videos so much. Short, succinct, informative and important topics

[karenrhoads]

most of my dogs are seniors...I'm always monitoring for signs of anything...the obsessive looking has been me sometimes I admit...but regular vet visits happen & so far they've all been CA free...