Owning 5 Newfoundlands and a pet-sitting business, you can imagine how often I frequent our vet's office (Red Bank Veterinary Hospital). Even so, when I mention to friends/clients, etc. that I am on my way to the vet, they often respond, "Again?"
I am a strong advocate of "well visits" for our dogs and encourage my clients to be the same. When our pups reach the age of 4, I take them for 6-month check-ups, regardless of absence of any symptoms.
My feelings on this were recently justified when I brought Emmett, our 11 ½ year old Newf, to the vet for a well check. He was doing very well with a good appetite and overall enjoying good health. Upon looking in his mouth, our vet noticed a lesion which, he was quite sure, was a melanoma. Two days later, the diagnosis was confirmed. Fortunately, it was a small lesion; it was removed, and they were able to obtain clean margins around the lesion site. Had this progressed, the prognosis would be very poor for metastatic disease. The median survival following surgical removal of an oral melanoma is currently less than one year.
Read my next post on "Melanoma Vaccines" and learn about a new and curative treatment for melanoma in dogs. Emmett is currently undergoing this treatment and has a good prognosis.
Linda --
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