Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cancer caused death in 42% of UK flat-coated retrievers studied
By Dobson, J et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2009·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Mortality in a cohort of flat-coated retrievers in the UK.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study of 174 flat-coated retrievers in the UK found that cancer is a significant cause of death in this breed. Out of the dogs followed, 72 died from confirmed tumors, with soft tissue sarcoma being the most common type. The average age at death for dogs with tumors was just 9 years, compared to 12 years for those who died from other health issues. This highlights the importance of monitoring for signs of cancer, especially soft tissue sarcoma, in flat-coated retrievers.
People also search for: flat-coated retriever cancer symptoms · soft tissue sarcoma in dogs · flat-coated retriever lifespan · dog cancer treatment options
Abstract
A cohort study of 174 flat-coated retrievers was undertaken to establish the importance of cancer in flat coat mortality in terms of the prevalence of neoplasia in the breed and also the relative effect of cancer on lifespan in relation to other forms of mortality. Dogs aged 2-7 years were recruited in 1996 and followed until 2007. An annual health census was used to collect the data. Two dogs were lost to follow-up and 72 dogs (42%) died from confirmed neoplasia. Twenty dogs (11.6%) died of unconfirmed tumours and 61 (35%) died from non-neoplastic conditions. The cause of death was unknown for 19 dogs. Soft tissue sarcoma (especially histiocytic sarcoma) was the predominant cancer type, affecting 32 dogs (44% of neoplasms). Six dogs died with malignant melanoma and three with lymphoma. Median age at death was 9 years for dogs with tumours (eight for sarcoma patients) and 12 years for non-neoplastic fatalities. The results confirm that soft tissue sarcoma, particularly histiocytic sarcoma, is a major cause of mortality in this breed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19453365/