20
Health & Fitness Wednesday, August 14, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
CANCER: Avoid
carcinogens with
your beloved pet
Continued from page 16
be seen by your veterinar-
ian. If you9re worried, your
veterinarian is probably wor-
ried, too. For many reasons,
this is why veterinarians like
to do a bi-annual exam on
your furry friends. By being
familiar with your animal it
is easier for your veterinar-
ian to notice the unusual, too.
Remember, you can be very
proactive in monitoring the
health of your pet.=
She added, <Regular
screening, blood tests, radio-
graphs and ultrasounds can
be aids to evaluate the health
of your pet. Evaluating their
lumps and bumps can help
determine how concerning
these are. But it is impor-
tant to remember even with
these thorough diagnostic
tools, sometimes you can-
not predict when cancer will
happen.=
Make it a regular practice
to examine your dog9s body
for unexplained swelling or
lumps. Tumors developing in
the upper layers of skin are
the most common types of
cancer in dogs.
Many early warning signs
of cancer are more subtle.
While many of these signs
4 behavioral changes, loss
of appetite, increased water
consumption, persistent
wheezing or coughing 4 are
universal, they require basic
observational skills on the
part of the pet parent.
There is no magical diet,
supplement, or vaccine that
prevents cancer. But, as a pet
parent, you can make some
choices to improve the odds.
Early spaying reduces the
risk of mammary cancer in
females. In male dogs, tes-
ticular cancer is common;
neutering eliminates that risk,
and reduces the risk of both
cancerous and non-cancerous
prostate conditions, as well
as anal cancer.
Pale-skinned dogs have
a higher risk of skin cancer.
An example of this risk is the
Dalmatian, a breed currently
high in popularity. Cancer is
known to surround 4 but not
enter 4 a Dalmatian9s black
spots. If you own a fair-
skinned, short-haired breed,
it9s best to limit your dog9s
sun exposure, especially at
the times of day when the
sun9s rays are the most direct.
There is also the territory
of nutrition and environment.
The less environmental tox-
ins your dogs are exposed
to the better. Long-term
toxic exposure can destroy a
dog9s liver, and weaken the
immune system, which is the
first and last line of defense
against cancer.
Limiting your dog9s expo-
sure to toxins may be harder
than you might think. After
all, dogs spend their lives on
the earth9s most toxic layer,
the ground, and in contact
with the toxin-covered sur-
faces in our homes: carpets
which have been cleaned
with potentially harmful
chemicals, floors which
have been sprayed with pes-
ticides to dispose of bugs,
and garage floors which have
absorbed all sorts of toxins.
Then there are all the
chemicals we pour onto dogs,
most notably, flea-killing
chemicals of every descrip-
tion: powders, sprays, sham-
poos, dips and ointments.
<Common sense and clini-
cal experience make a strong
case for avoiding anything
that exposes an animal to
known carcinogens or weak-
ens the immune system,= said
Stacey Hershman, DVM, a
holistic house-call veterinar-
ian in Rockland County, New
York.
Just like their human
companions, dogs live lon-
ger, healthier lives when
they eat the right foods, get
enough exercise, breathe
clean air, drink clean water
and stay away from harmful
substances.
STRENGTH: Motivation
and accountability
are key to success
Continued from page 19
a yoke carry, keg-over-bar
lifts 4 and an exhibition car
deadlift, using cars provided
by Sisters competitor Christy
Rumgay.
The event drew competi-
tors eager to test their mettle
from all over the Pacific
Northwest.
<Everybody had a blast,=
Hudson said.
Most folks probably don9t
start going to the gym figur-
ing they9re going to deadlift
a small car. But you never
know. You might surprise
yourself. And, ultimately,
that9s what strength compe-
tition is all about 4 testing
your limits and surpassing
what you thought you could
do. And having a blast while
you9re at it.
Hudson knows: <It brings
the best out of them.=
PHOTO PROVIDED
An exhibition car deadlift was part of the 1st Sisters Strongman
Throwdown last month.
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