Man's best friends are exposed to various risks that owners can spare them. A recent study led by Purdue University veterinarian Debra Knapp revealed a disturbing link between exposure to cigarette smoke and an alarming increase in bladder cancer rates among Scottish terriers.
The study followed a group of 120 Scottish terriers over a three-year period, revealing that dogs exposed to cigarette smoke smoked by their owners or others around them were six times more likely to develop bladder cancer than their counterparts who breathed cigarette-smoke-free air. Scottish terriers are already relatively predisposed to bladder cancer, with rates 20 times higher than other dog breeds. This aggressive form of cancer is very similar to muscle-penetrating bladder cancer in humans.
Dr. Knapp's research looked at various factors contributing to cancer risk in these dogs, including their genetics, environment, diet, activity levels and locations. The goal was not only to identify ways to prevent cancer for these small dogs, but to identify other risk factors, which awareness of could be beneficial for owners of dogs of other breeds and even for humans themselves.
Study results highlight a critical correlation between tobacco smoke exposure and bladder cancer in dogs. The research team assessed smoke exposure by analyzing nicotine and cotinine metabolites in the dogs' urine. Even minimal exposure to smoke – either through direct inhalation or contact with smoke-soaked clothing – showed a high correlation to an increased risk of bladder cancer.
The significance of the study lies in its potential to unravel the complex interplay between genetics and environmental exposures when it comes to cancer development. Scottish dogs prone to cancer provide a unique opportunity to study these factors with fewer subjects than would be needed for a similar study in mixed dogs or humans.
Alongside the factors that were found to be central, other factors that the researchers tried to examine did not show a correlation with the development of cancer: chemicals for spraying grass, which in previous studies were found to be a key factor, did not appear to be such in the current study. However, the researchers acknowledged that the reason may not be that there is no such association, but that pet owners are already aware of previous studies and therefore avoid exposing their dogs to such chemicals.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us