Humans are more prone to cancer as their bodies mature, but dog breeds are exempt from this theory.
Contrary to popular belief, large dogs are not more likely to develop cancer, according to a recent study Royal Society Open Science He explained that big dogs are more prone to the disease, but not the biggest.
The study’s leader, Leonard Nooney, a biologist at the University of California Riverside, aims to understand how cancer starts and develops in dogs.
Nuni: Although people’s risk of developing cancer increases as their bodies mature, dogs are exempt from this trend.
“You have everything from a Chihuahua to a Mastiff or a Great Dane,” he said. ABC News. “So there’s a huge range.”
Large dogs are less likely to develop cancer than medium-sized dogs because they usually pass it at a younger age, says Lunney.
“That’s simply because they die young,” he added.
Nuny lists West Highland White Terriers – also known as Westies -, Bernese Mountain Dogs and some flat-coated breeds as being more prone to cancer.
They explained that a type of sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that arises in soft tissues and bones, is seen in the plaque-coated restorations.
Given their size, most terriers — especially Scottish terriers — are more susceptible to cancer than previously thought, Nuney said. Terriers have a higher incidence of bladder cancer, he said.
Fortunately, the disease is caused by a genetic mutation that makes certain dog breeds more prone to the cancer, the study’s researchers say.
They found that although cross-breeding reduced the lifespan of a species, it did not increase the risk of cancer overall.
Nooney said the model used in the study could be used to determine which species are more susceptible to certain types of cancer.
He believes that dogs are a good model for understanding genetic changes that can increase susceptibility to certain diseases.