Why do dogs get stomach cancer? Can it spread to other household pets?

Cancer is not contagious, not at all. You may be thinking of canine transmissible venereal tumour, but it's not common at all. The presence of it in the US is less than 0.5%. Now if the dog had this, then yes it's contagious but I highly doubt the dog has this because it's so rare. Cancers like pancreatic cancer, mast cell tumors, liver cancer, etc are not contagious.

Yes. They can pass viruses, bacteria and parasites to each other. Your veterinarian can examine the stool under a microscope to help figure out the cause. Sometimes other diagnostics are also needed. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm so sorry to hear about Brandy. Lymphoma is not in any way contagious and would be no risk to your maltipoo. However, if we're not sure about the diagnosis, I will just say that there are a couple (uncommon) infectious diseases that can cause large lymph nodes. And these diseases CAN be contagious sometimes. Talk to your vet if you have concerns but my guess is that your maltipoo will be perfectly safe interacting with Brandy. Best wishes to you all.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hurley. Anal gland cancer typically spreads to lymph nodes in the abdomen first. However, there are lymph nodes present in the groin region where her bumps appear to be located. Based on how large they look, there is a good chance the cancer has spread. Her veterinarian would need to take a sample of each bump with a small needle. The cells are evaluated under the microscope to determine if cancer cells are present. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Overall, from what I'm reading and seeing, I have a low level of concern about Mukwa. This lesion does not look typical of a mast cell tumor (though that type of cancer does not always follow the "rules"). In general, non-cancerous things do not become cancerous with time - though there are exceptions. Occasional vomiting is not necessarily something I equate with Mast Cell Tumors, but does warrant a chat with your vet to see if it's something worth looking into. More concerning signs to me would be decreased appetite, weight loss, or lethargy. Best of luck to you and Mukwa!

Non-ractive warts and other growths which do not cause the dog to chew on them are usually not of concern provided they do not grow, or grow very slowly and are not oozing a discharge, bleeding or causing infection. That said, every growth should be examined by a veterinarian, as it could indeed be malignant. Previously benign masses can also turn into malignant masses. As for cancer cells spreading in the body from being ingested: that would depend on the cancer. If the mass is cancerous and just in the skin, it is likely that removing it with a good margin (healthy tissue surrounding it) may be curative. Your veterinarian will have to examine the mass and palpate it and may want to remove it right away, or do a fine needle aspirate to determine whether it is indeed a cancer. Since it is bothering your dog and Nisha is chewing it , there is a chance that it could get infected, another reason to have it examined ASAP.

It depends on the kind of tumor we are dealing with. Some tumors are fast growing and can shorten the pets lifespan if not treated in some manner, while others (i.e. lipomas) are not cancerous and don't affect the pets lifespan at all. The first step is to get the tumor properly identified through your vet with proper sampling, then you will have the information you need to decide whether surgical removal should be pursued or not. I hope that Sammy's tumor is benign and nothing to worry about. Best wishes and take care!