Showing posts with label Animal Cancer Foundation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animal Cancer Foundation. Show all posts

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Raising Funds for Cancer Research

Petsecure pet health insurance has declared November as Pet Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of this initiative is to raise funds for cancer in pets and was pioneered five years ago in the USA by Veterinary Pet Insurance.

"In 2009, we've paid out nearly $1,300,000 towards claims for the cost of veterinary treatment and care due to pet cancer," says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of Petsecure pet health insurance. "Although cancer is the leading cause of death among older pets, 50% of pet cancer is curable. Our goal for this month is to raise money for researching cancer in dogs and cats across the country and to educate Canadian pet parents on how to prevent and treat a disease that affects 1 in 3 household pets."

By raising funds for cancer research, Petsecure hopes to decrease the sad pet stories they hear by helping to find a cure for this deadly disease. Petsecure is encouraging pet owners to help 'FURther the Fight' by becoming a fan of their Facebook page. For every new fan they receive in November PetSecure will donate $1.00 to the Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund.

Monday, October 26, 2009

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer Among Most Common and Costly Pet Conditions

Cancer is not strictly a “human” condition. As the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats, cancer claims millions of pets each year. This November, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) will seek to increase awareness about the prevalence, detection and treatment of pet cancer during its fifth annual Pet Cancer Awareness Month.

VPI started Pet Cancer Awareness month in 2005 after noticing that cancer diagnoses often caught pet owners by surprise. Many either did not know their pets could develop cancer or underestimated the cost to treat cancerous conditions. In 2008, VPI received nearly 30,000 claims for pet cancer.

To raise funds for pet cancer research, VPI has partnered with the Animal Cancer Foundation and organized bi-coastal pet cancer awareness walks in Long Beach, Calif., and Brooklyn/Manhattan, NY.

VPI's website also provides pet cancer detection tips. To detect cancer early, pet owners should be attentive to any growing lump or sore that fails to heal, drastic changes in a pet’s appetite or weight, unusually strong odors coming from a pet, discharge or bleeding from any body opening, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or an unwillingness to exercise.

Overall, cancer claims were the sixth most common type of medical claim received by VPI in 2008. According to VPI’s claims data, which draws from a population of more than 450,000 insured pets, the following are the 10 most common types of cancer found in dogs and cats:

Top Pet Cancer Claims in 2008
1. Lymphosarcoma
6. Neoplasia - Liver
2. Mast Cell Tumor
7. Neoplasia – Thorax
3. Neoplasia – Spleen
8. Neoplasia – Brain or Spinal Cord
4. Neoplasia – Eyelid
9. Fibrosarcoma
5. Osteogenic Sarcoma
10. Hemangiopericytoma