Male dogs four times more likely to develop contagious cancer on nose or mouth than females

A new study shows that male dogs are four to five times more likely than female dogs to be exposed to the oro-nasal form of canine transmissible veneral tumors.

Male dogs spend more time sniffing and licking female dogs' genitalia than females, according to researchers.

When a dog comes into contact with a cancer, it can spread the disease to another dog. Cancer cells transplant themselves from one animal to another.

Dogs' genitals are often affected by CTVT. Sometimes the cancer can affect other parts of the body.

The study found that only a small number of tumors in the nose or mouth were caused by CTVT. There were 27 male dogs that were involved.

The University of Cambridge's Department of veterinary medicine was the first to publish the findings of the study. She was involved in a study with colleagues from the transmissible cancer group.

It is thought that male dogs have a preference for sniffing or licking the female genitalia. The male genital tumors are more difficult to detect than the female genital tumors.

Today's findings are published in the journal.

It took several thousand years for the cancer to arise from one dog's cells and then spread to other dogs. The oldest and most prolific cancer line in nature is found in dog populations.

The number of cases has risen in the past decade. It is thought that this is related to the import of dogs. Free-roaming dog populations are linked to the disease.

Although canine transmissible cancer can be diagnosed and treated fairly easily, veterinarians in the UK may not be aware of the signs of the disease.

It's important to consider the possibility of oro-nasal tumors in dogs. The majority of dogs recover from treatment with Vincristine.

Symptoms of the oro-nasal form of the cancer include sneezing, snoring, difficulty breathing, nose bleed, and other discharge from the nose or mouth.

There are roughly the same number of male and female dogs.

In marine bivalves like mussels and clams, there are transmissible cancer cases. The researchers believe that studying this cancer could help understand how human cancers work.

More information: Sex disparity in oronasal presentations of canine transmissible venereal tumour, Veterinary Record (2022). DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1794 Journal information: Veterinary Record