As pet owners, we work hard to keep our dogs healthy so they can live a long, happy life. Unfortunately, many health problems are out of our control, and the diagnoses can be scary.

Diagnosing a dog when it gets sick is not easy. Unlike humans, who can describe their specific symptoms and where they may feel pain, dogs tend to display their signs of illness in many of the same ways and without the help of speech.

One day, you might be petting your beloved pup or brushing its hair when you notice a lump or bump on the skin that wasn’t there before. Finding bumps can alarming. They can be a sign of a health issue and, if they are under the skin, aren’t always easy to identify.

Cancer is devastating. It can affect almost any part of the body and have dire consequences. Unfortunately, cancer does not only affect humans. Our pets can also develop this terrible disease—particularly cats, six million of which are diagnosed with cancer every year.

Your dog is getting older and as they do, you want to be on the lookout for potential health concerns that may impact their quality of life in their later years. Cancer is one such disease your dog can develop as they age and it’s a leading cause of death in older canines. In some cases, cancer is treatable, but it needs to be caught early on. Here are 10 of the most common signs of dog cancer developing in your aging pup:

"Sorry, your dog has cancer," - must be the worst news for any pet owner, and it seems that canine cancer is becoming more and more common. Fortunately, this customer story has a happy ending: "My beautiful 11-year old Airedale Terrier, Pippin, was diagnosed with a tumor on his spleen which I was told was inoperable. The vet said the tumor was pressing against the heart causing tachycardia (very rapid heartbeat). I was told that my dog would die suddenly within the next few days from this tumor.

If only our beloved friends, who have been by our sides through thick and thin, could stay forever. But we know they can’t and that is hard to face. Maybe your dog has a chronic disease or has lived a very long life and you know that soon it will be time to say goodbye to your friend. All of us wish our older pets would pass away peacefully in their sleep, but that is usually not the case and we are left with a difficult decision. It quickly becomes a question of, “When is the right time?"

Cancer is a common diagnosis in pets. There are many types of cancer that can afflict pets. If your pet is diagnosed with cancer you may feel overwhelmed and terrified. Here are some suggestions to help you cope with a diagnosis of dog cancer in your beloved pet.

Cancer is a terrifying diagnosis to hear from your veterinarian. Dogs, like humans, can succumb to many types of cancer, and it is the very last thing you want to hear when you take your beloved canine companion in for a check-up. It helps to be prepared with some basic knowledge about cancer in dogs.