Dog Kibble and Cancer: Is there a Connection?

In the 2010 Tripawds Amputation and Cancer Care Survey, we asked pawrents “What was your dog’s diet before amputation?”

We wanted to find out what our members ate, and if diet types correlated with increased rates of cancer.

From home cooking to commercial kibble, pawrents told us what they fed their dogs.

Their responses taught us that:

• The majority of Tripawds members are here because of cancer
• Most Tripawds ate a 100 pawcent kibble diet prior to diagnosis.

There’s nothing too shocking there. However, we were surprised to learn that:

• Even Tripawds who ate 100 pawcent human grade foods (i.e., home cooked), or a combination of commercial kibble and human foods, were diagnosed with cancer

While many of us wonder if feeding our dogs a kibble diet attributed to their cancer, we hope this one finding helps put your mind at ease, if only a little. We aren’t scientists, but based on these responses, it seems that even dogs who are fed a healthy diet from day one are still at risk of cancer.

Seems like you can’t win either way, but there are things we can do to lessen that risk. Dr. Demian Dressler, author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, believes that dogs who are fed a commercial kibble diet are at greater risk of cancer. Read his recent blog post about commercial diets, “The Latest on Dog Food and Cancer” and find out what you can do to create a healthier diet for your Tripawd.

Learn More: Download the Survey

We could sure use help in interpreting our Tripawds Survey findings! Just Download The Survey then share your responses with the community.

Meanwhile, here are the detailed responses about Tripawds Members’ Diets:

Tripawds Survey Responses:

“What Was Your Dog’s Diet Prior to Amputation?”

Kibble Diet Only = 55 responses

Out of these responses, here are the reasons why Tripawds members lost their leg:

• 10 = Abuse/Accident
• 1 = Birth Defect/Bacterial
• 44 = Cancer

Kibble and Canned Diet = 12 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 1 = Abuse/Accident
• 2 = Birth Defect/Bacterial
• 9 = Cancer

Kibble Diet and Home Cooked Diet = 7 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 1 = Abuse/Accident
• 7 = Cancer

Kibble Diet and BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) Diet = 4 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 1 = Abuse/Accident
• 3 = Cancer

Kibble and Canned Diet = 1

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 1 = Cancer

Kibble and Canned and Home Cooked Diet = 2 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 2 = Cancer

Kibble  and Canned and Home Cooked and BARF = 2 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 1 = Abuse/Accident
• 1 = Cancer

Canned Food Diet = 2 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 1 = Birth Defect/Bacterial
• 1 = Cancer

BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) Diet  = 2 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 2 = Cancer

BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) Diet and Home Cooked = 2 responses

Of these responses, Tripawds lost their leg because:

• 2 = Cancer