Tips to Keep Your Pet Healthy and Actions You Can Take to Stop Cancer Furever

Updated April 7, 2025 – Hearing a cancer diagnosis for your beloved pet is heartbreaking. Sadly, each year more than 12 million dogs and cats in the United States are diagnosed with this devastating disease.

At Morris Animal Foundation, we believe in a future where all cancers are treatable — and even curable. That’s why we fund innovative research across the globe, working toward better diagnostics, treatments, and, one day, cures for our pets.

While cancer can't always be prevented, there are proactive steps you can take to help reduce your pet’s risk. 

Here are science-backed pet cancer prevention tips you can start using today:

1. Avoid secondhand smoke. Do smokers live in your pet's household? Evidence suggests that pets exposed to environmental tobacco have an increased risk of cancer. Keep your home a smoke-free zone.
2. Monitor your pet’s weight. Research suggests that obesity is a risk factor for cancer. Feeding a poor quality or imbalanced diet also may be linked to an increase in cancer risk.
3. Become an expert on your pet’s breed(s). Did you know that certain breeds of dogs and cats are more prone to different diseases, including cancer? Become an expert on the common diseases in your pet’s breed.
4. Have regular veterinary checkups. Would you see your doctor once every five years for a checkup? Skipping a yearly checkup with your pet would be similar. During regular checkups, your veterinarian can perform a complete physical examination, enabling them to identify abnormalities and establish a baseline that they can later compare.
5. Avoid long-term exposure to sunlight.  As in people, light skin pigmentation, combined with lots of time outside, can increase the risk for some cancers. Ensure your pet can get out of the sun and avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight when it is most vital, around midday.
6. Avoid asbestos exposure. Just like people, there are reports of cancer-related to asbestos exposure in animals. If you remove this product from a home, keep pets away from the area during the process.
7. Add vegetables to their diet.  At least one provocative study has suggested that adding vegetables may help decrease cancer risk.
8. Examine your pet once a month. Look in your pet’s mouth and ears, run your hands along their body and note any changes once a month; early detection is the best way to treat many diseases, including cancer.
9. Avoid exposure to lawn chemicals. Keep your pet away from applied lawn products when possible. There is some evidence for an increased cancer risk in pets exposed to applied lawn chemicals.
10. Exercise your pet regularly. Get them moving. Regular exercise will keep your pet mentally stimulated and in shape and help lower their risk of health problems.
11. Avoid exposure to paints and solvents. One recently published study suggests a possible association between exposure to these chemicals and cancer. When using these substances, try to keep your pets outside or in another room.
12. Limit exposure to pool water and chlorination byproducts. A recently published paper suggests a link between water with high chlorine levels and bladder cancer.
13. Add Omega-3 fatty acids to your dog’s diet. There is some evidence Omega-3 fatty acids decrease the risk of cancer in dogs.
14. Get to know your pet. Behavior changes often signal a pet isn’t feeling well. Watch your pet, learn their likes and dislikes, and sleep and eating habits. A change in routine or demeanor could be an early sign of disease.  

Advances in veterinary medicine start with good science — and good science starts with you.

Your support powers critical research that helps pets everywhere live longer, healthier lives. Donate today to fund groundbreaking studies and bring us closer to a cancer-free future for our furry friends.

Looking for easy ways to stay on top of your pet’s health? Download our free Pet Cancer Prevention Checklist and Pet Cancer Signs Guide — your go-to resource for cancer prevention tips and the top 10 warning signs to watch for in cats and dogs.