CAMBRIDGE RESEARCHERS WARN OF DOG CANCER TRANSMISSION IN UK

University of Cambridge researchers have warned that canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) is spreading between dogs within the UK. Veterinary experts say this marks the first confirmed domestic transmission in more than 50 years, following isolated cases over recent decades. They have linked many cases to dogs imported from Eastern Europe. The researchers have urged British vets and dog owners to remain vigilant, while veterinary experts have advised owners not to panic.

Experts describe CTVT as one of only a few known contagious cancers, spreading through the transfer of living cancer cells between animals. They identify mating as the most common route of transmission. Sniffing, licking or biting infected areas can also transfer the cancer cells, according to the veterinary account. Experts say CTVT remains widespread in parts of Eastern Europe and other regions with large populations of stray dogs.

The University of Cambridge Transmissible Cancer Group has launched a national pilot study to help prevent misdiagnosis and track transmission. Researchers say most practising UK vets have never encountered a case because the disease stopped circulating in Britain decades ago. The veterinary account credits dog control laws, the elimination of free-roaming stray populations and widespread neutering with ending its circulation after its prevalence in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Experts say current UK border and import checks do not screen specifically for CTVT, allowing infected dogs to enter without detection.