Police Dogs and Mesothelioma
Each and every day, K-9 forces across the country are playing an important role in keeping our nation safe. Police dogs are used daily for a number of different tasks, from sniffing out drugs to finding missing persons to tracking criminals. Furthermore, police dogs are not only an important part of law enforcement but also become near and dear to the heart of those who serve as their handlers. The partnership formed between K-9 and human is often stronger than the relationships between human and human.
Any police officer who has had the privilege of working with a police dog will note how important it is to keep that animal safe and free from harm. Yet K-9 troops are susceptible to the same dangers their human partners face, including toxins that may prompt the formation of mesothelioma cancer and other diseases.
In 2008, the Caspary Institute of the Animal Medical Center in New York City published a report entitled “Assessment of acute injuries, exposure to environmental toxins, and five-year health surveillance of New York Police Department working dogs following the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center terrorist attack.” In this report, the authors noted that of the 27 working dogs participating in the study, 17 of them had health disorders during the first week following the collapse of the World Trade Center. Though long-term health problems were minimal, several handlers reported that the dogs were suffering from respiratory tract concerns, probably caused by inhalation of the vast variety of toxins that were floating through the air after the incident and for weeks thereafter.
Certainly, police dogs that are used in a variety of scenarios can be directly exposed to asbestos. As the material enjoyed widespread use through much of the 20th century, it can be found in many places frequented by these four-legged troops, including old warehouses and other commercial buildings, homes that house criminals or illicit drug operations, and even inside police precincts.
Unlike humans, who can take up to 50 years or more to develop asbestos cancer, the development of mesothelioma in dogs involves a much shorter time span. As a matter of fact, those dogs that have been diagnosed with the disease usually average about 8 years old. Pleural mesothelioma is the type most frequently diagnosed in K-9s though a few cases of other types have been detected as well.
Dogs who have mesothelioma cancer exhibit similar symptoms to humans who have the disease. This includes breathing problems, pain in the chest area, coughing, fluid in the lungs, and severe fatigue. Death can come quickly.
Like their human partners, police dogs should be protected from exposure to asbestos by the acquisition of the proper equipment to keep the dog safe. Furthermore, these animals should not be taken to locations where asbestos is present unless absolutely necessary.
Source
“Assessment of acute injuries, exposure to environmental toxins, and five-year health surveillance of New York Police Department working dogs following the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center terrorist attack.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18593312
