Scientists have made a new shot that can help keep dogs from getting cancer, which is the top reason why older dogs pass away. Many people have seen their own dogs get sick with cancer. This new shot gives us hope that our dogs might not have to face cancer in the future.

Stephen Johnston, PhD, the boss of a company called Calviri, has been working on making this cancer shot for dogs for about 15 years. He said that when he started, most people didn’t think it was possible to make a shot like this. But he kept trying and made a successful shot that worked in mice, showing that it’s possible to stop cancer before it starts. Now, they’re testing the shot on dogs, and dog owners can sign their pets up for the test if their dogs fit the rules for the study.

The shot works by training the dog’s body to recognize and fight off cancer early. It does this by using tiny parts of the mistakes cancer cells make, called neoantigens. Johnston’s team used special technology to pick out 30 important neoantigens from a huge list and put them into the shot.

The shot is designed to protect dogs from eight major types of cancer, including cancers that affect the skin, bones, blood, and more.

Even though the testing isn’t finished, the results so far are good. The shot has helped about 65 percent of the dogs by lowering the number of tumors. However, it didn’t stop all eight types of cancer, especially one called hemangiosarcoma. But Johnston and his team now understand more and are planning to make the shot even better.

Some people were worried that the shot might cause other health problems, but so far, there haven’t been any safety issues during the tests. Johnston also found out that many dog owners joined the study because they had lost a dog to cancer before, or they hoped this research might help people in the future too.

An unexpected bonus was that the shot also seemed to lower the chances of other sicknesses, like arthritis and diseases related to aging. This might be because the shot helps the body get rid of old, tired cells that can lead to these problems.

The shot isn’t ready for all dogs yet. It still needs to be officially approved and go through more tests, which might take over a year. But when it is ready, Johnston wants to make sure it’s not too expensive, especially when compared to how much it costs to treat cancer.

This shot is very exciting because it could change how we keep dogs healthy, making cancer less common. And maybe, one day, it could even help prevent cancer in people. The dream of a future without cancer for our furry friends, and perhaps for us too, is getting closer!