A serious pet healthcare problem could soon be a thing of the past after a US pharmaceutical company was given the thumbs up to market a vaccine for a type of cancer.

Vical’s Oncept will target melanoma and, according to the manufacturer, can significantly extend a survival time that is typically six months or less.

Melanoma is a common type of cancer in dogs and as a highly aggressive strain can spread throughout the body even following surgery and radiation – and is resistant to chemotherapy.

It is also the most common malignant tumour occurring in a canine’s mouth.

According to the Animal Health Trust’s Oncology Research Group, melanomas make up some four percent of all tumors in dogs.