You might be wondering whether dog chemotherapy is worth it, what are the side effects, the efficacy and the cost? Also note that while we frequently update our content, veterinary information changes rapidly. There are some aggressive cancers, however, that are different: Rates and discounts vary, are determined by many factors, and are subject to change. You may need to trim or shave the dog's fur in certain places if the vet tells you to.

Learn more about common questions surrounding chemotherapy treatment for canines. “Usually, in those 10-15% that do have some affect, it’s pretty mild. We have some cancers that are extraordinarily curable.”

“I like to think about it as dogs that need a haircut to keep their look,” says Kim Ringen, DVM, a board-certified veterinary oncologist at Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado in Englewood, Colorado. “So that five-year magic number in people, with dogs, because of their lifespan, is probably closer to a year, so if we can get dogs to a year, it’s like getting people to five years.

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Enjoying normal activities together – including petting, hugging, and kissing – are all safe. Again, some do.

Unfortunately, we don’t necessarily know for SURE how long these metabolites stay active. “Some drugs are metabolized and still can be considered potential carcinogens in the urine or feces,” Page explains, “so the most vulnerable people in the household would be children, elderly people who are taking medications or are immunosupressed, others that are on those sorts of medications, and women that are pregnant.

How important is quality of life? “With people, the big hallmarks of long-term remission are those five-year rates,” Locke explains. It is therefore important to minimize our exposure to chemotherapy, and common sense precautions should be taken. Thank you! Therefore, some information may be out of date.Featuring Demian Dressler, DVM and Sue Ettinger, DVM, Dip. And, ultimately, my response is this: ‘Exactly what you’ve been feeding him his entire life is fine.’” After you get that diagnosis, chances are you scarcely hear your vet lay out the treatment options, which likely include chemotherapy. We’ve truly cured this disease.’” With osteosarcoma, for example, if a dog shows a good tolerance for treatment, and if a family is willing to be more aggressive, Locke will increase doses and add in drugs to combat possible vomiting and diarrhea. Side note! “The example that I usually use is that you can have a 25-pound “That article illustrated that we actually have minimal risk as health care workers, that the majority of active chemotherapy properties are eliminated – broken down into inactive agents – by the time the patient is back in the clinic or in the home.” That said, there are some breeds of dogs whose hair does grow continually, and those dogs can experience hair thinning or total baldness from chemo treatments.

No 2222-8), and American Southern Home Insurance Company. Subscribe to our free e-newsletter.Whether you’ve faced pet chemotherapy decisions or not, we hope you find answers to these FAQs useful. These are just some of the questions that you have to answer!

These metabolites are far less active than the original drug was.

Should I? Your dog has cancer might be the four scariest words a pet parent can hear.

Page recommends keeping a pets-only thermometer in the home and regularly checking a pet’s temperature so that you know what’s normal and what’s not – especially if a pet seems “off” after treatment.