How Long Does My Dog Have?
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: January 10th, 2019
It is very important to do what we can to avoid ongoing depression when trying to cope with cancer in our dogs. Ongoing depression is exhausting, steals our reserves, and clouds judgment.
It decreases your dog’s chances of good life quality during a life with cancer. Yes, your ongoing depression.
Please do not misunderstand me. There are many legitimate reasons for guardians of dogs with cancer to be depressed.
Here are some of these reasons:
Take a look at median survival times with conventional care (chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery):
- Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen: median survival time after spleen removal without chemo is about 2 months, and with chemo is up to 6 months.
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the bladder: median survival time on piroxicam alone is about 6 months.
- Melanoma of the toes: following removal of the affected toe, this cancer will take the life of half the patients within a year, assuming there is no evidence for spread at the time of surgery.
- Lymphosarcoma: patients receiving the Wisconsin chemo protocol have a median survival of roughly 6-10 months.
(For more specific data on median survival times with different cancers and protocols, see The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.)
So there is every reason to have sadness. But….continued sadness is not helpful to you or to your dog. After experiencing the grief, it is time for an expectation analysis. Time to organize yourself and move forward.
Suppose your dog was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma, and seems to be having good overall life quality 6 months later. Guess what? This is very good news! Median life expectancy with chemo being 6-10 months, about half the dogs with lympho have passed away in as little as 6 months after being diagnosed.
And that is with chemotherapy!
If you have a dog with lympho and your dog is doing well 6 months after diagnosis, you are already beating the curve, since median survival is as low as 6 months in some cases with the chemo.
Get a copy of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide for more helpful information and tools
What if your dog has lympho and is on pred only? Median survival for those dogs is roughly 2 or 3 months. So you are ahead of the game if your dog has good life quality 2 months after diagnosis.
If you were to look at some of the other statistics above, you can see that if you had a dog who underwent spleen removal 8 weeks ago, is not on chemo, and is still maintaining, you are beating the odds. This is very, very good news. This is successful treatment!
An integration of these statistics in one’s mind allows for a realistic picture of where we stand with conventional cancer care.
We really must take into account how short these survival times are in our expectations! We need to redefine success in malignant cancer management.
An understanding of these figures also tells us how we are doing with the addition of our “outside the box” treatments discussed here and in The Guide.
Once we get past the grim reality of these numbers, we can alter our expectations and begin appreciation with gratitude.
The practice of gratitude for each of these days, realizing the odds, is they key to avoiding continued sadness.
Best to all of you,
Dr D
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
I have a 12 year old Malamute/Great Pyr mix who was diagnosed with an inoperable liver tumor at the end of June. He had exploratory surgery which confirmed the diagnosis. It had spread to his sinuses and he had been bleeding profusely from the right nare (which is what prompted me to bring him in to the vet–along with the fact that he had been experiencing some weight loss). The vet’s office made a call to UW Madison’s vet school, but they would not start my Big White Fluffy Moose on any chemo.
The vet said that the tumor was too big–that if they were to remove it, he would not have enough functional liver remaining to keep him alive.
I have had him on K-9 Immunity, Luteolin, milk thistle, parsley, modified citrus pectin, cimetidine, and a basically pure protein diet. I have been feeding him chicken breasts (he goes through filve to seven of them a day) and 1-2 chicken livers each day. He also gets beef roast and freeze-dried beef liver as a “treat”.
From the time they took the film of his belly to the time of the surgery, he lost six pounds. In the six weeks since the surgery, I have had him on this regimen and he has only lost one pound.
He had to go back for an additional surgery, as his abdominal wound dehisced, but the vet was very pleased with how he looked. His appetite is phenomenal, his attitude is great, he loves visitors and attention, and is an all-around happy boy.
The vet said to just keep doing what I’ve been doing.
They cauterized the sinus tumor during the first surgery, and there has been no further bleeding (thank God!).
I had a long talk with the Moose, and told him that he couldn’t go anywhere just yet–he had to hang around long enough to be a senile, silly old man!
I did try the diet that you recommended in the book (which I called “Moose Mash”), but he wanted nothing to with it. It was meat or nothing.
He has gotten very spoiled, though–he won’t eat the chicken unless I warm it up in the microwave!
Hi again Dr.Dressler – my prior comment is above dated May 9, 09 re Mack, my 11 yr golden diag’d with a brain tumor in the left olfactory lobe in Sept08. Since the beginning of this month (June 09) he has taken a negative turn. Mack’s breathing is somewhat labored(he just saw our vet on June 18,) he is awake much more than he should be at night, and very stiff legged and weak in the hind legs. He is still a voracious eater. My question is: can he take MELATONIN with prednisone and phenobarb? I know you say 5mg per 40lbs of weight. Thank you so much,
Karen
Hello. My almost 9 year old Wheaten Terrier was just diagnosed yesterday with a cancerous brain tumor that is located on her brain stem. The vet said average life is now 3-5 months…longest he has seen is 9 months. The only thing he has given me is 7.5 MG of Prednizone and Pepcid twice daily (every 12 hours). There are people on here talking about other drugs. I also have found this item called EZ Clear. Since I just found out yesterday I’m crying all day and in a fog. But I don’t want to waste time if there is possibly something out there that can prolong her life. I am going to see if my local Barnes and Noble has your book tonight. If you have any suggestions in the mean time please let me know. Thank you.
My 7 year old Great Dane, Daisy, was just diagnosed with bone cancer. Our vet prescribed Tramadol and Deramaxx for pain and inflamation, and she does seem to be responding well to these as a way to improve her quality of life right now. Otherwise, we’re feeding her all the protein she’ll eat and staying as positive as possible with her. From what I understand, this is a very serious and aggressive form of cancer with no real options. She manifested with limping in her left hind leg, then it progressed to her left shoulder. X-rays of her left shoulder gave it away. Are there any other “quality of life” in the short term recommendations? Thanks!
Dr. D.,
We recently purchased your book. Our dog Nicholas was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in June of 2006. Back then, we treated him with Lomustine for 6 months. At the time, the doc stated that this was a one time deal. It has been 2 1/2 years since his last dose. I read in your book that the drug is very effective in shrinking the tumor but once given, it can act like a vaccine and would not be effective the second time.
Nicholas has been recently displaying signs that the tumor is growing. Is there any time limit as to when you feel a second regimen might be effective or do the tumor cells respond as if the Lomustine is a lifetime vaccine? We were under the impression that the Doc. told us it was a one time thing because survival this long is quite unheard of.
He currently takes Essiac tea, IP-6 & Inisotol, Omega 3 fatty acids in organic flaxseed oil, vit. ester-c, garlic tabs, maitaike mush, liver detoxifier, boswellia, DHEA, Bromelain, prednisone (30mg/day), xue yu tang, and tan yu tang. He is fed Wellness Core, (Holistic food, high protein, lo carb).
We took your recommendation regarding Doxycycline and got a prescription today. The Doc that prescribed the Doxycycline thought that there should be something else used with it. Do you know if there is something that should be paired with the Doxycycline?
We will be purchasing the K-9 Immunity medicine soon as another supplement.
Can you give us any other suggestions?
Thank you for all the information we acquired from your book. We are off to war now,
John & Paulette
A very, very experimental treatment is the use of methyl jasmonate in aerosolized in Vick’s inhaler. It could help in particular for lung and brain tumors and possibly with other cancers. Zinc should be taken with it.
Do a google search. It has never been used on dogs although I am excited to try it. Here is a site online that seems to offer it in smaller quantities.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825132111.htm
file:///Users/dressler/Desktop/methyl-jasmonate-cancer-and-leukemia(2)
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/65/5/1984
You need to get to be willing to risk serious or fatal side effects when you do stuff like this, so be cautious and deliberate.
Find a vet who is willing to help. It should only be used in cases of life or death.
D
Dr. Dressler,
I downloaded your book this weekend and called your office this morning to get some direction.
I have a Boxer that just turned 11 in March. He was just diagnosed with Primary lung cancer. They did an aspirate and advised furthur to something called Adenocarcinomas. X-rays showed a mass which looked to be on the top of his heart. The Ultrasound showed the mass to be in the frontal lobe of his lungs on his right side. We were planning to do surgery to remove the mass the next day because the mass is putting some pressure on his trachea. They wanted to do a CT Scan to provide the exact location of the mass. The results of the CT Scan showed the start of a smaller mass furthur down in the 3rd lobe on his right side. They are not suggesting surgery after the finding of the 2nd mass.
I started researching on the internet and found information on your book, blogs and video.
I am looking for some direction on what to do for him and need your help. He is a healthy and active dog with the exception of the cancer now. I want to do whatever I can for him.
Thank you for your time,
Jared
Jared,
we will be in touch with you tomorrow-
Dr D
Dr. Dressler,
I downloaded your book this weekend and called your office this morning to get some direction.
I have a Boxer that just turned 11 in March. He was just diagnosed with Primary lung cancer. They did an aspirate and advised furthur to something called Adenocarcinomas. X-rays showed a mass which looked to be on the top of his heart. The Ultrasound showed the mass to be in the frontal lobe of his lungs on his right side. We were planning to do surgery to remove the mass the next day because the mass is putting some pressure on his trachea. They wanted to do a CT Scan to provide the exact location of the mass. The results of the CT Scan showed the start of a smaller mass furthur down in the 3rd lobe on his right side. They are not suggesting surgery after the finding of the 2nd mass.
I started researching on the internet and found information on your book, blogs and video.
I am looking for some direction on what to do for him and need your help. He is a healthy and active dog with the exception of the cancer now. I want to do whatever I can for him.
Thank you for your time,
Jared
Hi Dr Dressler,
I just purchased your book and am still in the process of reading it.
I have a 5-year old male Rough Collie that was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma April 1, 2008. We started him on the Madison protocol a couple of days later. I took him to a holistic vet in our state and we started him on several supplements. We also switched his diet to Sojo’s Europa (Grain-Free) dog food mix and I add cooked turkey. He went into remission after his first treatment and stayed in remission until December. We decided to try Lomustine instead of the Madison protocol again. I kept him on the supplements and food as before. He has been feeling great. He is running, barking and even playing tug. He never played tug even as a puppy. His mood has been great and I am very thankful. So, when I took him in for his check up on May 5th I was shocked and crushed to find out the Lomustine seemed to quit working after only 4 months. I am not ready to give up and I don’t think he is either. Everyone at the clinic was surprised he came out of remission because he is so up in mood and activity. His activity level is down a bit after the his Vincristine treatment on Wednesday but is still acting really good. I understand that many would say that he has already beat the odds and been with us more than a year when his prognosis was 6-10 months. I am very optimistic by nature and don’t give up easily. If he were feeling poorly or I could see that he was too tired to continue, I may feel differently. If Apollo were your dog, or you were treating him in your clinic, what types of supplements or treatments would you use? What steps would you take?
Also, is it possible to cure Lymphosarcoma? I have been told that it is not but most of the news I get is very pessimistic at best. I would appreciate any assistance or advice.
PS – PLEASE do not tell me that he has already beat the odds and I should just accept that and prepare for the worst. I can’t sit back and do nothing. I need to help him any way that I can.
Thanks!
Sandy, you need to get through the book! There is a lot you can do, from supplements to diet to mind-body techniques for your dog. Follow the Full-Spectrum Attack Plan!
I have yet to see a true cure for lympho unfortunately, but I know of one dog who has lived over 4 years following chemo. So don’t lose hope!
D
I was in a fog for 6 weeks, on pins/needles, not knowing how long Jimmy would be with me after his diagnosis hemangiosarcoma. I think I found it earlier than normal and as far as we can tell it originated in the abdomen near the prostate. After his biopsy that left a belly full of staples, I think HE was depressed for awhile and then I was depressed too thinking I would have to run out in the middle of the night to put him to sleep. As soon as I decided to go on and enjoy everyday with him and not live in fear that he’d drop dead at any second, things got a lot better. It’s been 3 months and we take it day by day and I pray often for wisdom as to when it’s time to let him go. Your blogs/website, etc. have been VERY helpful. Thanks. Amy
Thanks Amy. Reminds me of my dog Bjorn. He has had extensive orthopedic repairs on his limbs (courtesy of yours truly) and I was always afraid dogs on walks would hurt him, so I would secretly hope they would stay away to keep his legs safe. I realized Bjorn was picking up on my fear as he showed aggression to the other dogs. Once I realized it, he has gotten about 50% better.
Amazing.
D
Hi Dr. Dressler – you are so right about having gratitude on a daily basis. My Mack, 11 yr golden, was diagnosed 8 months ago with a brain tumor, left olfactory lobe. He was given 3-6 months to live with no surgery, no radiation. He is on Prednisone and Phenobarb along with 18-19 suppletments/herbs. I will now add zinc. So yes, so far we have beaten the odds (and I feel guilty saying that,) but he and I are happy everyday and take it day by day.
Thank you for all you do,
Karen Bender
Springfield,NJ
Good for you Karen, and your Mack.
Keep it up!
D