Articles by Demian Dressler, DVM
Fine needle aspirates to diagnose dog cancer?
Hi everyone, I have been getting questions about the best way to gather info about growths in dogs. So, let’s take a look at a common technique used to accomplish this…a fine needle aspirate. First of all, a fine needle aspirate is not a biopsy. A fine needle aspirate is a sample of the mass…
Read MorePredicting Chemotherapy Reactions in Dogs: MDR 1
Hi everyone! What about chemo safety in dogs, anyway? How do we know whether a given dog with cancer will tolerate chemotherapy? Well, for some drugs, there is a test that can give us info. The test is for mutations in a gene called MDR 1, or ABCB delta 1. This gene make a protein…
Read MoreWhat is the evidence? Dog cancer and information sources.
So you are ready to be your dog’s health advocate. Good choice! Can you dissect apart all different things that can affect whether a dog will get cancer, or how long a given dog will live, or if a treatment will definitely work in a given dog with cancer? Sadly, the answer to all of…
Read MoreMast Cell Tumors in Dogs: some advances in conventional care
Hi! I have been getting feedback about mast cell tumors and I would like to get some info out there. I will focus on some conventional medicine advances for the time being that should be thoroughly checked into by dog lovers interested in mast cell tumors. These are not general cancer recommendations, rather just a…
Read MoreGinger to Help Dogs with Cancer
Ginger to help dogs with cancer? YES! This inexpensive, great-smelling, pungent root is great for your dog. Learn why and how to use it.
Read MoreHelp overcome dog food dangers: which oils for cancer??
Rochelle Lesser, who created and manages a great site for Golden Retrievers (and dogs in general), asked about krill oil on a recent post. Here’s the skinny on why I like its cancer-fighting benefits (krill are those tiny shrimp that whales eat). First, krill oil helps offset the omega 6 fatty acid excess I wrote about…
Read MoreMast Cell Tumor Surgery and Benadryl
The mast cell tumor is very common in the Pug, Boxer, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shar-Pei and other breeds. This tumor most commonly occurs in the skin as a raised, inflamed nodule or mass. Sometimes it is found internally in the liver or spleen. The cells that make up this tumor are called mast cells. There are…
Read MoreDog food and cancer: help fight this problem!
In the last post I wrote about one of the issues in most commercial dog foods contributing to dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acid excess. This is a group of fats that are found in large quantities in corn products, vegetable oils, and meat products like tallow and lard, to name a few sources. Dogs…
Read MoreFood and dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acids
Many people ask me if dog food has something to do with the development of cancer in their pet. Before I devoted my time to studying the topic, I never gave it much thought. Nah, I would say. Dog cancer is mostly genetic, viral, a few carcinogens…who knows? “There is no real cause of cancer”,…
Read MoreLife Quality in Dog Cancer: Dr Dressler’s Joys of Life Scale
When we are dealing with cancer in our loved dog, especially the bad cases, we immediately enter into a new way of thinking. We start to have thoughts about life quality assessment. We are put in a position where we are in control of life and death (euthanasia) decisions. Sometimes in a very sudden way,…
Read MorePain in Dog Cancer and Life Quality, Part 2
Many times people talk about life quality in pets and pain. “Is my dog in any pain?” is a common question I get at my hospital. To be sure, pain is an important consideration in life quality. Of all the factors that contribute to a bad life, pain may be the most potent. BUT…it is…
Read MorePain in Dog Cancer and Life Quality
Many have concerns their dog may be in pain. And rightfully so, since pain is a definite negative. Pain control is a massive topic all by itself, and it is by no means strait forward. There are different kinds of pain. Sometimes dull, throbbing pain happens in cancers like osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Severe pain in…
Read MoreDog cancer: Is my dog’s life still good?
How can you determine the life quality of a dog? In the upcoming book I write about a life quality assessment system. It sounds a little complex, but actually it is pretty strait forward. The tough part is sorting out your own feelings from those of your dog! Lots of us have strong emotions that…
Read MoreFight Dog Cancer and Depression with Self-Esteem
Learn how to fight dog cancer and depression using esteem-building exercises. They will benefit your dog’s mood AND help fight cancer!
Read MoreIs My Dog Depressed and at Risk for Cancer?
Is my dog depressed … and does it REALLY increase my dog’s risk of cancer? Turns out the answers might be “possibly,” and if yes, “definitely.”
Read MoreDepression, Stress and Dog Cancer: Let’s Think About It
Are depression stress and dog cancer linked? Let’s take a look.
Read MoreImmunity and Dog Cancer
Cancer is the ultimate foe in veterinary medicine. It has so many ways of surviving and eluding. One of cancer’s clever survival tricks is avoiding destruction by the body. A dog’s body has many ways of protecting itself. A biggy is the immune system. A dog’s immune system is able to tell what is supposed to…
Read MoreCancer, Immortality, and the BAD protein
How happy would you be if you were immortal?? Many of us have thoughts of death that are associated with fear and dread. To be gone forever…pretty tough stuff to think about. Over the years, there have been books and movies about the search for immortality. One of the common themes is the loneliness that…
Read MoreBiopsy results are in…
The biopsy results are in for the biopsy I performed on my dog Bjorn and it is good news.
Read MoreSpaying, Neutering and Cancer in Rottweilers
Okay everyone, today I am going outside the realm of politically correct. You will see me do this from time to time, and some readers are not going to like it. Sorry, but I want to present information, and I don’t care if it is not PC if it saves lives. As a vet, I…
Read MoreSigns of Cancer in Dogs
Many people ask me what to look for to tell if their dogs have cancer. I thought I should give you a little summary of some of the biggies.
Read MoreBiopsy Procedure for Dog Cancer
This video is of the actual biopsy procedure of my dog Bjorn. It is not too bad to watch. If you would rather just read, all the information you need is in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
Read Moredog cancer biopsy preparation
This video shows me preparing for a biopsy procedure on my dog Bjorn.
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