Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma: The Last Days
Sharon calls in wondering — is her dog gagging the hemangiosarcoma spreading to the lungs? Or something else? Dr. Trina Hazzah advises.
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Metronomic Chemotherapy for Dogs with Cancer
What is Metronomic Chemotherapy? Metronomic chemotherapy is a relatively new type of chemotherapy that uses low doses of oral (pulse) chemotherapy given on a continuous treatment schedule. Since it is given daily or every other day, the chemotherapy is given at lower doses then typical chemotherapy, often with a reduced toxicity profile. That reduction in…
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Prepare for Emergencies with Senior or Ill Dogs
The Call We Don’t Want to Make This is a tough one to write, and it will probably be a tough one to read. But part of being my dog’s champion, guardian, friend, and ‘parent’ means I have to be prepared to help. We all do, like it or not. It’s been over three years…
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Spay/neuter and the association with cancer in dogs: part two
Spay Neuter Rottweiler: Susan Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology) continues her discussion on how spaying and neutering dogs can increase their risk for certain aggressive cancers.
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Low Dose Chemotherapy Better for Canine Hemangiosarcoma?
Chemotherapy in dogs is normally given at doses that are as high as possible without causing too many side effects. This is to try to rid the body of as many cancer cells as we can, although some dogs will have occasional side effects related to the use of conventional chemotherapy. For this reason, there…
Read ArticlePrejudice in Chemo Side Effect Treatment for Dogs
Bias (prejudice) is an important issue in medical treatments being withheld. Some of these treatments may have benefit, and dog cancer is no exception. Managing the side effects of chemotherapy is an important part of cancer care. Chemotherapy is most commonly delivered at the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD). This means the highest doses that the…
Read ArticleNot All Soft Lumps are Lipomas!
Many times dog lovers will be told that their dog’s soft lump is a fatty tumor, and is no problem. The veterinarian is usually thinking about lipomas, benign tumors made of fat that may be genetic in dogs. This information is not always correct, and sometimes the mistake is life threatening. Although it is true…
Read ArticleCancer-Prone Dog Breeds
If you have a purebred dog, be on the look out for problems that are more common in your dog’s breed. Different breeds are more prone to certain health issues. Many are familiar with genetic diseases like hip dysplasia, more common in large breed dogs. However, there are more examples of breed-associated diseases, and cancer…
Read ArticleA Sign of Dog Cancer to Know About
What are the signs of dog cancer? That’s a tough question. There are internal cancers and there are external cancers. With the external cancers, those that are found in the skin, the space under the skin, superficial muscles, or in bony structures that are close to the outside of the body, many times we see…
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Survival Times and Dog Cancer
I recently got a comment from a reader who was quite upset with her veterinarian because he didn’t fully explain the survival times he expected with her dog’s cancer. Her dog underwent a splenectomy (spleen removal), presumably for treatment of a hemangiosarcoma (a malignant tumor of the blood vessel walls) of the spleen. This dog…
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Yunnan Baiyao for Dogs: Chinese Herb for Bleeding Dog Cancers
Yunnan baiyao for dogs with cancer may sound weird because it’s used for bleeding problems. But in certain cases, it is really useful.
Read ArticleThe Two Sides of Sunlight in Dog Cancer, part 1
I practice veterinary medicine and surgery in a sunny area. For those of you with a loved dog who gets a lot of sun, you may have wondered about the effects of sun on canine cancer. As with many topics in medicine, there are a couple different things that have to be considered, as it…
Read ArticleDog Cancer Surgery: They Didn’t Get It All Out
Sound familiar? Did this happen to anyone out there? Removal of all the cancer cells from the body during surgery is pretty important. How can we tell? The most important thing to do is get that biopsy report. Some don’t want the extra cost. “Just get it out” is a line I have heard from…
Read ArticlePain 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 ArticleSigns 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.
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