Skip to content
Featuring Demian Dressler, DVM and Sue Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology), authors of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide
collection

Choosing Treatments with Confidence

A Useful Discussion for Dogs With Cancer

I received a question recently that involves a common situation for guardians coping with a dog cancer diagnosis. So, to benefit everyone, I am including my answers here, in the hopes that you can apply the information to how you manage your dog with cancer. This case is Almond, who is a 10 year female…

Read Article

But Will Palladia Work?

I recently received a question about whether the chemotherapy drug Palladia would work for a dog with cancer. This guardian wrote that her dog was breathing hard, all night, and that X-rays showed the cancer had spread to the lungs. She was asking as to whether the drug Palladia would work for her dog. In…

Read Article

An Overview of What Else Can I Do?

The most common question I receive is: My dog has cancer.  What else can I do? Well, this is a very short question that needs a very long answer. I will do my best to give the big categories here. First, get the data you need.  A real guardian needs information to make aware decisions. …

Read Article

Surgery and “Blood Thinning” Drugs and Supplements

The approach in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, as well as my own personal philosophy concerning problem-solving, is to use what works, regardless of the packaging material. In other words, it makes no difference if the recommendation comes from a conventional (allopathic) vet, or an “alternative” vet, as long as it works, is safe and…

Read Article

To Chemo or Not To Chemo?

One of the little known facts about veterinary medicine is that chemotherapy does not cure cancer in dogs, with few exceptions (except transmissible venereal tumor or the very rare lympho or something). I believe that many people are unaware of this fact. So we are left with a treatment  modality that has a goal of…

Read Article

Signs of Brain Cancer In Dogs

Tumors in the brain are very tough for us in veterinary medicine today. There are two reasons for this.  One is that they are hard to diagnose without advanced imaging like CT or MRI.  These are not available to everyone, since many do not live within a reasonable distance, and they are not cheap. The…

Read Article

Signs of Dog Lymph Node Cancer

Many find a bump or a lump on their canine companion at home.  The first question is usually, “what is this?” Sometimes the second question is, “Is it a gland or a lymph node?” These are good questions.  The reason is that glands, or lymph nodes, become swollen for different reasons.  Like in people, infection…

Read Article

Breast Cancer Signs in Dogs: What to Look For and How to Think About Mammary Cancer

Finding a lump on your dog’s breast is not good: Learn how to examine your dog for breast cancer and when to head to the veterinarian.

Read Article

But Cancer Treatment at My Dog’s Age?

So many guardians post comments on this blog, asking questions that have to do with age and cancer treatment. Let’s look at this topic today. I have an old dog.  What is the right choice for cancer treatment? This central question usually can boil down to whether the life quality negative of the treatment is…

Read Article
My dog is limping. Pug laying on the floor.

“My Dog Is Limping, But No Pain” – What You Should Know

If you find yourself thinking “my dog is limping but no pain is there,” think again. Limping is a sign you should take seriously.

Read Article

Cancer Cure?

Recently I heard the comment that medicine (in my case, veterinary medicine) is primitive. This is a very interesting comment, especially if we are talking about canine cancer. When you are coping with a canine cancer diagnosis, the question of curing cancer comes up frequently.  Now, shifting back to this idea about medicine being primitive,…

Read Article

Help! Found A Lump On The Dog… Now What?

Dr. Demian Dressler, best-selling author of “The Dog Cancer Survival Guide”, explains exactly what to do when you find a lump on your dog.

Read Article

Using Dog Cancer Statistics

The one of the first steps in the plan for helping you with dog cancer in The Guide is data collection.  Without data about your dog’s cancer, survival times, life quality during treatment, side effects, costs, nursing care you will be expected to do, your dog’s normal life expectancy and so on, you will be…

Read Article

Treatment Plan Analysis in Real Life

Yesterday, a 13 year old Rottweiler came in to the hospital. She had been limping, and there was a swelling in her front leg, down on the forearm.  It was firm and slightly warm to the touch.  The area was about 4 inches long. We took X-rays of the sore leg.  The films showed a…

Read Article

Diagnosis of Nasal Tumors

Tumors of the nose and sinus in dogs are often difficult to diagnose at first. These tumors are located inside the nasal passages, invisible to the naked eye, at least in the earlier stages. Many times a guardian will notice that their four legged family member starts to sneeze more often.  The first thought can…

Read Article
Cerenia. Dog with toy laying under covers on bed.

Cerenia: An Option for Dogs with Vomiting

Cerenia can really help with dogs who are vomiting or getting nauseous. Ask your vet!

Read Article

Calcium Tablets May Contain Carcinogenic Lead

Does calcium matter to a dog with cancer?   How about carcinogenic lead? Many dog lovers are feeding their dog The Dog Cancer Diet in The Guide, with very good results.  A dog with cancer has a unique metabolism that is totally different from a dog with no cancer. With this in mind, it is clear…

Read Article

What is Treatment Plan Analysis?

Imagine you want to spend some time somewhere.  Maybe the mountains, maybe the city…it is time for a trip. There are many ways to get there.  Perhaps having as much time as possible there is your main goal. Maybe you drive at breakneck speed to get there, wasting no time, and extend your time there…

Read Article

Dog Cancer Clinical Trials

These days really seem like “ruff” times for many.  Bad economy, emotional strain, and a lot of general hardship. If you have a dog diagnosed with cancer, but you cannot afford expensive treatments, what can you do? There are several different options in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.  I know that not everyone can afford…

Read Article

Making Time for Full Spectrum Dog Cancer Care

There is a big difference between coming up with an idea to do something, and doing it. We humans are very good at deciding that we should do.  The problem is that many times we sort of lose track of this focus, and don’t totally follow through. This is a very important issue when it…

Read Article

Dog Cancer Tests: Blood, Urine and More?

Healthy dogs should have early detection cancer screens.  The reason for this is that veterinarians often fail to eradicate cancer in a given dog.  The fact that cancer is the single number one cause of dog death should make this clear. If you have a dog of about 10 years of age or more, statistics…

Read Article

Signs of Dog Cancer and Decompensation

People are often stunned to find out their dog has cancer. Why? Because cancer seems to hit out of the blue. I often hear “but he’s been fine until the last couple days!” In this article, I’m going to take just a minute to explain why “cancer” seems to happen overnight. (Hint: it’s because of…

Read Article

The Premature Frenzy: Resveratrol

Ever since Dr. Oz mentioned resveratrol on Oprah, the media has anchored this substance into the minds of dog lovers across the country. Granted, resveratrol is very interesting.  And the anti cancer effects of resveratrol are quite interesting too…but mainly in test tubes and petri dishes. If one were to use this as the basis…

Read Article

Homeopathy for Dog Cancer?

Using homeopathy for dog cancer is a mixed bag in terms of the literature, but it may be useful for certain cancers. What Exactly Is Homeopathy? Homeopathy is a system of medicine based on the administration of very diluted amounts of substances that mimic the symptoms of the disease being treated.  The underlying idea is…

Read Article

I Need An Alternative Veterinarian!

When on the hard road of dog cancer, we have to use all tools at our disposal. The reason is obvious: we still don’t have a cure for systemic cancers.  Thus, most in their right mind would agree that an unsolved problem demands open-minded consideration of all approaches.  At the same time, the challenge is…

Read Article

Is There Hope For Dog Cancer?

Hope. Even looking at the word on a computer screen can cause an odd mix of feelings.  This is especially true if you are coping with a canine cancer diagnosis. If there was ever a double-edged sword, hope is it.  On one hand, allowing yourself to feel hope can turbocharge your abilities and motivation. On…

Read Article

A Change in Viewing Dog Cancer

I gave a webinar this morning that focused on making a dog cancer treatment plan.  I realized the topic should be presented, as so many blog readers post specific questions, but many are essentially the same query. So I presented a structure that would allow people to answer their own version of the question, with…

Read Article

Real-Life Stem Cell Therapy

The last post focused on the newest version  of a canine “Bone Marrow Transplant.” In a nutshell, this is a brand-new procedure that may produce a good number of actual dog cancer cures. Curing canine cancer essentially unheard of in conventional veterinary care using chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, at least with the systemic dog cancers.…

Read Article

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…

Read Article

The Magic Bullet for Dog Cancer Care Cost

I have had people in my veterinary hospital tell me they have to choose between their dog’s food and their own.  Or their children’s needs and those of their dogs. Indeed, for many, these dog days are ruff days (sorry, had to lighten it up a little…) So, what to do when faced with the…

Read Article
Scroll To Top