Surgery
How to Take Care of Your Dog After Surgery
To take care of your dog after surgery, protect the incision and make sure your dog is calm and not too active while healing.
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Day of Dog Surgery: Timeline and What to Expect
It’s the day of your dog’s surgery: learn what happens once you drop off, and what to expect throughout the day so you can feel calm and prepared.
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Getting Your Dog Ready for Surgery
Dog surgery can be stressful. Be sure your dog is ready for the big day and that you know what you need to do ahead of time.
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Senior Dog Rectal Cancer Surgery
John’s senior dog has a rectal tumor that might be cancer. But John is worried about complications. Should he go ahead with the procedure?
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Dog Cancer Surgery: What I’ve Learned So You Don’t Have To
Dog cancer surgery is really scary, and there’s a lot to think about. The editor of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide just went through it.
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Dr. Dressler: an Introduction to The Dog Cancer Vet
Dr. Dressler is “the dog cancer vet” and author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. Here’s his own True Tail of how he came to be a pioneer in education and treatment of dog cancer.
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How to Use the Mitotic Index to Make Decisions About Mast Cell Tumors
Is using the mitotic index mast cell tumor diagnosis useful? In some cases, not as much as others. But when it’s useful, it’s REALLY useful!
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Lumps On Dogs: When To Get Them Checked By A Veterinarian
Finding lumps on dogs is scary, but waiting to get them checked is a terrible idea. The sooner you know what it is, the better. Get the guidelines now.
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Don’t Forget Your Dog at the Veterinarian
When booking a new consultation with me, pet Guardians often ask if it is necessary to bring their dog to the appointment. From their point of view, they are often concerned about the stress of the visit on their pet, or maybe the travel itself. But from my point of view, a consultation without the…
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Checking your Dog for Testicular Cancer
One for the Boys Intact males (those who have not been neutered) may, in later years be more prone to bladder, prostate or testicular cancer. Dr. Ettinger’s post “Spay/neuter and the association with cancer in dogs: part one” discusses the pros and cons of neutering in more detail, and is a wonderful read. When my…
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Is My Dog Too Old For Cancer Treatments?
Age is not a disease, but when your dog is diagnosed with cancer, it can be confusing to know if your dog too old for cancer treatments. Dr. Dressler explains…
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Common Dog Cancer Mistake: Doing Too Many Diagnostic Tests Before Seeing the Oncologist
When you first hear your dog has cancer, you may panic and feel that everything must be done, and now. It’s true, cancer is an urgent situation, and it’s a great idea to find out as much information about your dog’s cancer as is possible. But how many diagnostic tests should you have your vet…
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Five Common Mistakes with Cancer Surgery, and How To Avoid Them In Your Dog
These are the five most common mistakes with cancer surgery. Read on to find out how to save both time and money (yes, really).
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Primary Lung Tumors, part 2
Unlike people where lung cancer is one of the top five cancers and the leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide, primary lung cancer is very rare in dogs. Dogs are often diagnosed with lung cancer as in incidental finding during a routine geriatric screen. Lung Cancer Symptoms in Dogs Often dogs have NO clinical signs,…
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Spay/neuter and the association with cancer in dogs: part three
Spay Neuter Golden Retriever: Early spay and neuter have several profound long-term effects for one of our favorite breeds.
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DogCancer.TV: Osteosarcoma – What You Need to Know About Your Dog’s Bone Cancer
Dr. Dressler and Dr. Ettinger discuss the detection, diagnosis, and the Full Spectrum Care Approach to treatment of osteosarcoma in dogs
Read ArticleHow Long to “Watch and Wait”
Last week I told you about two recent cases in which the tumors were too big for surgery by the time they came to me. I also promised to give you some guidelines about how long to wait when your vet says “let’s just monitor this.” Too many lumps and bumps are being monitored for…
Read ArticleAttitude Adjustment in Coping With Canine Cancer
One of the most shocking discoveries for some guardians starting their dog cancer journey is there seem to be few options. These guardians go to the vet or oncologist, and many times return from the visit with a very heavy burden that seems to have little relief. And strangely, it happens to those who ask…
Read ArticleCyberKnife RadioSurgery in Pets
If you have been following me on Facebook at Dr. Sue Cancer Vet, you know that last week I was lecturing with what I call “ASC Team CyberKnife.” This team includes radiation oncologist Dr. Sarah Charney, neurologists Drs. Rick Joseph and Jason Berg, and me, the medical oncologist. We manage all the CyberKnife patients that…
Read ArticleGinseng, a common Chinese herb, For Dog Cancer
Ginsing is a common herb used in eastern medicine, and is now being used for dogs by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. There is good reason for this. Ginseng has some very definite effects that are real, and may help a dog with cancer. I’d be thinking mainly of using ginseng for mammary cancers…
Read ArticleAnalysis Paralysis With Dog Cancer
When faced with a dog cancer diagnosis, many guardians experience an immediate sense of overwhelm. Of course, there is profound anger, sadness, numbness, grief, and the whole array of different responses to crises news. After a time, treatment options arise. And the facts are that modern medicine in many cases does not provide options that…
Read ArticleThe Oncologist’s Perspective on Statistics: Part Two
In last week’s post, Statistics Part One, I discussed why statistics can be very helpful to the pet Guardian. And while stats are an important part on oncology, my years in practice highlight their limitations. So before we dive into some common statistical terms (in my next blog), I think it is important to remember…
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