Emotional Management
There is a lot to understand when it comes to dog cancer, and it’s not fun to do it. There are tons of terms to learn, options to weigh, and all the time you’re worried about your dog. It’s awful, and the stress is enormous.
Unfortunately, when we’re under stress we don’t learn well, and our decisions suffer. So … that’s why we need to do everything we can to help ourselves, first. When we take steps to calm down and manage our own emotions, we are SOOO much better at helping our dogs!
These articles will help <3
Coronavirus and Your Dog: What You Need to Know
Are dogs at risk during the coronavirus pandemic? Are we at risk from them? Nancy Reese, DVM, Ph.D. (Epidemiology) offers reassurance and information.
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My Dog Has Cancer: What Do I Need to Know?
“My dog has cancer” … UGH. Read this to hear what dog lovers wish they knew from the beginning of their dog cancer journey. Lots of wisdom here!
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How Can I Help My Dog with Cancer? Read Chapter 1: Your Role in Dog Cancer
How can I help my dog with cancer? It’s the first question dog lovers ask. Dr. Demian Dressler answers it. Warning: his answer might not be what you expect.
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Dog Cancer Caregiver Stress: Taking Care of Yourself So You Can Take Care of Your Dog
How to know when you are experiencing dog cancer caregiver stress … and how to care for yourself, so you can care for your dog.
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Reducing Anxiety in Dogs with Cancer
A worried dog has a harder time healing — and dogs mostly worry in response to OUR worry. When it comes to reducing anxiety in dogs with cancer, what’s a dog lover to do?
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Is My Dog Dying? Here Are Some Warning Signs and Symptoms
How do you know if your dog is dying? Learn what signs to look for, and how to handle them.
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Improving Life Quality with Hospice for Dogs
Hospice for dogs is not about giving up: it’s about focusing on comfort and closeness.
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Was There Anything Else I Could Have Done?
Was there anything else I could have done? This is an inevitable question we all face. And the answer is always the same.
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Is My Dog Still Happy?
So, is your dog happy? It’s not always easy to tell. But there are certain tell-tale signs that will help you know one way or the other.
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Memories of Paws: My Dog with Cancer
My dog, Paws, was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi I adopted when I was only twelve years old, and she was only eight weeks old. She was my first dog, and I still remember holding her in my lap on the car ride home, beyond excited to have her in my family. We literally did everything…
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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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Facing Dog Cancer? This Is Your First Priority
Want to help your dog with cancer? Learn this, FIRST — it’s the foundation of every cancer journey.
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Winter Dangers for Dogs with Cancer
Even as I begin writing this post I sigh at the title “Winter Dangers”. It just seems that everywhere we turn there is a threat! And constantly being on guard can be exhausting! So I offer this to you both from the perspective of caring for your dog with cancer, who may be more vulnerable…
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Are You a Dog Lover, or a Dog Guardian?
Who’s in charge of your decisions when it comes to your dog’s cancer? You are.
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What Is Full Spectrum Cancer Care?
How does Full Spectrum Cancer Care differ from conventional, holistic, or alternative care? It drops the bias and embraces tools from any system of medicine that have been shown to help fight cancer.
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Is There A Reason For All This Dog Cancer, part 2
In my last post, we looked at some of the connections between the environment, diet, and cancer development. We also examined how similar cancer is to the body’s reaction to an injury, as if it were healing a damaged or wounded organ in a deranged way. Today, I’ll continue some of my thoughts about why…
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Is There A Reason for All This Dog Cancer?
“Why did my dog get cancer? This is a tough question to answer, but I’d like to provide a bit of information about how I think about cancer to help answer this question. First, a bit about the disease itself, and what we know right now. Cancer cells look and behave like young body cells. …
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Is Optimism Appropriate in Dog Cancer?
Are we setting ourselves up for disappointment by holding on to optimism when it comes to dog cancer treatments?
Read ArticleOn Blame
For those coping with dog cancer, there is usually a very large amount of pain. First is the shock of the diagnosis, which is common. After this comes a flood of emotions of various kinds. For some it is confusion, trying to make sense of what it actually means to have a dog with cancer.…
Read ArticleReflections Four Days After Departure
This post will be a little different. I put my own dear Ginsu down four nights ago due to cancer. Ginsu was a loved cat, not the usual subject of the Dog Cancer Blog. Yet loss is loss, and as a provider of information that sometimes involves coping with loss, I would like to give…
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 ArticleMourning for Dogs and Their People
Whether or not a loved dog has cancer, time is limited. And one of the easiest things to forget is this fact of being a Guardian…we usually outlive our four legged family members. But we are not the only ones who mourn for the loss of loved ones. A recent article in Health Day described…
Read ArticleIs It Wrong To Treat Dogs for Cancer?
There has been a lot of press and debate lately about the high costs of veterinary medicine. Being in New York, I’m thinking of several NY Times articles. On the front page on April 5th, there was the article “New Treatments to Save a Pet, but Questions About the Costs.” This article highlighted the advances…
Read ArticleMy Dog is Young…and Has Cancer??
These days cancers in young dogs do not seem to be that rare. And they are especially difficult since it is such a shock. Often we have the perception that things like this do not happen, or should not happen. Yet we are faced with this brutal reality that seems impossible to accept and even…
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 ArticleThanksgiving and Coping With Dog Cancer
Thanksgiving and dog cancer….a horrific pair. Coping with canine cancer is heart-wrenching any time, and during the holidays can be almost unbearable. Here are some tips that can help a guardian cope with dog cancer during this season. During holidays, there are expectations that people will act or feel certain ways. If we see family,…
Read ArticleCan a Dog Cancer Diagnosis Be Wrong?
The news that a loved dog has cancer turns the world upside-down. Shock, dismay, disorientation, anger, and profound feelings of loss or sadness are common. Another common response is questioning the diagnosis. “My dog seems fine. The lump does not seem to bother her. His appetite is good. She still plays. How can he have…
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Disruptive Stress and Dog Cancer
Coping with dog cancer is extremely stressful. Certain life events, like coping with dog cancer in your loved family member, create such stress that it actually disrupts normal thinking. This is called “disruptive stress.” This is very natural and common. However, disruptive stress has been shown to have a real negative effect. Disruptive stress creates…
Read ArticleGuardian Versus Dog Lover in Dog Cancer
There is a big difference between loving a dog and being a dog guardian. Guardianship implies being a protector. There is vigilance, resourcefulness, and problem solving mixed with love. Being a dog lover is just enjoying your relationship with your dog. Guardianship is required for dealing with canine cancer. Being a dog lover is not…
Read ArticleHow Was This Not Found Earlier?
For Helen, Hunter, Guardians coping with dog cancer, and their dogs. Cancer seems to sneak up on us often. Many times, Guardians will wonder how it is possible that such a horrible disease could have been brewing while the dog was acting completely normal. And, how is it possible that the vet missed it during…
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