Pets & Chemotherapy

Extending your pet's life through chemotherapy is an option through veterinary clinics. Once seen as a radical approach to pet health care, chemotherapy is now part of the life care for dogs and cats. This type of treatment for a dog or cat is not as debilitating as it is in a human. The largest obstacle in the treatment process is that cancer is not diagnosed early enough for the treatment to be successful.

  1. Significance

    • Dr. Tim Fan, University of Illinois veterinarian, states, "There is a lot of taboo surrounding chemotherapy for pets." Fan said that people base their experience about chemotherapy on how it impacts human treatment, rather than how pets are treated with chemotherapy. Animals are usually not diagnosed with cancer at an early stage. Treatment using chemotherapy is milder for pets because the goal is for a comfortable extension of life and not a cure.

    Side Effects

    • Cancer is the leading cause of death in older dogs, according to several pet websites, including americananimalcare.com. Treatment involves a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and cats. Pet owners need to be sure their pet is drinking water and may need to feed a prescription diet that is easier on the digestive tract. Overall, chemotherapy protocol for pets is designed so it does not overwhelm their systems.

    Benign Tumor

    • If your pet is diagnosed with cancer, your veterinarian will discuss what type of cancer the pet has and the treatment options available. He might refer the pet to a veterinarian who specializes in oncology. The presence of a tumor may or may not be cancer. A test of the tissue is needed for a diagnosis. A benign tumor does not usually spread and is not considered cancerous. However, it may need to be removed surgically.

    Malignant Tumor

    • A malignant tumor is invasive and cancerous. When a malignant tumor spreads to secondary sites, it is said to have metastasized. A tumor that has decreased in size or is considered to be under control is said to be in remission. Lymphoma is the most common type of cancer in pets that is treated using chemotherapy. Mast cell tumors, fibrosarcomas, mammary tumors and osteosarcomas are some of the other cancers that are treated with chemotherapy, or chemotherapy and a combination of surgery and radiotherapy.

    Considerations

    • If you choose chemotherapy for your pet, know that you will not be able to be in the room while they are receiving the cancer drugs. Your pet will be well taken care of for the short time it will be away from you. Up to five days following the treatment, the drugs will leave your pet's body through urine and feces. Discuss potential human health issues with your veterinarian if there are pregnant women or people with immune-compromised disease living in the home.