Cancer is a dreaded disease in both humans and pets. Therapies are similar if not identical and require routine preventative and many times, aggressive care. Cancer is a leading cause of death in dogs, cats, and humans. As with human studies, why it happens is often still unknown.
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Preventative Care
Paying special attention to your pet’s health, diet and exercise, plus close veterinary care can help pets live much longer. Compared to people, dogs develop tumors twice and frequently, and cats half as frequently. If your pet is thought of to have cancer, a consultation with a veterinarian experience in oncology is important and can provide valuable and life saving information about treatment options and expectations.
Cancer Treatments
One of the most important goals of cancer treatment in animals is to maintain much of the pet’s normal quality of life. Immediate detection and action for cancer survival is necessary to treat, prevent and survive cancer. For cancers such as lymphoma, therapies involve significant time and commitment on the part of the owner, with outpatient visits once a week for a month and then every three weeks for up to 18 months. If uninsured, costs can be quite high, so it is important to look for a good insurer.
Surgical removal of tumors is common and valuable for removing solid tissue and bone tumors. It can sometimes be curative on it’s own if the disease is caught early.
Radiation therapy consists of a radioactive beam that damages or tries to kill malignant cells in a localized area. It can offer remission but not cure tumors. Animals tend to be tolerant of radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy is the use of certain drugs to control tumor growth. Animals tend to be tolerant of chemotherapy and not suffer as many negative side effects as people. Chemotherapy in combination with surgical removal is a common treatment in removing cancers in pets.
Cancer Survivors
With help from the stories of our cancer survivors, pets and pet owners are given plenty hope. Take for instance Fiji, a Whippet/Basenji mix. She and her owner are avid travelers and go cross country around the United States, by bike!
Fiji and her loving owner on a cross country tour
The duo is sponsored by various organizations in the past and welcomes any additional support. At the time of finding the cancer, their trip was sponsored by Rockbridge Animal Hospital in Columbia, along with free vaccinations, heartworm protection and flea and tick killer for 6 months! The veterinarian and hospital recommended biopsy and surgery and provided a large discount and installments for the remaining amount.
The biopsy showed to have Type B cancer which is in between metastatic and benign. Her doctor said she hope she got all the cancer, but couldn’t make any promises. Fiji experienced some minor complications and infections regularly. She was treated with antibiotics. The duo proceeded with their trip, and Fiji began to take a wonderful turn in health, developing muscles and a fit frame. Her disposition became much better and she truly blossomed.
Treatment, along with her owner’s loving care and the freedom of their travels saved her.
Read more about Fiji and her owner at fijapaw.com
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