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Pet Article
CANCER IN CATS AND DOGS
All cancers are different, cancer is in general, a very treatable disease, in fact, it is the
most curable of all the chronic diseases our beloved cats and dogs can get. If cancer is caught
early enough, there are many options available. Veterinarians have many kinds of advanced
treatments, with new therapies being developed all the time. Cats and dogs often respond very
well to cancer treatment, providing your are informed, work along with your cat or dogs health
care team, taking good care, not only of your cat or dog, but yourself, dealing with cancer does
not have to be a frightening Process.
Imagine yourself waiting in an examination room whilst holding your cat or dog and waiting for
their diagnosis, the last thing you will want your veterinarian to diagnose is cancer. You may
suffer with confusing emotions, you may be reminded of a friend or relative who may have had to
deal with cancer. There will be many things that will go around your head at a time like this,
finances, treatment, loss of your pet, will they suffer and how will you cope with it all.
All of these feeling, although confusing and conflicting at the time, are completely normal.
Cancer can be complexed and frightening that will evoke many emotional reactions. One of the
reasons cancer seems so scary to us is that it is mysterious. You can work yourself through
these fears by informing yourself about the disease and the dangers that it may carry, but also
the hopes that can be offered. By finding out and knowing something about the cancer your dog
or cat may have, will help you to make better decisions about your pets treatment and will also
help you to feel more in control of the overall situation.
The term cancer tends to be a general one, but it refers to any disease in which cells divide out
of control. For some reason, the genetic code that tells cells when to stop dividing breaks down
and the cells reproduce at high speed, until they form into a mass of cancer cells, usually termed
as a tumor. This can interfere with and damage other healthy cells, if they keep growing they
can start to spread or metastasize to other parts of the body.
There are around 100 specific types of cancer, each one involving different parts of the body and
each having it's own name. Cancer can attack the skin for example, as in squamous cell carcinoma,
or the bones, as in osteosarcoma. Each type of cancer is its own disease and each in turn will
cause unique problems and respond to different treatments. The first step you as the pet owner
should do is find our what kind of cancer your cat or dog has, how it spreads, what the survival
rates are and how it can be treated.
Seek advice from your veterinarian, your veterinarian will be your most accessible and dependable
resource of the facts and advice. Never be afraid to ask your veterinarian too much, ask them
to explain, so you can understand, things you don't understand already. Ask them to be clear and
precise, keep a notebook handy to jot down questions which come to mind, ask for handouts and
pamphlets which will help to explain things to you. Pay a visit to your local library, find
books on cancer in animals. Going on line can be another good resource for finding out facts as
well as support groups and information from people who have cared for their cats and dogs with
cancer. Armed with all this information you can now move on and plan what care your cat or dog
may need along with their treatment. Always remember and be cautious when accepting medical
advice found on the internet, check the facts with your veterinarian before you make any
decisions about your pets treatment.
Each of our cats and dogs are unique and each kind of cancer is different. The entire network
of the people caring for your pet will work together to decide what kind of treatment will help
your pet to live longer, with the most comfortable life they can. The kind of treatment chosen
will depend upon your cat or dogs age, their general health, type of cancer as well as other
factors. The three main kinds of treatment most commonly used are:
SURGERY: Veterinarians will perform surgery on a tumor when it can be safely removed from a
pets body without damaging other tissue. It is not a viable option if the cancer is too large
and therefore could endanger the animal if removed, or if the cancer has spread, or if the
animal is too weak to survive anesthesia.
CHEMOTHERAPY: This is a process in which the pet is given toxic chemicals, usually intravenously,
that are intended to kill the out of control, rapidly reproducing cancer cells, without damaging
the slower, dividing healthy cells. Animals often respond to chemotherapy better than us humans,
they do not usually suffer the side effects like nausea and hair loss that can be the human
experience.
RADIATION THERAPY: In this tratment, high doses of radiation are aimed directly at the tumor
to shrink it or arrest its growth. This can be done either with a narrow beam of radiation, or
with radioactive implants which are placed next to the tumor. The procedure is painless for the
animal.
In addition to these treatments, there are severl other, less common, way to treat cancer.
New medical treatments are now available such as, gene therapy, fixing the flawed DNA in the
cancer cells, and, cryosurgery, the freezing of tumors using liquid nitrogen. Complementary
therapies like massage, herbal supplements and acupuncture are also available. In most cases,
two or more techniques as a combination may be used to treat your pet. For example, after
surgically removing a cats tumor, a veterinarian may chose to perform radiation treatments to
keep any leftover cells from reproducing.
Always remember that your cat or dog are not fighting this cancer alone, a lot of people will be
contributing to the process of treating your pet. You may also work with specialist like,
pathologists, who test and diagnose cancel cells, veterinary surgeons, veterinary internists and
veterinary cancer specialist. Always get to know the people who are treating your pet, ask them
questions and let them know how you are feeling and how you think your pet is doing. It can be
an important part of the process for all team members to communicate with and trust one another,
so they can be effective in working together to keep your pet as comfortable and healthy as
possible.
Always remember that you are the heart of the group, you are probably the most important person
in your pets life, you comfort them, you protect them and you feed them, they depend upon you.
If you ever feel that it's all getting a bit much for you, speak to your veterinarian as well as
family members, your veterinarian will help to direct you to resources to help you, maybe a family
member or fried could take care of your cat or dog for a while, whilst you take a few hours off.
No matter what, the best way you can help your pet is by being with him. Enjoy the time you
have with your pet. If your dog or cat can't run around and play like he used to, you can sit
with him while you read, or watch television. Touching your pet is also important, set aside
time to slowly brush and pet them, or give them a gentle massage. Feeling safe, comfortable and
loved is the best thing to keep your pet feeling good emotionally as well as physically. No
treatment in the world will help him as much as being with the human family that loves them.
Best of all, spending quality time with your pet is good for you too, it will help to lower your
stress levels and make it easier for you to cope with their illness. Treasure the time you
have with your pet, think of it as a gift. No matter what happens in the future, the lazy
afternoons you spend lying with your cat in the sunshine or rolling a tennis ball to
your dog across the living room floor are memories you will have forever.
Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control
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