What you have to find out about chemotherapy for pets

Few issues are as devastating because the analysis of most cancers, together with for our beloved pets. However chemotherapy can really be simpler on our cats and canine than on human sufferers. Right here’s the story.

Q: My canine has been recognized with most cancers, and the oncologist recommends chemotherapy. He says that chemo isn’t as onerous on pets as it’s on folks. Is that true? Will my canine lose his hair or produce other negative effects?

A: We’re sorry to listen to about your canine’s analysis. Persons are usually hesitant to have their canine bear chemotherapy — using medicine to destroy most cancers cells — however it may be an efficient remedy with fewer negative effects than these seen in people.

Most cancers happens when cells develop uncontrollably, inflicting irregular tissue to develop. Chemotherapy medicine have an effect on not solely the irregular and quickly rising most cancers cells, but in addition different areas of the physique that produce regular quickly rising cells. Assume bone marrow, which produces purple blood cells; the liner of the intestinal tract, which sheds outdated cells and generates new ones steadily; and hair, which grows quickly. That’s why individuals who obtain chemotherapy usually undergo painful or ugly negative effects akin to nausea, diarrhea, hair loss and weak spot. The trade-off is that the excessive doses they obtain enhance their response to remedy.

The distinction in canine and cats is the quantity of chemotherapy that’s given. The aim is to offer extra time — however not on the expense of high quality of life. Most pets don’t expertise critical negative effects from the remedy. Generally they’re drained afterward or could expertise nausea. If that occurs, the oncologist (most cancers specialist) could prescribe Cerenia, a drug that helps with movement illness in animals and might relieve the nausea and fatigue attributable to chemotherapy. Gentle gastrointestinal negative effects will be managed with a bland food regimen. And hair loss is uncommon in canine.

Relying on the kind of most cancers and the way superior it’s, chemotherapy can lower tumor dimension, delay life and generally result in full remission.

There’s extra in Pet Connection, the weekly nationally syndicated pet function I co-write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, coach Mikkel Becker.