Let’s Get One Thing Straight…
The word “chemotherapy” carries with it many negative ideas. We can all imagine a friend or family member who has been through chemo in the past. The hair loss, the nausea, the vomiting, the loss of appetite, the pain - when you look at the entire process as a whole, frequently you walk away saying, “I’ll never put myself through something like this. . .” So when your pet was diagnosed with cancer, and chemotherapy was brought up as a treatment option, perhaps your mind conjured up images of that friend or family member, and you thought, “There’s no way I’m putting my dog through that.”
The key difference between human oncology and veterinary oncology lies in the philosophy of treatment. In human medicine, oncologist have one goal with chemotherapy - prolong this patient’s life as long as possible. In veterinary medicine, however, our goal is different; our aim is to make our patients comfortable for as long as possible. As such. . . the dosages of chemotherapy used in veterinary medicine are up to ten times less than what would be used in human oncology.
So what does this mean? It means that chemo-pets are happy pets. They go back to the dog or cat that they were before they were diagnosed with cancer. They do not lose their hair or struggle with excruciating pain. They do not vomit or lose their appetite, and if they do experience these side effects, our team will decrease the dosage they are receiving so as to prevent these side effects from happening again
It boils down to this - as smart as our patients are, their brains do not understand suffering. They have no way of projecting themselves into their futures by thinking things like, “While I’m in chemo, my life is going to be miserable for the next few months, but I’ll beat this and can live for several more years with my family.” All their brains are able to comprehend is “I’m miserable in this moment,” and as such the philosophy of veterinary oncology correlates well with what most owners say when their pet is diagnosed with cancer - “I just want them to be comfortable.”
Chemotherapy is the best way to achieve that goal.
What to expect
If our goal is to use chemotherapy to make our patients comfortable for as long as possible, what does that time frame actually look like? The number one question that people have when they receive a diagnosis of cancer is “how much time do they have?” And while this answer varies based on the type of cancer, the age of the pet, underlying health problems, stage of the cancer, etc… it can be stated categorically that pets with cancer who go through chemo live longer, happier, healthier lives than those who do not. That being said, here are some general ideas of what to expect with certain cancers:
Lymphoma:
Perhaps the most common cancer we see in veterinary medicine, usually by the time owners notice a lump, have it examined, and have the necessary tests done to diagnose what that lump is, patients are already in the very late stages of the disease, and have a mere 10-14 days of life remaining. Steroids alone will increase that survival to 2-3 weeks, but even rudimentary oral chemo options can extend that life expectancy to 2-4 months, and advanced options can have some patients survive for a year or more.
Osteosarcoma:
Bone cancer is one of the most painful cancers we see in veterinary medicine, and if all treatment options are declined, those pets usually have one to two months of life remaining. Those months are filled with limping, pain, and suffering. While chemotherapy does require a removal of the primary tumor (which would be done at your regular veterinarian) it will take that one to two month life expectancy and turn it into six to nine months or more.
Bladder Cancer:
Transitional cell carcinoma usually goes undiagnosed for a long time as patients typically present to their veterinarian for signs of a recurrent urinary tract infection. By the time a diagnosis is actually made, these animals are usually incontinent, passing large blood clots in their urine, and have metastases to the lungs, prostate or bone. With chemotherapy, most of these tumors (even ones that have spread) will go into remission, and patients have an excellent quality of life for an average of 9-18 months.
While every case is different, every client can expect their pet to have a longer life expectancy when chemotherapy is used. Chemotherapy in veterinary patients does not just “prolong the inevitable” as many people think. . . Instead, it gives these patients more time with the people who care about them, and the days, weeks, or months that it gives them are filled with an excellent quality of life reminiscent of the way your pet “used to be.”
So why us?
Okay, so maybe chemotherapy isn’t something to be afraid of, but might actually be beneficial to your pet and their quality of life, but why should you come to us? Why can’t you just see your regular veterinarian for this?
All of us have a family doctor for our own health. We see them a few times a year for a wellness check, prescription refills, and perhaps some lab testing, but we also will see them if we have minor illnesses - an ear infection, a rash that won’t go away, a really bad head cold, a sprained ankle. This is the role that your family veterinarian performs for your pet.
That being said, family veterinarians frequently just don’t have the time to commit to a very intensive case like a cancer patient. These cases often require drugs that are very specific, and which have multiple side effects and drug interactions, which your family vet would need to thoroughly research before starting them. Chemotherapy consultations usually take at least thirty to sixty minutes, which is just not something that a family doctor has the ability to give that much attention to when they are scheduled to see twenty to thirty other animals throughout the course of their day. Chemotherapy administration and infusion requires a certain set of skills and a certain level of biosecurity that many practices are not set up for. In short, it’s not that your veterinarian can’t do what we do, but rather that they do not feel like they can give your pet’s medical problem the care and attention that it needs in order to give your pet its best chance at long term survival.
But us? Cancer and chemotherapy are all that we do. We don’t see thirty patients a day, we see maybe five or six. We don’t have a fifteen-minute block of time in which to address all of the needs you brought your pet in for, we give you all the time you need to ask all the questions you have. We don’t have hundreds of medications for which to memorize how they work, where they work, what their interactions are, etc… We have perhaps 10-15 medications that we become more intimately familiar with and learn the intricacies of.
In short - your veterinarian didn’t send you to us because they don’t care about you and your pet. They sent you here because they do. . .
That being said. . .
Perhaps you found us on your own and just want some more information about your pet’s diagnosis. If so, there are more reasons why you should choose to partner with us rather than some of our competitors. Find out why veterinarians and pet owners are choosing to come and see us:
Location:
Traditionally, if you wanted to investigate treatment options for your pet’s cancer diagnosis, you would have to travel to one of the large referral centers in Cleveland, Columbus or Akron. It can be stressful on owners and pets to drive an hour (or more in some cases) to one of these referral centers several times a month, but we are located in Mansfield - a small town in the heart of Ohio that is easily accessible to clients throughout the state.
Small Town Values:
Do you enjoy the bright, cold, sterile environments of most hospitals? We don’t. . . Our team focuses on providing compassionate care in a warm and inviting environment. We are locally owned and operated - not a large and impersonal corporate hospital. Unlike the doctors in those large hospitals, we were born here. We grew up here. We know the area, the culture, and the morals/ethics of the people lucky enough to call North Central Ohio home.
Partnering With Your Vet:
We recognize our role in your pet's healthcare journey. Your pet likely has a bond with their veterinarian, feels at ease in their clinic, and is accustomed to its environment. Therefore, we collaborate with your pet's lifelong veterinary team to bolster their practice and business throughout your pet's treatment. We recommend visiting them for services such as lab work, x-rays, and prescription refills whenever possible. This approach supports their local business by retaining revenue that might otherwise go to a larger referral center and reduces travel and stress for your family.
Cost:
One can only dream of a world where financial constraints don't dictate a pet's access to cancer treatment. Sadly, the reality is that cancer treatments are expensive. Large referral centers often quote patients between $5,000.00 and $10,000.00 for a complete chemotherapy course, and sometimes even more. However, we stand apart; our goal isn't wealth or funding opulent hospitals with extravagant decor and high-end equipment. Consequently, our treatment plans typically cost less than half of what our competitors charge, enabling us to provide care to a greater number of animals.
So, have we piqued your interest? Click below to see what services we offer, and how we can best serve you and your pet.
