Is a dog cancer diagnosis a death sentence?

Absolutely not. We see cancers and cure them - or at least treat them and put them in remission - all the time. And we're here to help guide the clients, give them the best information, and work with them to get the best prognosis for their dog.

No, not necessarily. Pretty much every cancer has treatment options, and that ranges from curative surgery to palliative therapies where we keep them comfortable for long periods. Some tumors aren’t resectable, or surgery is probably not going to remove the cancer, but it's slow-growing, and we can keep them comfortable for a very long time. And to dispel the myths, we do compassionate cancer care with dogs and cats. We don't want them to feel bad while they're going through chemotherapy, and most dogs and cats do very well on chemotherapy. There's often a protocol for the individual dog, the owner’s budget, and the owner's schedule to make the dog feel a lot better and extend their life.

Every cancer is different. Some are more curable than others. However, stage four tumors that have spread throughout the body and cause the patient to feel awful typically won't live for very long, and we may decide to say goodbye a bit sooner. It's important to ensure our pets don't suffer, even if it means making the difficult decision to let them go. This is a very emotional process, but we're here to support you through it.