Dog Cancer Symptoms

There are several steps you can take in making sure your dog has the best possible chance of beating this disease.  They are:  

1) Make sure of the diagnosis. This means getting a biopsy done and sending it off to an independent lab for assessment. (not relying on an in-house diagnosis at the primary veterinary lab) There is a reason this is done. Anytime a doctor, whether a veterinarian or physician  sees a patient, he or she will make judgments based upon their experience and training. If this patient looks like every other dog cancer case they have ever seen, they will make a subconscious diagnosis that this is what they are seeing now. After that subconscious decision is made, everything the vet does will be to reinforce their pre-determined belief. This is human nature. The truth is we all make mistakes, and it is ESSENTIAL that any possible mistake is ruled out before deciding on a treatment plan for your dog.

By taking a biopsy, which is a small sample of the suspect tissue, and sending it out to a pathologist for assessment, it provides several benefits to the patient: It insures that a second opinion is obtained before planning any treatment. It also ensures that someone who has NOT seen the dog is making the diagnosis, and that doctor (called a pathologist) who is  looking at the biopsy sample will not have any pre-determined thoughts on the matter.

The pathologist reviewing the biopsy is more likely to make the correct diagnosis than the primary treatment vet is. Again, this is not bad medicine, it is just human nature. Many veterinarians will make the diagnosis and start the treatment plan without confirming it through biopsy. This approach is NEVER taken in human medicine, and it should NEVER be taken in veterinary medicine. One of the standard and best pieces of advice we can give for any dog cancer patient is to GET A SECOND OPINION.

2) Feed the proper diet, which is NOT just buying the cheapest dog food from the grocery store. Dog cancer patients have much more strict dietary needs which will have to be met for the dog to overcome this disease. More advice on diet will follow later in this report.

3) Choose your veterinary team with care. This is a critical part of properly addressing your dog’s cancer. You need to find the right medical people that you can work with to help choose the best options for your family and your pet. This will insure that you get the best treatment experience possible. Being open to your vet’s guidance and advice and feeling comfortable discussing options with them will help make the best of a difficult situation. Not every veterinarian is the best choice for treating your dog.

The collaboration of a Veterinary Oncologist should also be sought.  Remember there is no one be-all and end-all treatment that fits every dog and every dog cancer case.  If the first course of treatment tried doesn’t work there are usually other alternatives available.