Cancer Type
Why use stomach medication for mast cell tumors?
Many dog lovers are coping with a diagnosis of canine mast cell tumor. Just yesterday afternoon I was removing a very large one from the body wall of Big, a 10 year old, 105 pound, much-loved mixed breed. The day before his surgery, Big started to throw up. He became quite sick, and would not…
Read ArticleThe Two Sides of Sunlight and Dog Cancer, part 2
In the last post, we examined those cases where a dog lover might want to protect dogs prone to certain skin cancers with sunscreen and indoor living. However, these are the minority. The vast majority of dogs actually benefit, in a real way, from some direct sunlight. Here’s my argument… Sunlight exposure in people is …
Read ArticleThe Two Sides of Sunlight in Dog Cancer, part 1
I practice veterinary medicine and surgery in a sunny area. For those of you with a loved dog who gets a lot of sun, you may have wondered about the effects of sun on canine cancer. As with many topics in medicine, there are a couple different things that have to be considered, as it…
Read ArticleBone Cancer Pain: New Ideas
Many who love a dog with bone cancer need information to make sure pain is managed. Bone cancers are often very painful. Since life quality is so essential for us when making medical choices, we need to always control pain. Bone cancer is often first noticed as a limp. Many times I have had a…
Read ArticleWhy is Canine Cancer Still Winning? Part 2
After all this work, dog cancer is still often incurable. Why? In this second post on the topic, I would like to look at the flow of information. We need to look at where data is generated. And, as usual, recall the flow of the dollar. Generally, cancer research is the source of the information…
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My Dog is Acting Fine … And Got Diagnosed With Cancer?!?
If your dog is acting fine, even though she has cancer, there could be a couple of reasons. Read this article to discover what they are.
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Benadryl For Dogs With Mast Cell Tumors: How It Can Help
Vets often prescribe Benadryl for mast cell tumors. Why on earth do they do that? Dr. Dressler explains how this common allergy med can help.
Read ArticleOsteosarcoma and Dog Food Link
Some new information for dogs at risk or afflicted with osteosarcoma is out that I would like to share. Osteosarcoma occurs in both dogs and humans, but is much more common in dogs. It is the number one bone cancer in the canine. A recent study found that eight widespread brands of dog food contained…
Read ArticleHemangiosarcoma, Mammary Cancers and Plastic Link?
Many of you will remember a media stir over BPA, that stuff found in plastic baby bottles that could be hazardous. BPA is Bishenol A. It is found in many different types of plastic. The most common is the clear, hard plastic called polycarbonate. BPA is also found in plastic food and beverage containers, “carbonless”…
Read ArticleEverything is overwhelming…
Many dog lovers, especially those of you who just received the news that your dog has cancer, feel very overwhelmed. This is very common and completely natural. So many questions arise. How did this happen? Where did the cancer come from? Why wasn’t this picked up before? Is it the food? Vaccines? Chemicals? What do…
Read ArticleIs it for me or for my dog?
Decision making when loving a dog with a cancer diagnosis can be tough. Many times we will experience some degree of confusion in decision making. There are many options that are presented. Should I allow chemotherapy? Amputation? Is radiation really worth it? I think that a lot of the difficulty may not actually relate to…
Read ArticleProblem Solving while having a Dog With Cancer
Lymphosarcoma. Hemangiosarcoma. Osteosarcoma. Mast Cell Tumor. Nasal Tumor. Melanoma. Mammary Cancer. All these words, so harsh, so foreign and scientific. And also, so horrible. Do you love a dog with cancer? How are you dealing with this fact? Upon reflection, some may not even allow the reality to sink in. You are telling me my…
Read ArticleLymphosarcoma and Simpler Chemo Options for Dogs
Lymphosarcoma is a cancer of the white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is one of the most common cancers in dogs. The worst kind of cancer is the kind you have to deal with in your dog. I heard that from a lady I saw on a video online a while back and I thought…
Read ArticleNasal Cancer, in memory of Max the Police Dog
A friend told me about this story. I have not been in the habit of writing about media news in this blog, but this story caught my attention and could be used to expound on nasal tumors in dogs. Max, a Springer spaniel, passed away in Britain due to nasal cancer. He spent his days…
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Dog Cancer and the Malaria Drug Artemisinin
Artemisinin for dogs with cancer? Yup. This herb can help make chemo more effective, and may also target cancer directly.
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Lipoma and Liposarcoma in the Dog: Fatty Tumors
Is that soft squishy lump on your dog something to worry about? It depends.
Read ArticleMast Cells and Luteolin in Cancer Treatment, Part 1
Here’s a post I have been promising for a while now. Let’s look at Luteolin, a practically anonymous, food-derived agent with numerous possible uses in cancer treatment. Nobody has heard of Luteolin. That is because the research being done in its potential anti-cancer application is really new. What is it anyway? Luteolin is a bioflavonoid…
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Is The Cause of Cancer Really Not Known?
Conventional vets (and I count myself among this group) suggest that the cause of cancer is not known. Well, this statement rests on a faulty premise, because there is no single cause of cancer. Cancer is the product of many separate steps that all must occur before the disease happens. So of course the cause…
Read ArticleNew treatment for Dogs with Melanoma
Chalk up a win for the Animal Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering. These two medical facilities have teamed up with Merial, one of the major companies producing drugs for dogs. They came up with a winner: a vaccination for dogs that have malignant melanoma, a type of cancer of the skin or mouth. This…
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Canine Osteosarcoma: Amputation and Life Quality
If your dog’s leg is amputated, how does it affect them? Dr. D looks at amputation and life quality for dogs with osteosarcoma.
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My Dog Has Osteosarcoma: Should I Allow Amputation?
Is amputation a good idea for dogs with osteosarcoma? Dr. Dressler looks at this decision from two perspectives. In this article: life expectancy.
Read ArticleDog Cancer Surgery: They Didn’t Get It All Out
Sound familiar? Did this happen to anyone out there? Removal of all the cancer cells from the body during surgery is pretty important. How can we tell? The most important thing to do is get that biopsy report. Some don’t want the extra cost. “Just get it out” is a line I have heard from…
Read ArticleCan melatonin be used with lymphosarcoma in dogs?
Before we go back to linoleic acid, the last blog topic, this question has been festering in my mind and needs to be addressed. Should be be using melatonin in dogs with lymphosarcoma? This is an interesting question, especially because as I am about to disagree with what is all over the internet….”don’t use melatonin”…
Read ArticleConjugated Linoleic Acid and Dog Cancer
I received a question about the use of safflower oil for a type of lyphosarcoma (lymphoma) in dogs. The group of active ingredients in safflower oil is called the Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLA). There are other things in safflower oil too that have effects, but this is a biggy. So should we be giving this…
Read ArticleMast Cell Tumors in Dogs: some advances in conventional care
Hi! I have been getting feedback about mast cell tumors and I would like to get some info out there. I will focus on some conventional medicine advances for the time being that should be thoroughly checked into by dog lovers interested in mast cell tumors. These are not general cancer recommendations, rather just a…
Read ArticleMast Cell Tumor Surgery and Benadryl
The mast cell tumor is very common in the Pug, Boxer, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shar-Pei and other breeds. This tumor most commonly occurs in the skin as a raised, inflamed nodule or mass. Sometimes it is found internally in the liver or spleen. The cells that make up this tumor are called mast cells. There are…
Read ArticlePain in Dog Cancer and Life Quality
Many have concerns their dog may be in pain. And rightfully so, since pain is a definite negative. Pain control is a massive topic all by itself, and it is by no means strait forward. There are different kinds of pain. Sometimes dull, throbbing pain happens in cancers like osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Severe pain in…
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