Dog Cancer Answers

Are we right to assume that older dogs shouldn’t go through surgery? Is it ever right to put them under? Dr. Nancy Reese has an answer for Louise’s Listener Line question about her senior Maltese. In the process, she also reveals her own internal struggle about getting surgery for her own senior dog. This episode is proof that even veterinarians struggle with this question.  About Today’s Guest, Dr. Nancy Reese: Dr. Nancy Reese is a small animal veterinarian with over 30 years of clinical experience taking care of cats and dogs and other critters in the Sierra Nevada foothills. She’s also a perpetual student and researcher, as evidenced by her many degrees. In addition to her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, she earned a Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and then a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at UC Davis. If you string all her letters out after her name it looks like this: Nancy Reese, DVM, MPVM, PhD. In her spare time, she volunteers to help evacuate and shelter animals caught up in disasters, and she’s currently training to help in human search and rescue efforts. Dr. Reese lives in a log cabin with her husband, her 13-year-old golden retriever, and her two 13-year-old cats. Her hobbies include boosting the quality of life and longevity for all animals in her care, hiking, travelling, and cross-country skiing. Oh, and lots of dog walking. Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are our dogs in danger from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19? Are we in danger from our dogs?? Dr. Nancy Reese, veterinarian and epidemiologist, sets us straight. Whether your dog has cancer or not, this episode is a Must-Listen. Dr. Nancy covers everything from how the virus is passed to dogs, how it affects them, to how to live and love with our dogs during quarantine and what the future looks like and oh, just … so much more.  This is a fantastic Deep Dive into coronavirus and COVID-19 with Dr. Nancy Reese.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Here’s a direct link to Dr. Sue’s home bump and lump exam video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fHwHAUFgC8 About Today’s Guest, Dr. Nancy Reese: Dr. Nancy Reese is a small animal veterinarian with over 30 years of clinical experience taking care of cats and dogs and other critters in the Sierra Nevada foothills. She’s also a perpetual student and researcher, as evidenced by her many degrees. In addition to her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, she earned a Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and then a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at UC Davis. If you string all her letters out after her name it looks like this: Nancy Reese, DVM, MPVM, PhD. In her spare time, she volunteers to help evacuate and shelter animals caught up in disasters, and she’s currently training to help in human search and rescue efforts. Dr. Reese lives in a log cabin with her husband, her 13-year-old golden retriever, and her two 13-year-old cats. Her hobbies include boosting the quality of life and longevity for all animals in her care, hiking, travelling, and cross-country skiing. Oh, and lots of dog walking. Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some cancers come for dogs right away, and others take longer. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) can be hard to diagnose, because it often develops while the dog acts totally healthy. But routine blood tests can tip a veterinarian off that something is wrong … and when you know early there are lots of things you can do to help your dog. Today James Jacobson takes a question about CLL, also known as Lymphoid Leukemia, from Delisa in Alabama, and asks Dr. Dressler for an answer. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Apocaps can be found in many veterinary offices and online, including at https://Apocaps.com K9 Immunity can be found in many places online, including at https://www.k9medicinals.com Delisa is a member of the private Facebook group for readers of Dr. Dressler’s book “The Dog Cancer Survival Guide” https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcancersupport/ Here’s a good article on lymphoid leukemia or lymphocytic leukemia on the National Canine Cancer Foundation’s website: https://wearethecure.org/learn-more-about-canine-cancer/canine-cancer-library/lymphoid-leukemia/ Here’s a good article that will help you to understand the difference among blood cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia: https://www.vetfolio.com/learn/article/lymphoid-leukemia-in-dogs You can reach out to Dr. Demian Dressler directly on his veterinary hospital’s website: https://VetinKihei.com. Quick Overview of CLL from James Jacobson’s conversation with Dr. Nancy Reese: First, let’s get clarity on this disease a little, because it’s often confused with a much more common dog cancer called lymphoma. To find out more, I asked one of our Full Spectrum veterinarians, Dr. Nancy Reese about Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, also known as Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia, or CLL for short.  I don’t have tape of our conversation about CLL, but you’ll hear from Dr. Nancy in an upcoming episode about Covid-19. By email, Dr. Nancy explained that lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemia are both cancers of the lymphocytes.  What’s a lymphocyte? It’s a type of white blood cell that is born in the bone marrow, and less often, the spleen.  Those white blood cells circulate in the blood stream and the lymph system, fighting infections in cells all over the body. So, when lymphocytes get cancer, you’ve got a systemic disease, which means the cancer is everywhere by definition.  In lymphoma, the cancerous lymphocytes tend to collect in the lymph glands, which tend to get swollen.  In lymphocytic leukemia, the cancerous lymphocytes tend to circulate in the bloodstream.  Same cells, different locations in the body.  Either way, the cancer cells, the lymphoid or lymphocytic cells, are everywhere ... so when you get this diagnosis, the veterinarian will almost always recommend chemotherapy. That's the only conventional treatment that circulates in the blood and goes everywhere in the body, right? So today’s question is this: when do you need to start the chemo for Lymphoid or Lymphocytic Leukemia? Right when you get the diagnosis? Or can you wait a while? Well, the answer depends on whether the lymphocytic leukemia is acute or chronic! Chronic conditions are long-developing, as opposed to severe and sudden, or acute conditions. Right? So Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia is a long-developing cancer of lymphocytes. Also, Dr. Nancy added, the lymphocytes involved in CLL are mature and divide slowly, at the same rate as a normal cell. So that’s one reason this form of the cancer takes a long time to develop. Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to dog cancer treatment cost is a big factor. But so are many other things. Dr. Dressler defends dog guardians who make choices for their dog’s best interest that other people disagree with. There is no “one right way” and he makes sure we all understand that in this thoughtful conversation with James Jacobson. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. You can reach out to Dr. Demian Dressler directly on his veterinary hospital’s website: https://VetinKihei.com. To join the private Facebook group for readers of Dr. Dressler’s book “The Dog Cancer Survival Guide,” go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcancersupport/ About Today’s Guest, Dr. Demian Dressler: Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management. A dynamic educator and speaker, Dr. Dressler is the author of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Dr. Dressler is the owner of the accredited practice South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. "Your dog does NOT have an expiration date, and there are things ALL cancers have in common that you can help fight. Imagine looking back at this time five years from now and not having a single regret." - Dr. D Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a new immunotherapy treatment in trials for dogs with osteosarcoma, and today Dr. Sue Cancer Vet talks to Leo about it. This new therapy uses the HER2/neu target to stimulate the dog’s own immune system to go after osteosarcoma cells. It’s based on research out of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Sue Ettinger explains a little bit about how it works and how to get Leo’s dog Luke into treatment.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Dr. Sue is co-author with Dr. Demian Dressler of our podcast sponsor, the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity.  To find out which veterinary hospitals were involved in clinical trials for the osteosarcoma immunotherapy trials, contact Elanco using their website: https://www.elanco.com/contact For a summary article about the newest veterinary trials featuring immunotherapy, including the trial discussed in this episode on the HER2/neu target, see this article: https://www.americanveterinarian.com/journals/amvet/2019/january2019/new-veterinary-oncology-therapeutics Here’s a link to the paper about the initial research on PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26994144 And here’s the press release about her vaccine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine: https://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/press-room/press-releases/article/innovative-vaccine-offers-canine-cancer-patients-a-shot-at-a-longer-happier-life About Today’s Guest, Dr. Sue Cancer Vet: Dr. Sue Ettinger is a practicing veterinary cancer specialist, international speaker, book author, and YouTube vlogger (video blogger). A dynamic and engaging speaker, she was voted the 2019 Western Veterinary Conference Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year. She is one of approximately 450 board-certified specialists in medical oncology in North America and currently practices at Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. She received her veterinary training at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her residency in medical oncology at the Animal Medical Center in NYC in 2003. Also known as Dr Sue Cancer Vet®, she is most passionate about raising cancer awareness and has developed “See Something, Do Something, Why Wait? Aspirate.®” to promote early cancer detection and diagnosis. She is a frequent contributor to Today’s Veterinary Practice, Today’s Veterinary Business, Clinician’s Brief, Veterinary Team Brief, & DVM360. Dr Sue loves to use social media to help clients and veterinary professionals deal with cancer in pets, including Instagram, her YouTube channel, and her popular Facebook page with over 38,000 fans. https://www.youtube.com/drsuecancervet https://twitter.com/DrSueCancerVet https://www.instagram.com/drsuecancervet/ https://www.facebook.com/DrSueCancerVet Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard about a keto diet for dogs with cancer? What about raw diets for dogs with cancer? What does feeding keto actually mean? What does it look like in your kitchen? And why exactly, would you feed raw, or keto? Are there any risks? James Jacobson asks Dr. Demian Dressler, co-author of our podcast sponsor, the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: To get a free copy of The Dog Cancer Diet visit Maui Media’s online store: https://store.dogcancerblog.com/products/the-dog-cancer-diet If you want more than just the excerpt from the chapter on diet, get the entire book, packed with amazing information: the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. You can reach out to Dr. Demian Dressler directly on his veterinary hospital’s website: https://VetinKihei.com. To join the private Facebook group for readers of Dr. Dressler’s book “The Dog Cancer Survival Guide,” go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcancersupport/ About Today’s Guest, Dr. Demian Dressler: Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management. A dynamic educator and speaker, Dr. Dressler is the author of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Dr. Dressler is the owner of the accredited practice South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. "Your dog does NOT have an expiration date, and there are things ALL cancers have in common that you can help fight. Imagine looking back at this time five years from now and not having a single regret." - Dr. D Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What to feed a dog with cancer? It is a great question, and one of the most common. Veterinarians and veterinary oncologists often give little or conflicting advice about diet. But your dog eats every day – and you have full control over her meals. When it comes to fighting cancer, choosing what food to give your dog is one of the biggest contributions you can make at home. In today’s Q&A Linda from Alabama asks Dr. Demian Dressler, co-author of our podcast sponsor, the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity what to feed her dog with mast cell and round cell tumors. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: If you want more than just the excerpt from the chapter on diet, get the entire book, packed with amazing information: the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. You can reach out to Dr. Demian Dressler directly on his veterinary hospital’s website: https://VetinKihei.com.  To join the private Facebook group for readers of Dr. Dressler’s book go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcancersupport/ About Today’s Guest, Dr. Demian Dressler: Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management. A dynamic educator and speaker, Dr. Dressler is the author of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Dr. Dressler is the owner of the accredited practice South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. "Your dog does NOT have an expiration date, and there are things ALL cancers have in common that you can help fight. Imagine looking back at this time five years from now and not having a single regret." - Dr. D Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your dog on prednisone always hungry? We’re not surprised, because that’s a common side effect of prednisone. When Dolores from Alberta, Canada, calls in to ask about how to help her boy on pred, Dr. Dressler has some ideas on how to deal with his munchies.   Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Dr. Dressler is co-author of our podcast sponsor, the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Learn more about Apocaps CX on https://Apocaps.com You can reach out to Dr. Demian Dressler directly on his veterinary hospital’s website: https://VetinKihei.com. To join the private Facebook group for readers of Dr. Dressler’s book “The Dog Cancer Survival Guide,” go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcancersupport/ About Today’s Guest, Dr. Demian Dressler: Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management. A dynamic educator and speaker, Dr. Dressler is the author of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. Dr. Dressler is the owner of the accredited practice South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. "Your dog does NOT have an expiration date, and there are things ALL cancers have in common that you can help fight. Imagine looking back at this time five years from now and not having a single regret." - Dr. D Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should we be scared when we find a lump on our dog? James Jacobson finds out by asking Dr. Sue Ettinger, AKA Dr. Sue Cancer Vet. Dr. Sue explains why we should “stay calm and feel our dogs” on a monthly basis (cats too!). After all, most lumps and bumps are benign once we get them checked out. And catching malignancies early leads to much better outcomes. This Deep Dive episode leaves us reassured and determined to start a monthly home exam. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: To learn how to do a monthly home exam on your own dog, watch Vlog 73 on Dr. Sue’s youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fHwHAUFgC8 Here’s a link to Dr. Sue’s skin map to help you keep track of anything you find: https://drsuecancervet.com/skin-maps/ This episode is sponsored by the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity by Dr. Demian Dressler and Dr. Susan Ettinger. Available everywhere fine books are sold.  About Today’s Guest, Dr. Sue Cancer Vet: Dr. Sue Ettinger is a practicing veterinary cancer specialist, international speaker, book author, and YouTube vlogger (video blogger). A dynamic and engaging speaker, she was voted the 2019 Western Veterinary Conference Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year. She is one of approximately 450 board-certified specialists in medical oncology in North America and currently practices at Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. She received her veterinary training at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her residency in medical oncology at the Animal Medical Center in NYC in 2003. Also known as Dr Sue Cancer Vet®, she is most passionate about raising cancer awareness and has developed “See Something, Do Something, Why Wait? Aspirate.®” to promote early cancer detection and diagnosis. She is a frequent contributor to Today’s Veterinary Practice, Today’s Veterinary Business, Clinician’s Brief, Veterinary Team Brief, & DVM360. Dr Sue loves to use social media to help clients and veterinary professionals deal with cancer in pets, including Instagram, her YouTube channel, and her popular Facebook page with over 38,000 fans. https://www.youtube.com/drsuecancervet https://twitter.com/DrSueCancerVet https://www.instagram.com/drsuecancervet/ https://www.facebook.com/DrSueCancerVet Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics Covered: Signs & Symptoms of Melanoma, including the skin, mouth, and body. How melanomas in dogs differ from melanomas in people. The level of aggression to expect if your dog has melanoma. The melanoma vaccine. How to address melanoma with a Full Spectrum strategy. Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics Covered: Signs and Symptoms of Perianal and Anal Sac Tumors Benign and Malignant Tumors Recommendations for Perianal and Anal Sac Tumors Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics Covered: What are Brain Tumors Common Signs of Brain Tumors Detection and Diagnosis of Brain Tumors MRI's and CT Scans Cyberknife Surgery Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics Covered: What are Soft Tissue Sarcomas Signs and Symptoms of Soft Tissue Sarcomas Statistics and Surgery Margins Conventional Treatments- Chemotherapy and Radiation Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics Covered: What are Nasal Tumors Signs and Symptoms of Nasal Tumors Infections and the Guardian Confusion CT scan and Rhinoscopy How to address Nasal Tumors with a Full Spectrum strategy Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics Covered: Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer Spread Rate Conventional Treatments: Surgery and Radiation Melanoma vaccine How to address oral cancer with a Full Spectrum strategy Other Links: If you would like to ask a dog cancer related question for one of our expert veterinarians to answer on a future Q&A episode, call our Listener Line at 808-868-3200. Dog Cancer News is a free weekly newsletter that contains useful information designed to help your dog with cancer. To sign up, please visit DogCancerNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices