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Frequently Asked Questions about Cancer in Pets

Common questions regarding caring for your pet with cancer.

Veterinary Cancer

Veterinary Chemotherapy precautions
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My wife is pregnant with our second child, and she is in her second trimester. Our Golden Retriever is starting chemotherapy on Friday. The vet advised my wife to "avoid metabolites" as they could be teratogenic due to the metabolized chemotherapeutic agents in them. Can you give us some concrete advice on

Pain Relief Options for Veterinary Bone Cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My Yellow Lab just turned 9 (June) years old and was diagnosed back in March with bone cancer - front leg, upper part of her shoulder. She is on Gabapentin, Tramadol, and Previcox. She is still eating, drinking and in good spirits, but is walking with a considerable limp. Is there any other pain medication or

Where to Get Veterinary Oncology Care
Question Do I have to go to a specialty center like the University of PA to get treatment for my dog's cancer or is that something all vets do? Lili Duda, VMD, MBE, DACVR Veterinary Radiation Oncologist- University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer The best place to start with your pet is your primary care veterinarian. They know your pet best,

Veterinary Social Workers
Question What is the role of the social worker in veterinary oncology? Christina Bach, Oncology Social Worker at Penn Medicine, responds: Veterinary social workers and bereavement counselors are available at many large academic veterinary hospitals. There are also many bereavement counselors who specialize in pet loss counseling and support.

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Dog

Diagnosing a Lump on a Dog
Question I noticed a lump on my dog's abdomen. I am concerned it could be a tumor, but I am worried about opening a can of worms by finding out. I just don't have the money to have all sorts of tests and treatments. But I feel like I should do something. Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds:

Diagnosing Primary Bone Tumors in Dogs
Question Can primary bone cancer in dogs be adequately diagnosed with radiography? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Radiographs can look very suspicious for osteosarcoma, but like with many other cancers, a tissue sample is required to make the diagnosis. Learn more about bone

Is FNA Adequate to Diagnose a Bone Tumor in a Dog?
Question Fine needle aspirates obtained from a bony lesion on my dog's front leg came back negative for osteosarcoma. Can I be confident that he doesn't have bone cancer or could he have it and it's not showing up in the test. I don't want to put him through a biopsy if it's not needed? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist,

Diet Needs for Dog Being Treated for Cancer
Question My dog is starting on chemo for lymphoma. Do you have suggestions for a diet that might help manage any side effects or keep him from losing weight? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Hill's has a diet for dogs with cancer called n/d that you could discuss with your

Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs
Question My dog had a lump biopsied yesterday. My vet thinks it is a mast cell tumor. What can you tell me about mast cell cancers? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer The behavior of mast cell tumors can be quite varied. Often staging is recommended after the diagnosis is made,

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Cat

Cancer Symptoms in Cats
Question Do cats have different symptoms of cancer than dogs? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Cats sometimes act more ill compared to dogs, but overall the common signs of cancer are similar between the 2 species. Cats are more likely to have intestinal tumors, so they are

Do Cats Lose Hair from Chemotherapy?
Question Will my cat loose her hair from chemotherapy? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Cats often lose their whiskers from chemotherapy, and we don't usually see any problems as a result. In addition, cats that are receiving chemotherapy can lose some of their coarse guard

Visceral Mast Cell Tumor in Cats
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My cat was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor in his abdomen and prescribed cyproheptadine twice a day. I would like to know how this drug works against this disease. Lili Duda, VMD, Section Editor of the OncoLink Veterinary Oncology Menu, responds:Mast cells are white blood cells that play a role in allergic

Use of Prednisone in Cats' Cancer Treatment
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," My cat was diagnosed with mammary cancer 3 years ago and had surgery but no other treatment was suggested. Tumors recurred with a second surgery recently. She is now on a chemotherapy schedule but prognosis is poor. One of the drugs she is taking is prednisone (daily) and I would like to know what

Peritoneal Mesothelioma in Cats
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," My cat has a peritoneal mesothelioma. My vet says that this pathology is very rare in cats and is studying a protocol for the chemotherapy (possibly intracavitary chemotherapy). My vet attended two dogs with cisplatin, with good results, but this drug is lethal for cats. Can you send me information

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Pet With Cancer

What is the difference between PET and PET/CT?
Question I need to know What is the difference between PET and PET/CT? Is it better to get the PET/CT? Answer James Metz, MD, OncoLink Editor-in-Cheif, responds: A PET scan (positron emission tomography) looks at the biologic activity of a tumor, not the shape and size of a tumor. A CT scan give anatomic information like exact location, size,

PET Scan for Lung Cancer
Question I am a medical student. I heard a lot of discussion of using PET scans as a diagnostic tool for staging non small-cell lung cancer. Can you provide me more information? Thanks! Answer Li Liu, MD, OncoLink editorial assistant, responds: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women in the United States.

PET Scan for Small Cell Lung Cancer
I would like to know the role of PET scan for small cell cancer. I was told by my doctor that small cell cancer not sensitive to FDG avidity. Please advise, thank you. Peeyush Bhargava, MD, Assistant Professor of nuclear medicine physician at both St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center at the University Hospital of Columbia University College of

PET Scan in Lung Cancer Follow-up
Question Can you address the use of PET scans for follow up after surgery? Answer Charles B. Simone II, MD, Radiation Oncologist at Penn Medicine, responds: There are no recommendations that are widely agreed upon for how to follow patients once they have completed therapy for lung cancer. The options are to use chest x-rays, CT scans, or CT-PET

Raw Diet for Pets with Cancer
Question I've read that a diet free of grains may slow the cancer, is this accurate? what are the panel's thoughts on the Budwig diet or flax oil/cottage cheese combination? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM, Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer There are no clinical studies of grain free diets in dogs with cancer.

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Pet

What is the difference between PET and PET/CT?
Question I need to know What is the difference between PET and PET/CT? Is it better to get the PET/CT? Answer James Metz, MD, OncoLink Editor-in-Cheif, responds: A PET scan (positron emission tomography) looks at the biologic activity of a tumor, not the shape and size of a tumor. A CT scan give anatomic information like exact location, size,

PET Scan for Lung Cancer
Question I am a medical student. I heard a lot of discussion of using PET scans as a diagnostic tool for staging non small-cell lung cancer. Can you provide me more information? Thanks! Answer Li Liu, MD, OncoLink editorial assistant, responds: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women in the United States.

PET Scan for Small Cell Lung Cancer
I would like to know the role of PET scan for small cell cancer. I was told by my doctor that small cell cancer not sensitive to FDG avidity. Please advise, thank you. Peeyush Bhargava, MD, Assistant Professor of nuclear medicine physician at both St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center at the University Hospital of Columbia University College of

PET Scan in Lung Cancer Follow-up
Question Can you address the use of PET scans for follow up after surgery? Answer Charles B. Simone II, MD, Radiation Oncologist at Penn Medicine, responds: There are no recommendations that are widely agreed upon for how to follow patients once they have completed therapy for lung cancer. The options are to use chest x-rays, CT scans, or CT-PET

Raw Diet for Pets with Cancer
Question I've read that a diet free of grains may slow the cancer, is this accurate? what are the panel's thoughts on the Budwig diet or flax oil/cottage cheese combination? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM, Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer There are no clinical studies of grain free diets in dogs with cancer.

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Companion Animal

Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Animals
Question What side effects could I expect my dog to have from chemotherapy? When do they start and how long will they last? Are there medications to treat these or make them not as bad? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer The most common side effects of chemotherapy in dogs

How Animals Tolerate Cancer Treatments
Question How do dogs tolerate cancer treatment? Do they get sick like people do? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Dogs tend to tolerate cancer treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) relatively well compared to people, but they can certainly still have side

Clinical Trials for Animals with Cancer
Question Are there clinical trials for pets with cancer? If so, how do you find them? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer There are multiple ongoing clinical trials for pets with cancer. You can go to the Veterinary Cancer Society website at vetcancersociety.org for more

Can All Animals Get Cancer?
Question Can all animals get cancer- like snakes, turtles, etc? We don't have your "usual" pets! Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Many different types of animals get cancer, including reptiles, birds, etc. This question and answer was part of the OncoLink Brown Bag Chat

Cancer Prevention Research in Animals
Question Is there any research into cancer prevention in animals? Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM Veterinary Medical Oncologist, University of Pennsylvania, responds: Answer Most research related to cancer in veterinary patients focuses on cancer causes and treatment, not prevention yet. Currently there is no specific recommendation to prevent cancer