SAN ANTONIO – Pet cancer treatment options are available and can help pets live a better and longer life or even offer a possible cure.
Jennifer Sierra's dog, Weda, is undergoing chemotherapy for a mast cell tumor that's grown beneath her arm. She hides it with a T-shirt. Sierra drives more than two hours each week to take Weda for treatment.
"You just (have) to give them that chance and improve their quality of life, and that's what I'm trying to do for her and have her with us as long as we can," Sierra said.
A mast cell tumor is the second-most common type of cancer seen at South Texas Veterinary Specialists, which offers the only oncologist in the San Antonio area.
"We give them doses and treatment that they tolerate really well. The goal is to make the pet feel better when they're on chemotherapy, rather than make them feel ill because of side effects,” Dr. Jennifer Wiley said.
She said only about 10 to 20 percent experience side effects, because animals seem to tolerate chemo better than humans.
Cats and dogs also don't lose their hair. If an animal does have some sort of side effect, the oncologist will alter dosage and the treatment plan to keep the animal feeling well.
Because every cancer is different for each animal, it's best to check with a vet and a specialist on the best treatment option.
"Some cancers, we can cure by maybe removing it with surgery. Some are highly responsive to a treatment like chemo. We're making them very happy and comfortable but maybe not a cure," Wiley said.
Quality of life is also a major consideration. Wiley said it's the most important thing she considers when it comes to treatment.
She said the goal is to have the pet at home and feeling good, playing outside and doing its favorite things.
"They don't understand their life is different. They don't know that if they have a terminal disease. They don't know that that's coming. They want to live whatever their happy life is," Wiley said.
According to Wiley, some animals will have a predisposition to cancer in general.
She seess mostly retrievers, but there are several other breeds of dogs that have a genetic tendency.
Research hasn't found anything in the environment that causes pet cancer and suggests it's mostly genetic.
Cancer in cats is more common in pure breeds, but doctors typically treat domestic shorthaired cats.
According to Wiley, lymphoma is the most common type of cancer in cats and dogs. It can come in a variety of different ways. It can be in lymph nodes, internal and on the outside of the body.
Animals can also develop breast cancer and prostate cancer.
As for the cost, it varies with the type of cancer and how extensive it is. Wiley said they make sure everyone has options available that fits into what each person wants to do for their pets. They also work to make sure treatment works financially.
A veterinarian referral is needed for treatment at South Texas Veterinary Specialists.
This usually happens when an animal gets sick enough that the vet cannot treat it to their level of expertise.
There are surgeons, neurologists, ophthalmologists, oncologists and critical care doctors at STVS to help sick animals.
For more information on how the clinic works, click here.