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Copyright©2025byTomMitchellAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybe reproduced,distributed,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopying, recording,orotherelectronicormechanicalmethods,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthe publisher,exceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsembodiedincriticalreviewsandcertainother noncommercialusespermittedbycopyrightlaw.

Publishedby Mitchell Media LLC

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Kapaau,HI96755

IMPORTANTMEDICALDISCLAIMERThisbookisforeducationalandinformational purposesonlyandisNOTintendedasmedicaladvice,diagnosis,ortreatmentrecommendations fordogswithcanceroranyothermedicalcondition.TheauthorisNOTaveterinarian, veterinaryoncologist,ormedicalprofessionalofanykind.ALLmedicaldecisionsregarding yourdog'scancerdiagnosis,treatment,andcareMUSTbemadeinconsultationwithalicensed veterinarian,preferablyaboard-certifiedveterinaryoncologist.

FirstEdition:August2025

ISBN:978-1-7331645-7-3

Formoreinformationabouttheauthor'swork,visit:https://1minutedog.com/

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

TomMitchellisanexperiencedanimalbehavioristwithover30yearsofexpertiseworkingwith adiverserangeofanimals,frompuppiesandservicedogs,zooanimals,toOlympicequestrian teams.Buthisjourneyintocaninecancerresearchbegannotinhisprofessionalcapacity,butasa heartbrokendogguardianfacingthedevastatingrealityofcancerinhisownfamily

Asthecreatoroftherenowned1MinuteDogTrainingmethodandauthorofmultiplebookson positivedogtraining,Tomhasdedicatedhiscareertopromotinghumane,science-based approachestoanimalcare.Hisworkchallengesoutdateddominancetheoriesandemphasizes buildingrelationshipswithanimalsbasedontrust,respect,andunderstanding.

Tom'sprofessionalbackgroundincludesservingasaTTouchpractitionersincethe1980s, collaboratingcloselywithLindaTellington-JonestopromotetheTellingtonTTouch®method acrossOlympicEquestrianteams,GuideDogsfortheBlind,andnumerousotherorganizations. Hiscommitmenttopositivetrainingtechniquesstemsfromextensiveresearchshowingthat punishment-basedmethodsnotonlycauseaggression,butcanmakedogsmoredangerous aroundchildren.

Hispublishedworksinclude:

● "1MinuteDogTraining:TheCompleteGuide"(2023)

● "Fun,Fast&EasyDogTrainingforKids:SuperDogTrainingAcademy"(2024)

● "PuppyPottyTraining:TheWorld'sEasiestPuppyPottyTrainingBook"(2024)

When Roxy,hisfamily’sBelgianMalinois,wasdiagnosedwithaninoperableabdominalmass in2022,Tomappliedthesamemethodical,research-drivenapproachthathadmadehim successfulinanimalbehaviortounderstandingcaninecancer Hespentcountlesshoursstudying veterinaryoncologyresearch,consultingwithspecialists,andexploringbothconventionaland integrativetreatmentapproaches.

Nowmorethanthreeyearslater,Roxycontinuestothrive,servingasatherapydogvisiting hospitalsandassistedlivingfacilities.Herjourneyfromadireprognosistoavibrantlifeinspired Tomtosharehisknowledge,hopingtohelpotherfamiliesnavigatetheworldofcaninecancer treatmentwithgreaterconfidenceandinformedhope.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ThisbookexistsbecauseofeveryonewhosupportedourfamilythroughRoxy'scancerjourney andmadethisjourneymuchlongerthanweoncethoughtpossible.

TomywifeSamara,whoseselflessdevotiontoRoxyhasmadeallthedifference.

Tomydaughters,KianaandMaliawhohavelovedandsupportedRoxythrougheverystepof thisjourney,celebratinghergooddaysandprovidingcomfortduringthedifficultones.Your resilienceandhopehavesustainedusall.

Totheresearchers,veterinaryoncologists,andscientistswhosetirelessworkcontinuestopush theboundariesofwhat'spossibleincaninecancertreatment.Yourdedicationtoadvancingthe fieldgivesfamilieseverywherereasonforhope.

Tothecountlessdogguardianswhohavesharedtheircancerstories,offeringsupport, encouragement,andvaluableinsights.Thestrengthofthiscommunityisatestamenttothe incrediblebondswesharewithourdogs.

Andfinally,toRoxy—whosecourage,spirit,andjoyinthefaceofuncertaintyremindsusthat everydayisagift.Yourstorydeservestobeshared.

Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetoprovideaccurateandcurrentinformation,thefieldof veterinaryoncologycontinuestoevolverapidly.Thisbookrepresentsonefamily'sjourneyand shouldneverreplacetheguidanceofqualifiedveterinaryprofessionals.Yourdog'sveterinary teamremainsyourmostimportantresourceinnavigatingcancertreatmentdecisions.

ForewordByDr.WendyAsato,DVM

Asanintegrativeveterinarianwithmorethantwentyyearsofpractice,Ihavewitnessedthe devastatingimpactofcancerinmycaninepatientsfartoomanytimes.Foreveryfamily,those words—“yourdoghascancer”—markthebeginningofanemotionalandoftenoverwhelming journey

Theroadthatfollowsisoftenfilledwithconfusion,difficultdecisions,andanoverwhelming amountofinformationthatcanbehardtounderstandorapply.Treatmentoptions,prognoses, andmedicalterminologycanbeconfusing,andmanypetguardiansareleftsearchingforclarity, comfort,andguidance.

TomMitchell’sDogCancerBookisagifttoanyonefacingthispainfulreality.Thisworkis morethanapersonalstoryofoneman’sjourneywithhisbeloveddog;itisalsoapracticaland accessibleresourceforotherswhofindthemselvesonasimilarpath.

Withremarkablesensitivity,Mitchelltranslatescomplexmedicalconceptsintolanguagethatis understandablewithoutoversimplifying,andheprovidesresourcesthatareasusefulastheyare reassuring.Itisapproachablewithoutsacrificingdepth,practicalwithoutlosingheart,andhonest whilestillofferinghope.

Whatsetsthisbookapartisitsbalance:itacknowledgesthegravityofcancerwhilealsooffering hope,remindingusthateveninthefaceofillness,loveandconnectionremaincentral.Thisbook remindsusthateveninthefaceofcancer,love,understanding,andhoperemainpowerful medicines.

Foranyonefacingcancerintheircaninecompanion,thisbookwillbeaninvaluable companion—onethateducates,supports,anduplifts.Itisbothaguideandamessageofhope.

WendyAsato,DVM MakaiPetHospitals

Kailua,Hawai’i

IMPORTANTMEDICALDISCLAIMER

PLEASEREADTHISDISCLAIMERCAREFULLYBEFOREREADINGTHISBOOK

NotaSubstituteforVeterinaryCare

ThisbookisforeducationalandinformationalpurposesonlyandisNOTintendedasmedical advice,diagnosis,ortreatmentrecommendationsfordogswithcanceroranyothermedical condition.TheauthorisNOTaveterinarian,veterinaryoncologist,ormedicalprofessionalof anykind.

EssentialVeterinaryConsultationRequired

ALLmedicaldecisionsregardingyourdog'scancerdiagnosis,treatment,andcareMUSTbe madeinconsultationwithalicensedveterinarian,preferablyaboard-certifiedveterinary oncologist.Thisbookcannotanddoesnotreplaceprofessionalveterinaryexamination, diagnosis,treatment,orongoingmedicalsupervision.

NoWarrantiesorGuarantees

Theinformationinthisbook:

● Doesnotguaranteeanyspecificoutcomesorresults

● Maynotbesuitableforyourdog'sindividualcircumstances

● Shouldneverbeusedtodelay,avoid,orreplaceveterinarycare

● Cannotpredictorpreventadversereactionstotreatments

● Doesnotensuresurvivalorrecoveryfromcancer

IndividualCircumstancesVary

Everydog'scancerdiagnosis,healthstatus,age,breed,andindividualcircumstancesareunique. Whatworksforonedogmaynotworkforanother,andtreatmentdecisionsmustalwaysbe individualizedbasedonprofessionalveterinaryassessment.

LimitationofLiability

TomMitchell,theauthor,publisher,andanyassociatedentitiesCANNOTBEHELDLIABLE for:

● Anyinjury,illness,death,oradverseoutcomeresultingfrominformationinthisbook

● Decisionsmadebasedoncontentinthisbook

● Delaysinseekingappropriateveterinarycare

● Anyfinanciallossesrelatedtotreatmentdecisions

● Misinterpretationormisapplicationofinformationprovided

InformationAccuracy

Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetoensureaccuracy,thepublisherassumesnoresponsibility for:

● Errors,omissions,oroutdatedinformation

● Changesinveterinarystandardsortreatmentprotocols

● Variationsininformationinterpretation

● Currencyofresearchfindingsortreatmentoptions

EmergencySituations

IFYOURDOGISEXPERIENCINGAMEDICALEMERGENCY,CONTACTYOUR VETERINARIANOREMERGENCYVETERINARYCLINICIMMEDIATELY.Donotrelyon thisbookforemergencymedicalguidance.

ResearchandResources

Alltreatmentoptions,medications,supplements,ortherapiesmentionedinthisbookshouldbe thoroughlydiscussedwithyourveterinarianbeforeimplementation.Drugdosages,treatment protocols,andrecommendationsmaychange,andprofessionalguidanceisessential.Allresearch inthisbookwasdoneinearnestbutissubjecttochangeasnewfindingsemergeandstudies continue.

LegalCompliance

Readersareresponsibleforensuringcompliancewithalllocal,state,andfederallawsregarding veterinarycare,prescriptionmedications,andtreatmentofanimalsintheirjurisdiction.

Acknowledgment

Byreadingthisbook,youacknowledgethat:

● Youunderstandthisdisclaimer

● Youwillconsultappropriateveterinaryprofessionalsforallmedicaldecisions

● Youassumefullresponsibilityforyourdog'smedicalcare

● Youwillnotholdtheauthororpublisherliableforanyoutcomes

Yourdog'shealthandlifedependonprofessionalveterinarycare.Thisbookisaresourcetohelp youbecomeamoreinformedpetowner,butitcanneverreplacetheexpertise,examination,and guidanceofqualifiedveterinaryprofessionals.

This disclaimer appears at the beginning and end of this book to emphasize the critical importance of professional veterinary care in all cancer-related decisions.

PREFACE

AMessageofHopefromOneDogGuardiantoAnother

Ifyou'rereadingthis,chancesareyou'verecentlyheardwordsthatnodogguardianeverwants tohear:"Yourdoghascancer."

Maybeyou'restillreelingfromthediagnosis.Maybeyou'reoverwhelmedbytreatmentoptions, conflictingadvice,orthesheerweightofdecisionsahead.Maybeyou'rewonderingifthere'sany reasontohopeatall.

Iwantyoutoknow—thereis.

WhyI'mSharingThisStory

MynameisTomMitchell,andI'madogtrainerwithover30yearsofexperienceworkingwith animals.Butthat'snotwhyI'mwritingthisguide.

I'mwritingitbecausecancerhastouchedmylifeinthemostpersonalwayspossible—first takingmybelovedwifeMichelle,thenourGermanShepherdKea,andmostrecentlythreatening ourBelgianMalinois,Roxy

I'mnotaveterinarianoranoncologist.I'msimplysomeonewhoselifehasbeenforeverchanged bycancer,andwhohaslearnedthatknowledge,hope,andlovecanbepowerfulalliesinthis fight.WhenRoxywasdiagnosedwithaninoperablemassmorethanthreeyearsago,Ithrew myselfintoresearch.Icouldn'tbearthethoughtoflosinganothermemberofourfamilywithout exploringeverypossiblepathforward.

ThisIsaStoryofHope

Beforewediveintothemedicalinformationandtreatmentoptionsthatfollow,Iwantyouto holdontothistruth:asIwritethesewords,Roxyiscurledupbesideme,hertailthumping againsttheflooreverytimeIlookherway.She's9yearsoldnow,withthesamesparkinher eyesandenthusiasmforlifethatshehadasapuppy.Shehikes,sheplaysball,shebringsjoyto everyoneshemeets—includingthehospitalpatientsshevisitsasatherapydog.

Threeyearsago,weweretoldherprognosiswaspoor.Today,she'slivingproofthatprognoses aren'twritteninstone.

YouDon'tHavetoWalkThisPathAlone

I'msharingourjourney—thefear,theresearch,thedifficultdecisions,andyes,the hope—becauseIknowhowisolatingthisexperiencecanfeel.Iknowtheweightof responsibilitythatcomeswithbeingyourdog'sadvocateandvoice.Iknowtheoverwhelming natureofsiftingthroughtreatmentoptions,thefinancialconcerns,andtheemotionaltollof watchingyourbestfriendfaceanuncertainfuture.

Youshouldn'thavetonavigatethisalone.

Inthepagesthatfollow,you'llfindnotjustourstory,butpracticalinformationaboutcancer types,treatmentoptionsbothconventionalandholistic,questionstoaskyourveterinaryteam, andresourcestosupportyouthrougheverystepofthisjourney Thisguidecombinesthe researchI'vegatheredwiththewisdomI'vegainedfromwalkingthispath,allofferedwiththe hopethatitmightmakeyourjourneyalittlelessoverwhelming.

Yourdogisluckytohavesomeonewholovesthemenoughtoseekoutinformation,askhard questions,andfightfortheirwellbeing.Thatlovemattersmorethanyouknow.

Letmetellyouaboutthedayourworldshifted,andhowwefoundourwaybacktohope...

Roxy'sStory:WhenCancerCameforOurFamilyAgain

Itwasawarm,beautifuldayinHawaiiwhenRoxystartedactingalittleoff.Hercuriosityhad alwaysledhertoeatunmentionablethingswhenhikinginthefield.Sowhenherstomachbegan givinghertrouble,weinitiallychalkedituptoherusualantics.I'vealwaysleanedtoward naturalremedies,soIthoughtthatIwouldjustletthingsruntheircourseasIhadinthepast.

Butafterawhile,thingsfeltdifferent.Thediscomfortlingered,herenergyfaded,andthe symptomsdidn'tpass.Everywhereshewent,shewalkedwithherheaddown.Somethingwasn't right.

TheDogWhoEmbodiedOurFamily'sSpirit

Roxywasusuallysospiritedandvigorous thatherlivelinessamplifiedtheenergyin ouralreadyactivehousehold.Myfamily andRoxywouldregularlyhike,swim,and romponthebeachtogether.Shewasn'tjust partoftheaction—sheembodiedour family'sdedicationtolove,wholesome living,andanadventurouslifestyle.

TrainingRoxyhadbeennoeasyfeat,even forme—adogtrainerforover30yearswho hadbeenblessedtoworkwithOlympic horses,zooanimals,housecats,andeven wolves.

BelgianMalinoisarerenownedfortheirintensedeterminationandzestforaction.Butthanksto thetrainingmethodsI'dpioneered,evenmydaughtersbecameactiveparticipantsinshaping Roxy'sbehavior.Withherastheirconstantcompanionfromthetimetheywere8and11,they helpedtrainherfromthatwide-eyed,sweet,rambunctiouspuppyintotheintelligent,obedient, anddeeplylovingdogshebecame.

Soherewewere—sixyearsaftershe'djoinedourfamily—concernedaboutRoxy.Wemadea vetappointment,hopingtoruleoutsomethingminor.Justaquickfix,wethought.Lookingback now,thatdecisionwasthestartofajourneyweneverexpected.

TheWordsThatChangedEverything

Whenthevetsaidtheword"cancer,"Iwasindisbelief.Irememberthewaymyheartsank,the helplessness,andthefamiliarquestionsthatcamerushingin.Sadly,Iknewthisroadalltoowell.

Cancerhadalreadystolensomuchfromourfamily.IthadclaimedourbelovedGerman ShepherdKea,whohadbeenmydaughters'delightful,loyalplaymateanddevotedprotector. Andbeforethat,cancerhadtakenMichelle—myfirstwifeandthegirls'mother—awoman whoselove,courage,andgracetouchedeveryonewhoknewher.

HowLoveFoundUsThroughaDog

ThestoryofhowMichelleandImetisinseparablefromthestoryofKea.Itwas9/11/2001—a daynoneofuswilleverforget.Afterhoursspentinstunnedsilencewatchingthetragedyunfold onTV,aboutthirtymembersofouryogacommunitygatheredtohonorthosewhohaddiedand shareourdeepsorrow.AcrossfromwhereIsatinthecirclewasabeautifulwomanI'dnever seenbefore.Therewasaradiantlightaroundherasshesatinmeditationandprayer

WhenIaskedmyyogateacherabouther,shesaid,"That'sMichelle—she'sanewteacherhere." Fromthatmomenton,let'sjustsayIfoundmyselfveryinterestedinexpandingmypractice...in Michelle'sclass.

Onedayafterclass,Michellehurriedlymentionedthatshehadtogethomeforhernewdog. Thatwasmyopening!Whentherightmomentarose,Iaskedaboutherpuppy.Shelituptalking aboutKeaandnoddedatmyoffertohelpwithtrainingifsheeverneededit.

Timepassed(slowlyforme),untilonedayMichellesaidwhatI'dbeenwaitingtohear—that she'dliketotakemeuponmyoffer.Keawasgrowingquicklyandbecomingquiteahandful.

WhenIarrivedatMichelle'shousethenextday,Iwasgreetedbyoneofthemostenthusiastic puppiesI'devermet.Keawasn'tjustapuppy—shewasalittletornadoofsweetness,mayhem, andjoy,bouncingwiththekindofunfilteredloveonlydogsknowhowtogive.Ididn'tstanda chance;Iwassmittenthesecondshelookedmyway

Overthefollowingweeks,MichelleandIworkedtogethertrainingKea.WhenMichelleneeded totraveltoColumbiaUniversitytodefendherPhDdissertation,shetoldmethatKeatrustedme completely,andaskedifI’dlookafterher WhenMichellereturned,itwaswrittenalloverKea's waggingtailandeagereyes—Keahadclearlyfalleninlovewithmetoo.

MichellewouldlaterlaughandsayitwasKeawhomadethefirstmove,choosingmebeforeshe everdid,andthat'swhatfinallyconvincedhertogooutwithme.Dogsalwaysseemtoknow best!

Ourconnectiondeepened,andlovenaturallyfounditsway.Onmybirthday,standingonthe beachwiththewavesasourmusicandtheoceanasourwitness,IaskedMichelletomarryme. Sixmonthslater,webecamehusbandandwife.Andofcourse,Keawasinourwedding.

WhenEverythingChanged

Afewyearslater,wewerenolongerjustacouplewithafull-grownGermanShepherd.Wewere acompletefamily,blessedwithtwobeautifullittlegirlsandallthejoyfulchaosthatcomeswith them.Lifewaswonderful.

Ourdaughterswerenearly

Wegotthecallthatmyveryfit,healthy,forty-year-oldwifehadstagefourcancer.

Theshockwassopalpableitfeltliketheairhadbeensuckedoutoftheroom.Timeseemedto freeze,andallIcouldhearwastheechoofthosewords—stage four cancer—repeatinginmy mind.

Ithrewmyselfintoresearch,becomingMichelle'sadvocateandcoordinatinghercare:surgery, chemotherapy,andbothconventionalandunconventionaltreatments.Michellebravelyfought for18monthsinwhatshecalledher"dancewithcancer."Andthenthemusicstopped.

Withinthedazeofthatnextyear,Keaalsocrossedthatbridge.Twoofthefourgirlsinour householdweregone.

LoveFindsaWay

Throughitall,oneunwaveringpresenceremained:Michelle'sfriendSamara.Shehadpromised Michelleshewouldalwaysbethereforthegirls—avowmadenaturalbyherplaceintheirstory fromthestart.SamarawasactuallycradlingouryoungestdaughteronherlapasMichelle slippedpeacefullyfromthisworld.

Samarabecameaquietsourceoflove,comfort,andconsistency.Andonceagain,lovefounda way,eveninthemidstofpain.

Wehadasmall,beautifulweddingonourproperty.Thegirls,radiantinlaceandsmiles,were thrilledtobebesidethewomanwhohadbecomesuchanimportantpartoftheirhearts.

Aswesettledintoournewrhythmasablendedfamily,werealizedonethingwasmissing:a dog.EnterRoxy!

Shewasthemostadorablepuppy,withsweetnessthatnearlyovershadowedhermischievous spirit.Thegirlswerecompletelyenchanted,theirfaceslightingupasifthey'dbeengiventhe bestgiftintheworld.

Theygiggleduncontrollablyathercutenessandstrokedhersilkyearsliketheywerespunfrom magic,whisperingwordsofloveintoherfurasshewiggledcloser,claimingthemasherown.

Eveninthemidstofherboundlesspuppyenergy,IcouldseethatRoxywascurious—atraitI'd hopedfor Shefilledourhomewithlaughteranddelight,makingourhousevibrantagain.

TheDiagnosisThatShatteredOurPeace

YoucanimaginewhyweneverexpectedRoxytogetsosicksofast.Shewasonlysixyearsold andsuddenlynotactinglikeherself.Duringherveterinaryexam,thevetfoundafirmmassin herabdomen.Myheartdropped.

Anultrasoundrevealedacysticmassjustbehindherleftkidney.Herbloodworkshowed worryingsignstoo:elevatedwhitebloodcells,specificallyneutrophils,indicatingan inflammatoryresponse,pluselevatedtotalproteinandglobulin.

Thevetrecommendedexploratorysurgerytogetabetterlook,andIagreed.Wehadtoknow whatweweredealingwith.Theyfoundexactlywhattheultrasoundhadshown—amassabout 4.5by2.5inchesbehindherleftkidney.Itwashighlyvascular,withmanybloodvessels,and firmlyattachedtoherdorsalabdominalwall.Theinflamedomentumwasstucktothemass.

Thencamethetrulydevastatingnews:themasswasinvadingtheretroperitonealregion, extendingtoherleftkidneyandspineandwasencroachingonherheart.Becauseofitslocation andproximitytoherdescendingaortaandspine,themasswasdeemedinoperable.Theycouldn't evengetabiopsywithouttakingenormousrisk.

Iimmediatelythoughtbacktoherspay18monthsprior.Wehaddiscussedanovary-sparing spay,andIhadspecificallycalledtorequestacompletehysterectomy,butsomehowthemessage didn'tgetthrough—theyleftherovaries.Thelocationofthemassmadethevethighlysuspectan ovariantumor Thethoughtthatthiscouldhavebeenavoided,thatamiscommunicationmight haveledtothis,washeartbreaking.

They long-term manage Below

Choosing

Forawhile,itfeltlikethefloorhadfallenoutfromunderus.Thenewswasgrim,andmymind immediatelywentto,“howdoItellourdaughtersthatRoxyisgoingtodiesoon?”ButthenI lookedatRoxy.Shewasstillmysamesilly,happy,frisbee-lovingdog.Atsixyearsold,shehad recentlybeenplaying,swimming,andhikingwiththesamegustoshealwayshad.

Mynextstepwastofindoneoftheworld'sbestveterinaryoncologists.Isenthimtheprognosis andthediagnosis.IaskedhimquestionsforhoursonaZoomcall.Helaidoutaconventional treatmentwithholisticoptions.Wetalkedaboutdrugsandchemotherapy.Wealsotalkedabout surgery,whichwasruledoutquicklybecauseofthelocationofthetumor Attheendofthe session,hejustshookhisheadandsaid,"Itdoesn'tlookgood."

Soregardlessofbothvets’predictedoutcomes,wemovedforwardwiththeholisticapproach thatcamenaturallytome—itwasalreadyhowwelivedeveryday Ilookedintoeverypossible optiontopromotehealingandgiveherthebestlifeforaslongasshehadleft.

WestartedApocaps,CBDtinctures,andavarietyofsupplementsandprobiotics.Iresearcheda drugcalledRapamycinthatcouldpossiblyslowcancercellgrowth.Istartedgivingher BEMER®sessionstwiceaday.Wealsochangedherdietfromdrydogfood(whichwasa grain-free,allnaturalandorganicformula)toahomemadediettominimizenegativeeffects fromcarbohydrates.

Iwaswillingtotryanything.

Ithasbeenoverthreeyearssincethatterrifyingdiscovery Theprognosiswaspoor,butRoxyis stillhere—stillrunning,stillplayingball,stillbringingjoytoeveryonearoundher Sheandmy youngestdaughterevenvisithospitalsandassistedlivingfacilities,bringingcomfortand happinesstopatients.

Itjustgoestoshowthataprognosisisnotwritteninstone,andthereisalwayssomethingyou candotohelpandloveyourdog.Roxyisatestamenttothat.Shedoesn'thaveanexpiration date,andwewillcontinuetohelpherinanywaywecan,foraslongaswecan.

Here is what we ultimately settled on in the immediate wake of her diagnosis.

Nutrition:

● RawDiet:Organicbeef,liver,andheart ascurrentregimen)

● CookedOrganicSquash

ThisisourSupplementProtocol:

● LifeExtensionCurcuminElite:Turmeric enhancedbioavailability(occasionally)

● LifeExtensionSuperDigestiveEnzymes: Digestivesupport

● Multivitamin:PureEncapsulationsO.N.E. Multivitamin

● ApocapsCX:Apoptogenformulafordogs (occasionally)

● AncestralSupplementsGrassFedLiving Bone:Boneandjointsupport

● AncestralSupplementsGrassFedThyroid

● Omega-3FattyAcids:NordicNaturalsProOmega2000

● CodeageGrass-FedBeefThymus

● VitalPetLifeSalmonOil

● CBDCapsule: references)

PhysicalTherapy&

● BEMERSessions:1timedailyforcirculationandcellularsupport

● RegularExercise:Dailyrunsofatleast2miles

ImportantConsiderations

IhavechosentogiveRoxyaclinicaldoseofCBD.Itiscontroversialandevenrestrictedin certainstates.Therearenumerousstudies,whichI’vecitedinchapter5,aboutthe well-researchedbenefitsofCBD.ThisiswhatI’vechosentodo,butyouandyourveterinary teamshouldworktogethertodecidewhatisbestforyourdog.

Thisisanexpensiveregimen.Atroughly$500monthly,Iunderstandthisinvestmentisn't feasibleforeveryfamily—andthat'scompletelyokay.Therearemanyeffective,moreaffordable approachestosupportingdogswithcancer.Themostimportantfactorsareworkingcloselywith yourveterinaryteamandchoosingsustainableoptionsthatfityourfamily'scircumstances.

Individualresultsvary.WhatworksforRoxymaynotworkforyourdog.Factorslikecancer type,stage,overallhealth,age,breed,andindividualtoleranceallinfluencetreatmentdecisions.

Veterinaryoversightisessential.EverycomponentofRoxy'sregimenhasbeendiscussedwith andmonitoredbyourveterinaryteam.Somesupplementscaninteractwithmedicationsormay notbeappropriateforcertainhealthconditions.

Remember:the"best"cancerregimenistheoneyoucanimplementconsistentlywith professionalguidance,whetheryourbudgetisbigorsmall.Yourlove,attention,and commitmenttoyourdog'scarematterfarmorethananyspecificsupplementordollaramount spent.

After learning everything I could to help Roxy fight her diagnosis, I realized how much I wished I'd known earlier about cancer in dogs. The technical information can feel overwhelming when you're in the midst of an emotional crisis, but knowledge truly is power when it comes to advocating for your dog. This section covers what I learned through countless hours of research—information I hope will help you feel more confident and less alone as you navigate this journey.

Chapter1:WhatIsCancerinDogs?

Whenwetalkaboutcancerindogs,we'reessentiallylookingatacellularrebellion.Inahealthy body,cellsfollowanorderlyprocess:theygrow,divide,anddieinacontrolledmanner.Cancer cells,however,havegonerogue.Theyignorethenormalsignalsthattellthemwhentostop growing,andinsteadmultiplyuncontrollably.Theseabnormalcellscanformtumorsand,in manycases,invadenearbytissuesorevenspreadtodistantpartsofthebody.

Notalltumorsarecreatedequal.Benigntumorsgrowslowlyandtypicallystayinone place—they'reproblematicmainlybecauseoftheirsizeorlocation.Malignanttumorsgrow aggressivelyandhavethedangerousabilitytometastasize(spread)tootherareasofthebody Understandingwhichtypeyourdoghasiscrucialformakingtreatmentdecisions.

Unfortunately,ourdogs'immunesystemsdon'talwayscatchthesecellulartroublemakersearly enough.Bythetimesymptomsappear,cancermayhavealreadyestablisheditself,whichiswhy earlydetectionandawarenessofriskfactorsaresoimportant.

TheMostCommonTypesofCancerinDogs

Throughmyresearch,Ilearnedthatcertaintypesofcancerappearfarmorefrequentlyindogs thanothers.Here'swhatdogguardiansshouldknowaboutthemostcommondiagnoses:

Lymphomaremainsoneofthemostfrequentlydiagnosedcancersindogs.Thiscanceraffects thelymphaticsystem—essentiallyyourdog'sinfection-fightingnetwork.Youmightnotice enlargedlymphnodes(theyfeellikefirm,roundbumpsunderthejaw,infrontoftheshoulders, inthearmpits,orbehindtheknees),butlymphomacanalsoaffectinternalorganslikethespleen, liver,andbonemarrow

Mastcelltumorsareparticularlycommonskincancers,thoughtheycanoccurinternallyas well.Thesetumorsoriginatefrommastcells,whicharepartofyourdog'simmunesystem.What makesmastcelltumorstrickyistheirunpredictablebehavior—somearerelativelyharmless whileotherscanbehighlyaggressive.

Osteosarcomaisthemostcommonbonecancerindogs,particularlyaffectinglargeandgiant breeds.Thisaggressivecancertypicallydevelopsinthelongbonesofthelimbsandis unfortunatelyknownforbeingbothpainfulandpronetospreadingquicklytothelungs.

Hemangiosarcomatargetsthecellsliningbloodvesselsandcandevelopanywhereinthebody, thoughit'smostcommonlyfoundinthespleen,heart,andskin.Thiscancerisespecially dangerousbecausethetumorsarefragileandpronetorupturing,whichcancause life-threateninginternalbleeding.

Mammarytumorsareincrediblycommoninunspayedfemaledogs.Abouthalfarebenignand halfaremalignant,whichiswhyanylumpinthemammaryareaneedsimmediateveterinary attention.

Melanomaindogsfollowsapatterndifferentfromhumans.Whileskinmelanomasareoften benignindogs,oralmelanomasareparticularlyaggressiveanddangerousduetotheirtendency tospreadrapidly.

Transitionalcellcarcinomaprimarilyaffectsthebladderandismostcommonlyseeninolder femaledogsandcertainbreedslikeScottishTerriers.Watchforsymptomslikedifficulty urinatingorbloodintheurine.

Braintumorscancauseavarietyofneurologicalsymptoms,withseizuresoftenbeingthefirst andmostcommonsign,especiallyindogsover5-6yearsofage.

WhySomeDogsAreMoreatRisk

AfterRoxy'sdiagnosis,Ibecamefascinatedbythequestionofwhycancerstrikessomedogsand notothers.Theanswer,Ilearned,iscomplexandinvolvesseveralinterconnectedfactors.

TheGeneticsFactor:WhyBreedMatters

Perhapsthemostsignificantinsightfromrecentresearchisjusthowmuchgeneticsinfluence cancerriskindogs.ClaimsdataanalyzedbyNationwide'spetinsuranceteamindicatedthat purebreddogsaremorelikelytobediagnosedwithcancerthannon-purebreddogs.Asagroup, purebreddogshavearelativeriskthatisalmosttwotimeshigherthancrossbredand mixed-breeddogs¹.Thisfindingcomesfromananalysisof1.61milliondogsoverasix-year period—anenormousdatasetthatcan'tbedismissedascoincidence.

Thereasonforthisincreasedriskliesinhowmoderndogbreedswerecreated.Mostdogbreeds cameintoexistencewithinthelast300years,andmanyarederivedfromsmallnumbersof founders².Eachhasundergonestrongartificialselection,andtheadoptionofthebreedbarrier

rule—nodogmaybecomearegisteredmemberofabreedunlessbothitsdamanditssireare registeredmembers—ensuresarelativelyclosedgeneticpoolwithineachbreed³.

Thisgeneticconcentrationmakespurebreddogsmoresusceptibletocertainhealthproblems, includingcancer.Whenbreedsarecreatedfromsmallgroupsoffoundingdogsandthenbred withinclosedpopulationsforgenerations,beneficialtraitsgetconcentrated—butsodo disease-causinggenes.

Thisgeneticconcentrationmeansthatcertainbreedshavebecomestronglypredisposedto specificcancers⁴:

● GoldenRetrieversfaceincreasedriskforlymphoma,hemangiosarcoma,andmastcell tumors

● Boxersarepronetomastcelltumors,lymphoma,andbraintumors

● BerneseMountainDogsandFlat-CoatedRetrievershavehighratesofhistiocytic sarcoma

● LargebreedslikeRottweilers,GreatDanes,IrishWolfhounds,ScottishDeerhounds,and Greyhoundsandsomeherdingbreeds(likeRoxy)faceincreasedosteosarcomarisk

● ScottishTerriershavehigherratesoftransitionalcellcarcinoma,particularlywhen exposedtolawnchemicalslikeherbicidesandpesticides

Largerdogstendtobediagnosedwithcanceratyoungeragesthansmallerdogs,andpurebred dogsaretypicallydiagnosedyoungerthanmixed-breeddogs⁵

Age:TheUnavoidableRiskFactor

Justlikeinhumans,cancerriskincreasesdramaticallywithageindogs.Themedianageat cancerdiagnosiswas8.8years,withmalesdiagnosedatyoungeragesthanfemales,andneutered dogsdiagnosedatsignificantlylateragesthanintactdogs⁶ .

Thereasonagematterssomuchisstraightforward:olderdogshavehadmoretimefortheircells toaccumulateDNAdamageandmutations.Eachcelldivisioncarriesasmallriskoferror,and overyears,theseerrorscanaccumulateintothegeneticchangesthatdrivecancer⁷

EnvironmentalandLifestyleInfluences

Whilewecan'tchangeourdogs'geneticsorstopthemfromaging,wedohavesomecontrolover theirenvironmentalexposures.Researchhasidentifiedseveralenvironmentalfactorsthat increasecancerrisk:

Secondhandsmokeisawell-documentedriskfactorforvariouscancersindogs,including lymphomaandnasaltumors(particularlydangerousforlong-nosedbreedswhohavemorenasal tissueexposedtoinhaledtoxins)⁸ .

Chemicalexposuresfrompesticides,herbicides,andlawnchemicalshavebeenlinkedto increasedlymphomaandbladdercancerrisk.The2,4-Dherbicidehasbeenspecificallystudied andshowsconcerningassociationswithcancerdevelopment,particularlyinbreedslikeScottish Terriersthatalreadyhavegeneticsusceptibility⁹ .

Householdchemicalsincludingcleaningagents,paints,andsolventscancontaincarcinogens. Whilewecan'teliminateallchemicalexposure,choosingsaferalternativeswhenpossiblemay helpreducerisk.

Dietandweightplayimportantroles.Obesityincreasescancerrisk,partlybecausefatcells secretechemicalsthatcaninfluencecancerdevelopment¹⁰.Additionally,high-temperature cookingofmeatscancreatecarcinogens,whichisworthconsideringifyoucookforyourdog.

TheSpayingandNeuteringQuestion

Oneofthemostcomplexareasofcancerriskinvolvesthetimingofspayingandneutering.The researchhererequirescarefulinterpretationbecausetheeffectsvarydramaticallybybreed, gender,andageatsurgery

Thereissomeevidencetosuggestthatneuteringfemaledogsbeforetheageof2·5yearsis associatedwithareductionintheriskofmalignantmammarytumours,andthatthisriskmaybe reducedfurtherbyneuteringbeforethefirstheat¹¹.Although,nostudyisperfect.Itisestimated thatneuteringeliminatestesticularcancerriskentirely.

However,researchhasrevealedpotentialincreasedrisksforothercancerswithearly spaying/neutering.StudiesonGoldenRetrieversfoundthatspayedfemalesweremorelikelyto developcertaincancerscomparedtointactfemales¹².Forhemangiosarcomaspecifically,spayed femalesfacedahigherriskthanintactfemales¹³.

Forbonecancer(osteosarcoma),researchonRottweilersfoundthatdogsneuteredbeforeone yearofagewere3-4timesmorelikelytodevelopthiscancercomparedtointactdogs¹⁴ .

Importantly,theeffectsofneuteringvarydependingonexactlywhenadogisneutered,whether thedogismaleorfemale,andthebreedorsizeofdog¹⁵ Insmallbreeddogssuchasthe Chihuahua,YorkshireTerrier,andDachshund,neuteringappearedtohavenosignificanteffect ontheriskfortheorthopedicdiseasesorcancersstudied.

Thekeytakeawayisthatspayingandneuteringdecisionsshouldbemadeinconsultationwith yourveterinarian,takingintoaccountyourdog'sbreed,gender,andindividualhealthfactors. There'snoone-size-fits-allanswer,andtheresearchcontinuestoevolve.

Thegoalofunderstandingtheseriskfactorsisn'ttocreateanxiety,buttoempowerinformed decision-making.Whilewecan'tcontrolgeneticsorcompletelyeliminateenvironmentalrisks, knowledgehelpsusmakebetterchoicesaboutprevention,earlydetection,andtreatmentwhen cancerdoesoccur.Inthenextchapter,we'llexploretheearlywarningsignsthathelpeduscatch Roxy'scancerwhenwedid.

References:

1 BensonJ,etal "Dataanalysislinkspurebreddogstohigherrateofcancer" Nationwide Pet Insurance Claims Analysis, 2022.

2. ParkerHG,etal."Genomicanalysesrevealtheinfluenceofgeographicorigin,migration,and hybridizationonmoderndogbreeddevelopment" Cell Reports,2017

3. MellanbyRJ,etal.“Populationstructureandgeneticheterogeneityinpopulardogbreedsinthe UK” The Veterinary Journal,2012

4 DobsonJM "Breed-predispositionstocancerinpedigreeddogs" ISRN Veterinary Science, 2013.

5 RafalkoJ,etal "Ageatcancerdiagnosisbybreed,weight,sex,andcancertypeinacohortof morethan3,000dogs." PLOS One,2023.

6. RafalkoJ,etal."Ageatcancerdiagnosisbybreed,weight,sex,andcancertypeinacohortof morethan3,000dogs" PLOS One,2023

7. HanahanD,WeinbergR.A."Hallmarksofcancer:thenextgeneration." Cell,2011.

8 BertoneER,etal "Environmentaltobaccosmokeandriskofmalignantlymphomainpetcats" American Journal of Epidemiology,2002

9. GlickmanLT,etal."Herbicideexposureandtheriskoftransitionalcellcarcinomaoftheurinary bladderinScottishTerriers" Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association,2004

10 GermanAJ "Thegrowingproblemofobesityindogsandcats" Journal of Nutrition,2006

11. BeauvaisW,CardwellJM,BrodbeltDC.“Theeffectofneuteringontheriskofmammary tumoursindogs--asystematicreview” J Small Anim Prac,2012

12. TorresdelaRivaG,etal."NeuteringDogs:EffectsonJointDisordersandCancersinGolden Retrievers." PLOS One,2013.

13 RobinsonK,etal "Neuteringisassociatedwithdevelopinghemangiosarcomaindogsinthe VeterinaryMedicalDatabase." BMC Veterinary Research,2020.

14 CooleyDM,etal "Endogenousgonadalhormoneexposureandbonesarcomarisk" Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention,2002

15. HartBL,etal."AssistingDecision-MakingonAgeofNeuteringfor35BreedsofDogs." Frontiers in Veterinary Science,2020

Chapter2:EarlyWarningSignsandDiagnosis

If you're reading this after your dog has already been diagnosed with cancer, you might wonder why we're covering early warning signs now Here's why this information still matters: dogs who've had cancer face an increased risk of recurrence or developing new, different types of cancer¹.

Understanding these signs helps you communicate more effectively with your veterinary team about any new symptoms that arise during treatment or recovery.

RecognizingtheWarningSigns

Cancerindogsrarelyannouncesitselfwithadramaticflourish.Moreoften,it whispers—throughsubtlechangesthat,whenrecognizedearly,canmakeanenormousdifference intreatmentoptionsandoutcomes.AssomeonewhomisjudgedRoxy'searlysignsasaside effectofdietaryadventures,Ilearnedfirsthandhowimportantitistotrustyourinstinctswhen somethingfeels"off."

Thekeyisknowingyourdog'snormalpatternsandbehaviors.Anypersistentchangefromtheir baselinewarrantsveterinaryattention,evenifitseemsminor

NeurologicalChanges:WhentheBrainIsAffected

Seizuresareoftenthefirstandmosttellingsignofabraintumor,especiallyindogsover5-6 yearsold.Ifyourdoghasneverhadseizuresbeforeandsuddenlydevelopsthemintheirsenior years,braincancershouldbeconsidered.

Ifyourdoghasaseizure:

● Keepthemsafebymovingfurnitureandobjectsaway

● Timetheseizureduration

● Trytofilmitifpossible(thishelpsyourvettremendously)

● Gettoyourveterinarianimmediately

Note: In younger dogs (under 5 years), seizures are more commonly caused by idiopathic epilepsy rather than cancer². Idiopathic epilepsy typically occurs in dogs between 6 months and 5 years of age, while dogs over 6 years old who develop seizures for the first time are more likely to have structural brain lesions like tumors³.

Changesinmovementcanalsosignalneurologicalissues.Watchforsubtletiltingtooneside, lossofcoordination,oranynewdifficultywithbalance.

PhysicalChangesYouCanSeeandFeel

Lumpsandbumpsareperhapsthemostobviouswarningsigns,butnotallarecreatedequal:

● Anynewgrowth,nomatterhowsmall,deservesveterinaryevaluation

● Changesinexistinglumps—suddengrowth,shapechanges,firmness,oropen sores—needimmediateattention

● Swellingsthatpersistformorethanafewdays,especiallyaroundjoints,limbs,orthe abdomen

Enlargedlymphnodesareparticularlyimportanttorecognize.Youcanfeellymphnodesunder thejaw,infrontoftheshoulders,inthearmpits,andbehindtheknees.Theyshouldfeelsoftand bebarelynoticeable.Iftheybecomefirm,round,andenlarged,thiscouldindicatelymphoma².

Non-healingwoundsthatpersistdespitetreatment,especiallyifantibioticshaven'thelped,may indicateskincancerorotherunderlyingissues.

ChangesinEatingandWeight

Unexplainedweightlossisoneofthemostsignificantredflagsforcancer.Ifyourdogislosing weightwithoutchangesindietorexercise,thiswarrantsimmediateinvestigation.

Appetitechangescanappearas:

● Completelossofinterestinfood

● Difficultyeatingorswallowing

● Droppingfoodwhileeating

● Excessivedrooling

● Pawingatthemouth

Thesesymptomsmayindicateoralorthroattumors,whichrequirepromptattention.

BehavioralandEnergyChanges

Lethargythatpersistsbeyondadayortwoshouldn'tbedismissedas"justgettingolder."Watch for:

● Increasedsleeping

● Reducedenthusiasmforwalksorplay

● Generallackofenergythat'sunusualforyourdog

Behavioralchangescanincludeunexplainedirritability,aggression,hiding,orunusualanxiety. Whilethesecanhavemanycauses,theysometimesindicatepainorneurologicalchangesfrom cancer.

WarningSignsfromBodySystems

Respiratorysymptomslikepersistentcoughing(especiallyadry,hackingcoughthatdoesn't resolve)ordifficultybreathingcanindicatelungcancerorcancerthathasspreadtothelungs³.

Urinaryanddigestivechangesinclude:

● Difficultyurinatingorfrequentsmallurinations

● Bloodinurineorstool

● Strainingtodefecate

● Persistentdiarrheaorconstipationnotexplainedbydiet

Mobilityissuessuchas:

● Limpingthatdoesn'timprovewithrest

● Reluctancetojump,climbstairs,ormovenormally

● Localizedswelling,heat,orpain,especiallyinlimbs(potentialsignsofbonecancer)

Unusualodorsordischargescanindicatehiddentumors:

● Persistentbadbreathbeyondnormal"dogbreath"

● Foulodorsfromears,nose,orotherbodyparts

● Bleedingorunusualdischargefromanyopening

● Redness,swelling,ordischargefromtheeyes,orchangesineyecolor

TheGoldenRuleofCancerDetection

Trustyourinstincts.Youknowyourdogbetterthananyone.Anypersistentorworseningchange fromtheirnormalbehavior,appetite,orphysicalconditionshouldpromptaveterinaryvisit. Earlydetectiondramaticallyimprovestreatmentoptionsandqualityoflifeoutcomes⁴

It'salwaysbettertohaveaveterinariantellyou"everythinglooksfine"thantomisssomething important.

TheDiagnosticProcess:WhattoExpect

Ifyou'vebeenthroughthisprocessbeforewithyourdog,youknowhowemotionallycharged theseappointmentscanbe.Evenifyou'refacingthisforthefirsttime,walkingintoaveterinary

officewithconcernsaboutcancercanfeeloverwhelming.Understandingwhattoexpectduring thediagnosticprocesscanhelpyoufeelmorepreparedandlessanxiousabouteachstep.Plus,if youknowwhatquestionstoaskandwhateachtestisdesignedtoreveal,youcanbeamore effectiveadvocateforyourdog.

InitialEvaluation

Physicalexaminationinvolvesyourveterinarianconductingathoroughhead-to-tailassessment, feelingforlumps,checkinglymphnodes,listeningtoheartandlungs,andevaluatingyourdog's overallcondition.

Medicalhistorydiscussionwillcoverwhensymptomsstarted,howthey'veprogressed,andany relevantbackgroundinformationaboutyourdog'shealth.

DiagnosticTests

Bloodworkprovidesawindowintoyourdog'sinternalhealth,checkingorganfunction,cell counts,andproteinlevels.Abnormalitiescansuggestcancerpresenceorhelpruleoutother conditions⁵

Tip: Ask for copies of all test, x-ray, and ultrasound results to maintain your own medical file. This is incredibly important if you need to consult specialists or seek second opinions.

Imagingstudieshelpvisualizewhat'shappeninginsideyourdog'sbody:

● X-rayscanrevealtumorsinbones,chest,orabdomen

● Ultrasoundsprovidedetailedviewsofsofttissuesandorgans

● CTorMRIscansofferthemostdetailedimaging,especiallyforbraintumorsor complexmasses

Fineneedleaspirate(FNA)involvesinsertingasmallneedleintoalumptocollectcellsfor examination.Thisquickprocedureprovidesinitialinformationaboutwhetheramassisbenign ormalignant.

Biopsyinvolvesremovingalargertissuesampleforcomprehensiveanalysis.Whilemore involvedthanFNA,itprovidesdefinitiveinformationaboutcancertypeandgrade.

Cytologyandhistopathologyarethemicroscopicanalysesthatidentifyspecificcelltypesand characteristics.Theseresultsguidetreatmentdecisions.

Tip: Don't hesitate to ask what each test is for and how results will influence treatment decisions. Understanding the "why" behind each procedure helps you feel more involved in your dog's care.

UnderstandingYourDog'sDiagnosis

So,onceyou'veprocessedthenewsofacancerdiagnosis,you'llnaturallywonder: what do I do now? What are the next steps? How do I move forward from here?

Thepathaheadbecomesclearerwhenyouunderstandtheterminologyyourveterinaryteamwill use.Thesearethesamewordsyou'llencounterrepeatedlyifyoufindyourselfdivinginto researchthewayIdid.Learningthislanguagehelpedmeaskbetterquestions,understand treatmentoptions,andfeelmoreconfidentinthedecisionswemadeforRoxy.

CancerClassification

Tumortypetellsyouwhetherthecancerisbenign(growsslowlyandstayslocalized)or malignant(growsaggressivelyandcanspread).Yourveterinarianwillalsoexplainwhattypeof cellsareinvolved,whichinfluencestreatmentoptions.

Cancerstagingdescribeshowfarthecancerhasspread:

● StageI:Early,localizedcancer

● StageII:Largertumorbutstilllocalized

● StageIII:Cancerhasspreadtonearbylymphnodesortissues

● StageIV:Cancerhasspreadtodistantorgansorthroughoutthebody

Stagingisdeterminedthroughimagingstudiesandsometimesadditionalbiopsies. Understandingyourdog'sstagehelpspredictprognosisandguidestreatmentdecisions⁶

Cancergradingdescribeshowabnormalthecancercellslookunderamicroscope:

● Low-grade:Cellslookrelativelynormalandtendtogrowslowly

● High-grade:Cellslookveryabnormalandtendtogrowandspreadquickly

TreatmentPlanning

Armedwithinformationabouttype,stage,andgrade,yourveterinaryteamcandevelopa customizedtreatmentplan.Optionsmightincludesurgery,chemotherapy,radiation, immunotherapy,palliativecare,orcombinationsoftheseapproaches.

Thisisalsowhenyoumightconsiderintegrativecare—workingwithbothconventionaland holisticveterinarianstosupportyourdog'shealingandcomfort.

Tip: Bring a friend or family member to veterinary appointments, or ask permission to record the conversation. The amount of information can be overwhelming, and having support or a recording to review later can be invaluable.

1 LapsleyJM,etal “Riskfactorsandoutcomeindogswithrecurrentmassivehepatocellular carcinoma:AVeterinarySocietyofSurgicalOncologycase-controlstudy.” Vet Comp Oncol, 2022

2. LavelyJ.“PediatricSeizureDisordersinDogsandCats.” Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract, 2014.

3 CornellUniversityCollegeofVeterinaryMedicine "ManagingSeizures"

4. AmericanVeterinaryMedicalAssociation."CancerinPets."

5. Barrow,LH.“BloodWorkforDogs.” DogCancercom,2023.

6 LernerF,Fox-AlvarezS “TumorGrading&StaginginDogs” Clinician’s Brief,2022

Chapter3:NextSteps

CopingwiththeDiagnosis

Findingoutyourdoghascancerfeelslikethegroundjustshiftedbeneathyourfeet.Youmight feeloverwhelmed,scared,numb,orallthreeatonce.Maybeyou'redrowninginquestions,or maybeyoucan'tthinkofanythingatall.Bothreactionsarenormal.

Thisisbignews,andyoudon'tneedtoprocessitallatonce.

Somepeoplefindithelpfultowriteaboutwhatthey'regoingthrough.WhenMichellewas fightingcancer,andlaterwhenweweredealingwithRoxy'sdiagnosis,Ifoundthatgettingmy thoughtsdownonpaperhelpedmethinkmoreclearly.Itdoesn'thavetobeanything formal—justwhatever'sonyourmindthatday.

Otherpeopleprefertotalkitthroughwithsomeonetheytrust,orconnectwithotherdog guardianswho'vebeenthroughthis.Somediveintoresearchmodeandwanttolearneverything theycan.There'snorightwaytohandleit.

Justrememberthatyourdogisstillhere.Theystillgetexcitedwhenyoucomehome.Theystill wanttheirdinnerandtheirdailywalks.Thatloveandtrusttheyshowyou?Letthatguideyouas youfigureoutwhatcomesnext.

BuildingYourCareTeam

Aftertheinitialshockwearsoff,oneofthesmartestthingsyoucandoisputtogetherateamof peopleyoutrusttohelpnavigatethisjourney.

Yourprimarycarevetisusuallywherethisstarts.Theyknowyourdog'shistoryandcanexplain whatthetestresultsmean.Mostofthetime,they'llreferyoutoaveterinaryoncologistwho specializesincancertreatmentandcanwalkyouthroughoptionslikesurgery,chemotherapy, radiation,andsomeofthenewertreatments.

Butyoudon'thavetostickwithjustconventionalmedicine.Plentyoffamiliesalsoworkwith holisticorintegrativevetswhoofferthingslikeacupuncture,herbaltreatments,andspecialized nutrition.Theseapproacheslookatyourdog'soverallhealthandcanhelpwithsideeffects, comfort,andimmunesupport.

Youmightwonderifaconventionalvetwillworkwithaholisticvet.Oftentheywill,especially ifyou'reupfrontaboutwantingbothperspectives.Noteveryvetknowsmuchaboutholistic

treatments,butmostareopentocoordinatingcarewhenthepetownerasksforit.Youmight needtobetheonewhosharestestresultsbetweenthemorasksbothvetstoweighinon treatmentoptions.Thegoalisn'ttogeteveryonetoagreeoneverything—it'stokeepeveryone focusedonwhat'sbestforyourdog.

Dependingonyoursituation,youmightalsoworkwithotherspecialists:surgeons,rehabilitation therapists,veterinarynutritionists,orhospicecareproviders.

Theimportantthingisthatyourteammakesyoufeelsupported,notpressured.Goodvetswill taketimetoexplainthingsandhelpyoumakedecisionsthatfeelrightforyourdog.

QuestionstoAskYourVeterinaryTeam

Onceyouunderstandthediagnosisandstaging,youneedtoknowwhatyouroptionsare.Here arethekeyquestionsthatwillhelpyoumakeinformeddecisions:

Abouttreatment:Whatareourtreatmentoptions,andwhat'sthegoalofeachone—cure, remission,orcomfort?What'stheprognosiswithtreatmentversuswithoutit?Whataretheside effectsandrisks?Howwilltreatmentaffectmydog'sday-to-dayqualityoflife?

Practicalconcerns:Willmydogneedtostayinthehospital?Forhowlong?Howoftenwillwe needtocomeinforcheck-ups?What'sthisgoingtocost,anddoyouofferpaymentplans?

Additionalsupport:Aretherecomplementarytherapiesthatmighthelpwithcomfortor healing?Canyourecommendaholisticvetwhomightworkwithus?WhatcanIdoathometo supportmydogduringtreatment?

Thebiggerpicture:Arewefocusingonextendinglife,improvingcomfort,orboth?What warningsignsshouldIwatchforthatmightmeanmydogisinpainorgettingworse?Howwill weknowifweneedtochangeourapproachorconsiderend-of-lifecare?Canwecheckin regularlytomakesurewe'restillontherighttrack?

NOTE:Attheendofthisbook,you’llfindhelpfulresourcesdesignedtoguideyouthroughthis chapterofyourjourney.OneofthemostimportantistheQualityofLifeChecklist,whereyou canregularlytrackyourdog’ssymptoms—alongwiththesubtlecluesthey’regivingyou—so you’llhaveaclearerpictureofhowthey’redoingrightnow.

In the next chapter, we'll explore conventional treatment options, helping you understand what each involves and how to evaluate them for your dog's specific situation.

Chapter4:ConventionalTreatmentOptions

Whenyoufirsthear"yourdoghascancer,"oneofthefirstquestionsthatprobablypopsintoyour headis: What can we actually do about this?

Thegoodnewsisthatveterinaryoncologyhascomealongwayinrecentdecades.Surgery, chemotherapy,andradiationtherapyformthebackboneofconventionalcancertreatment,and they'vehelpedcountlessdogslivelonger,morecomfortablelives.

Beforedivingintothedetails,Iwanttoacknowledgethatthesearen'tyouronlyoptions.We'll coverholisticandintegrativeapproachesinthenextchapter.Butunderstandingconventional treatments—whattheyinvolve,whenthey'reused,andwhattoexpect—givesyouasolid foundationformakinginformeddecisionsaboutyourdog'scare.

Surgery:TheMostDirectApproach

Surgeryremainsthemostcommonlyusedtechniquetotreatcancerincompanionanimals¹. WhenRoxy'smasswasdiscovered,surgerywasthefirstthingweconsidered—andforgood reason.Ifyoucancutoutthecancercompletely,you'vepotentiallysolvedtheproblem.

Surgerymakesthemostsensewhencancerappearstobelocalizedandaccessible.Thegoalisto removethetumorwithclearmargins,meaningtheytakeoutthecancerplusaborderofhealthy tissuearoundittocatchanystraycancercells.

Duringtheprocedure,yourdogwillbeundergeneralanesthesiawhilethesurgeonremovesthe tumor.Recoverytimevariesdependingonthelocationandextentofthesurgery.Theremoved tissuegetssenttoapathologistwhocantellyouexactlywhattypeofcanceritwasandwhether thesurgeongotitall.

Sometimes,likeinRoxy'scase,surgeryisn'tpossible.Hermasswastooclosetovital structures—heraortaandspine—makingittooriskytoremove.Inothercases,thecancermay havealreadyspreadbeyondwhatsurgerycanaddress.

Manytimes,surgeryisjustthefirststep.Ifthemarginsaren'tcompletelyclearorifthere's concernaboutmicroscopicspread,yourvetmightrecommendfollow-upchemotherapyor radiationtocatchanyremainingcancercells.Thebestchancetoachievecompletesurgical removalofatumorisduringthefirstsurgicalprocedureandisoftenbestperformedbyasurgeon withexperienceinsurgicaloncology².

Whenmostpeoplehear"chemotherapy,"theythinkofthehumanexperience—beingsick,losing hair,feelingmiserable.Butchemotherapyindogsisgenerallymuchdifferent,andfrankly,much moretolerablethanwhathumansgothrough.

Inveterinaryoncology,thepriorityisqualityoflifefirst,followedbysurvival³.Thegoalisn'tto cureatanycost—it'stoextendthegooddayswhileminimizingsideeffects.Mostveterinary chemotherapypatientsenjoyagoodqualityoflifewhileontherapy⁴ .

Chemotherapyistypicallyusedforcancersthataffectthewholebody(likelymphoma)orto mopupmicroscopicdiseaseaftersurgery Forsomecancers,likelymphoma,chemotherapyis consideredthemosteffectivetreatmentavailable.

Someofthedrugsyourvetmightdiscussinclude:

● Doxorubicin(Adriamycin)-Abroad-spectrumdrugeffectiveagainstmanycancers.It's nicknamedthe"RedDevil"becauseofitscolor,butdon'tletthatscareyou.

● Carboplatin-Oftenusedforbonecancerandtendstohavefewergastrointestinalside effectsthansomealternatives.

● CHOPprotocol-Acombinationoffourdrugsthat'shighlyeffectiveforcertain lymphomas.

● Metronomicchemotherapy-Lowerdosesgivenmorefrequently,designedtostarve tumorsoftheirbloodsupplyratherthandirectlykillingcancercells.

Beforemakingdecisionsonyourdog’streatmentplan,askyourvetwhattoexpectaspossible sideeffectsfromchemo.Whiletheycanoccur,they'reusuallymuchmilderthaninhuman medicine.That’sbecausequalityoflifeisthefirstpriorityinyourpup’scancercarejourney.The mostcommonmayincludevomiting,diarrhea,andpoorappetite.Thisusuallyhappenswithin threedaysoftreatmentandlaststhreetofivedays.Therecanalsobeloweredwhitebloodcell count,duetosuppressionofthebonemarrow5 . Hairlossispossible,butmorenoticeablein breedslikepoodlesorterriers6 .

Researchshowsthatmostchemotherapyprotocolsdesignedforveterinarypatientshavelessthan a5%incidenceofsevere,life-threateningcomplications4.Sideeffectstypicallyaffectonly 20-25%ofpatients,andwhentheydooccur,they'reusuallymanageableathome7 .

Dogsonchemotherapyneedregularbloodteststomonitortheirwhitebloodcellcounts.You'll alsoneedtofollowsafetyguidelineswhenhandlingyourdog'swasteforafewdaysafter treatment,sincetracesofthedrugscanbepresent4

WhileRoxy'smasscouldn'tbesurgicallyremoved,weexploredchemotherapyoptionsaspartof ouroverallapproach.Basedonthepreliminaryfindings,itwasdeterminedbytwodifferent

veterinariansthatitwouldnotprolongherlifebeyondafewweeks.Theyalsofeltitwouldmake herremainingdayslesscomfortable.Ofcourse,eventhebestdoctorscanbewrong.

Everydogrespondsdifferently,andyouroncologistwillcreateaprotocolspecifictoyourdog's cancertype,stage,andoverallhealth.

RadiationTherapy:PrecisionTreatment

Radiationtherapymightsoundintimidating,butit'sactuallyahighlyprecise,well-established treatmentthatcanbeincrediblyeffectiveforcertaintypesofcancer Ituseshigh-energybeams todamagecancercellDNA,essentiallystoppingthemfromgrowinganddividing8

Unlikesurgery,whichremovescancerbycuttingitout,orchemotherapy,whichcirculates throughthewholebody,radiationisalocalizedtreatment.Theradiationbeamcanbeprecisely aimedatthetumorareawhileminimizingexposuretosurroundinghealthytissue8 .

Radiationisparticularlyvaluablefortumorsinlocationsthataredifficulttooperateon—like nasaltumors,braintumors,ormassesnearvitalstructures9.Itcanbeusedaloneorcombined withsurgeryandchemotherapy.

Therearedifferentapproachestoradiationtherapy:

● Conventionalradiation-Smalldosesgivenoverseveralweeks,typically15-20 treatments

● Stereotacticradiationtherapy-Higherdosesgiveninjustafewsessions,with extremelyprecisetargeting

● Palliativeradiation-Focusesonpainreliefandcomfortratherthancure

Duringtreatment,yourdogwillbeunderbriefanesthesiaforeachsession—theyneedtoremain perfectlystillfortheradiationtobedeliveredaccurately.Theactualradiationdeliveryonlytakes afewminutes,thoughsetupandanesthesiaaddtothetotaltime.Mostdogsgohomethesame day10 .

Radiationsideeffectsarelimitedtotheareabeingtreated.Earlyeffectsmightincludeskin irritation,hairlossinthetreatedarea,ormouthsoresiftheheadisbeingtreated.Theskinmight looklikeamildsunburn.Lateeffects,occurringmonthsoryearslater,canincludescarringor changesinhaircolorwhenitregrows11

Successratesvarywidelydependingonthetypeandlocationofcancer Dogswithnasaltumors treatedwithradiation,forexample,oftenhavegoodoutcomes,whiletheeffectivenessvaries significantlyforothercancertypes12 .

Ablation:PrecisionTumorDestruction

Oneofthemostpromisingdevelopmentsinveterinaryoncologyisablation—minimallyinvasive proceduresthatdestroytumortissueinplacewithoutsurgicalremoval.Thesetechniquesuse targetedenergydeliveredthroughneedle-likeprobesplaceddirectlyintotumorsunderimaging guidance¹³.

HowItWorks

Duringablation,yourdogreceivesgeneralanesthesiawhileveterinariansusecomputed tomographyorultrasoundguidancetopositionspecializedprobeswithinthetumor.Theprobes thendeliverenergytodestroycancercellsthroughthermal,chemical,orelectricalmethods¹⁴ .

TypesofAblation

Radiofrequency ablation heatstissueusingelectricalcurrent.A2024studyof15dogswithnasal tumorsshowedanearly83%reductionintumorvolumewithsignificantimprovementin breathingandnasaldischarge,allwithoutmajorcomplications¹⁵

Microwave ablation usesmicrowaveenergytoheatcancercells.Studieshaveshownsuccess treatinglivertumors¹⁶ .

Cryoablation freezestumorsusingextremecold.Researchershavesuccessfullytreatednasal tumorswiththisapproach¹⁷ .

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) useselectricalpulsestodestroycancercellswhilepreserving bloodvesselsandnerves.Thistechniquehasshownpromiseforbraintumors,whereastudyof sevendogsachievedtumorablationwithmediansurvivalof119days(withsomedogsliving morethan940days)¹⁸ .

BestCandidatesAblationworksbestforsmallertumorsthataredeeperintissues It's particularlyvaluablefortumorsnearcriticalstructureswheresurgerywouldbetoorisky,or whenfamiliespreferalessinvasiveapproach¹⁹

LimitationsAblationisstillemerging,withlimitedlong-termdatacomparedtoestablished treatments.Notalltumorsaresuitable,andthetechnologyiscurrentlyconcentratedatacademic centersandadvancedspecialtyhospitals.Successdependsheavilyonprecisetechniqueandcase selection²⁰ .

Whileablationmaynotreplacemorefamiliartreatments,itoffershopefordogswithsuitable tumorswhenconventionaloptionsarelimitedorposetoomuchrisk.

MakingSenseofItAll

Therealityisthatnosingletreatmentworksforeverydogoreverycancer Surgerymightcurea localizedtumorcompletely Chemotherapymightputasystemiccancerintoremissionfor monthsoryears.Radiationmightcontrolatumorthatcan'tbesurgicallyremoved.

Sometimesthebestapproachcombinesmultipletreatments.Adogmighthavesurgeryfollowed bychemotherapy,orradiationcombinedwithchemotherapy.Youroncologistwillrecommenda planbasedonyourdog'sspecificcancertype,stage,overallhealth,andyourfamily'sgoalsand resources.

Someimportantquestionstoaskyouroncologist:

● What'sthegoalofthistreatment—cure,lifeextension,orcomfort?

● What'sthetimelineandwhatshouldIexpectduringtreatment?

● Whatarethepotentialsideeffectsandhowaretheymanaged?

● Howwillweknowifthetreatmentisworking?

● Whathappensifthistreatmentdoesn'tworkasexpected?

Inthenextchapter,we'llexploretheholisticandintegrativeapproachesthatmanyfamiliesuse alongsideorinsteadofconventionaltreatments.Thesecanofferadditionalwaystosupportyour dog'shealingandcomfortthroughouttheircancerjourney.

References:

1 FlintAnimalCancerCenter,ColoradoStateUniversity "TreatmentOptions"

2. MingusL."PetCancerTreatmentOptions:Surgery." Flint Animal Cancer Center, Colorado State University,2019

3 ImpriMed “HowtoKnowWhattheBestChemotherapyTreatmentIsforYourDog”2025

4. MacDonaldV."Chemotherapy:Managingsideeffectsandsafehandling." Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, 2009

5. KoehlerR.“ChemotherapyforDogs.” PetMD,2024

6. BachC.“ChemotherapyinVeterinaryMedicine.”OncoLink,2024

7 JohnstoneG “WhattoKnowAboutChemotherapyforDogsWithCancer” American Kennel Club,2024.

8 Oncodaily “RadiotherapyinPets:HealingBeamsforAnimals”2025

9 SeltingK,SchmitJ "Radiation,OneofFourPillarsofCancerTherapy" University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine,2025.

10 AndersonA "RadiationforDogs"DogCancercom,2023

11. VeterinarySpecialtyCenter."RadiationTherapySideEffects."2022.

12. CoatesJ."HowEffectiveisRadiationTherapyforDogs?” PetMD,2016.

13. SteffeyM,etal."Tumorablationinveterinaryoncology." Hellenic Journal of Companion Animal Medicine,2022.

14 UCDavisCenterforCompanionAnimalHealth "Information&Impacts-CancerResearch"

15. AlférezMD,etal."ComputedTomography-GuidedRadiofrequencyAblationofNasal CarcinomasinDogs" Animals,2024

16 CulpWTN,etal "Percutaneousultrasound-guidedmicrowaveablationfortreatmentof hepatocellularcarcinomasindogs:fourcases(2019-2020)." J Small Anim Pract,2022.

17 MurphySM,etal "Image-guidedtransnasalcryoablationofarecurrentnasaladenocarcinomain adog" J Small Anim Pract,2011

18. RossmeislJHJr,etal."SafetyandfeasibilityoftheNanoKnifesystemforirreversible electroporationablativetreatmentofcaninespontaneousintracranialgliomas" J Neurosurg, 2015.

19. UCDavisCenterforCompanionAnimalHealth."Information&Impacts-CancerResearch."

20 SteffeyM,etal "Tumorablationinveterinaryoncology" Hellenic Journal of Companion Animal Medicine,2022.

Chapter5:HolisticandIntegrativeTherapies

WhenRoxywasdiagnosed,Ithrewmyselfintoresearchingeverypossibleapproachthatmight helpher SomeofwhatIfoundwasbackedbysolidresearch,somewaspromisingbutstillbeing studied,andsomewasfranklywishfulthinking.WhatIlearnedisthatthebestintegrative approachcombinesevidence-basedconventionaltreatmentwithcarefullychosensupportive therapiesthathaveatleastsomescientificbacking.

What"Holistic"and"Integrative"ActuallyMean

Beforedivingintospecifictherapies,it'sworthclarifyingwhatwe'retalkingabout.Holistic veterinarycarefocusesontreatingthewholedog—notjustthecancer,buttheiroverallphysical andemotionalwellbeing.Integrativemedicinecombinesthebestofconventionalveterinary medicinewithevidence-basedcomplementarytherapies¹.

Thegoalisn'tnecessarilytochoosebetweenconventionalandholisticapproaches,butto possiblycombinethem.Adogmighthavesurgerytoremoveatumor,receivechemotherapyto addressmicroscopicdisease,andalsogetacupuncturetomanagepainandnausea.Each approachsupportstheothers.

Acupuncture

Whiletherearen'tmanylarge-scalestudiesspecificallyonacupunctureforveterinarycancer patients,theresearchthatexistsisencouragingandit'sbackedbythousandsofyearsofuse², plusextensivehumanmedicalresearch.

Acupunctureworksbyinsertingverythinneedlesintospecificpointswherenervesandblood vesselsconverge.Thisstimulatesthenervoussystem,increasesbloodcirculation,andtriggers thereleaseofnaturalpain-relievingandanti-inflammatorysubstances³.

Forcancerpatients,acupuncturecanhelpwith:

● Painmanagement

● Nauseaandappetiteissues—Researchindicatesitcanhelppreventnauseafrom chemotherapy4

● Generalcomfortandrelaxation—Manydogsbecomeveryrelaxedduringandafter treatments

Onestudyfoundthatacepromazineandelectroacupuncturetreatmentpreventedanincreasein nauseascoresfollowingmorphineadministrationindogs4.Anothershowedthatacupuncture

reducedtheamountneededforpainmanagementduringsurgeryindogsundergoingmammary cancersurgery5 .

Dr.SusanWynn,aveterinaryacupuncturistwith11yearsofexperiencetreatingcancerpatients, notesthatwhilewedon'tyethavelargeveterinarystudies,"anecdotalevidencemirrorswhathas beenshowninpeople.Thespeciesaresimilarenough,andthereareenoughhistoricaldatathat wefeelconfidentusingsomehumanstudiesasguides"6 .

BEMERTherapy

OnetherapythatbecamearegularpartofRoxy'sroutinewasBEMERtreatments.BEMER standsforBio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation,anditusespulsedelectromagneticfields (PEMF)topotentiallyimprovecirculationandbloodflow7 It’sworthnotingthatthereareother PEMFtreatmentsthanjustBEMER.

Acoupleoftimesaday,RoxywouldlieonherBEMERmatfor8-minutesessions.Themat containscoilsthatcreateelectromagneticfieldsdesignedtostimulatecirculationatthecellular level.WhiletheresearchonBEMERspecificallyisstillemerging,studiesonPEMFtherapyin generalshowpromiseforreducingpain,improvingwoundhealing,andsupportingoveralltissue health8 .

WhatIcantellyoufromourexperienceisthatRoxyseemedtoenjoyherBEMERsessions.She wouldoftenfallasleeponthemat,andInoticedsheseemedmorecomfortableandenergetic afterward.Whetherthiswasduetotheelectromagneticfieldsorsimplythededicatedresttime,I can'tsayforcertain—butitbecameapeacefulpartofourdailyroutinethatfeltbeneficialfor bothofus.

PEMFtherapyhasshownbenefitsinveterinarystudiesforconditionslikeosteoarthritis,with onestudyfindingdramaticimprovementsinmobilityandpainindogswithjointproblems9 The therapyisgenerallyconsideredsafe,thoughit'snotrecommendedfordogswithpacemakersor duringpregnancy10

MedicinalMushrooms

Oneofthemostscientificallycompellingholistictherapiesweencounteredwasmedicinal mushrooms,particularlyturkeytail(Coriolusversicolor).

AgroundbreakingstudyattheUniversityofPennsylvaniaSchoolofVeterinaryMedicinefound thatdogswithhemangiosarcomatreatedwithaturkeytailmushroomcompoundhadthelongest survivaltimeseverreportedforthatdisease11.Dogsreceivingthehighestdoselivedamedianof 199dayscomparedtothetypical86dayswithnotreatment12 .

Thekeycompoundsinmedicinalmushroomsarebeta-glucansandotherpolysaccharidesthat studieshavereportedcan:

● Supportimmunesystemfunctionbyactivatingimmunecellsthatfightcancer

● Potentiallyslowcancerprogression

● Providegeneralhealthsupport,asadaptogenshelpthebodycopewithstress

Othermushroomsshowingpromiseincludereishi,shiitake,maitake,andcordyceps.Thesehave beenusedinTraditionalChineseMedicineforthousandsofyearsandarenowbeingstudiedfor theirpotentialanti-cancerproperties13 .

HerbalMedicineandSupplements

Theworldofherbalsupplementsforcancerisvastandsometimesconfusing.Here'swhatthe evidencesupports:

Turmeric(Curcumin)hasbeenextensivelystudiedforitsanti-inflammatoryandpotentially anti-cancerproperties.Themostimportantpro-healtheffectsobservedaftertakingcurcuminoids forhumansanddogsincludeanti-inflammatory,anti-cancer,andantioxidanteffects14.Many veterinariansnowrecommendturmericsupplements,especiallyfordogswithcancerand arthritis.

Milkthistleisparticularlyvaluablefordogsundergoingchemotherapy,asitcanhelpprotectthe liverfromdrugtoxicity Astudyof50dogswithcancershowedthatDenamarin(asupplement containingmilkthistleextractsilybinandS-adenosylmethionine)providedprotectiveeffects againstCCNUchemotherapy-inducedliverdamage,withliverenzymeelevationsoccurringin 68%ofdogsreceivingthesupplementcomparedto84%ofdogsreceivingchemotherapy alone15 .

Omega-3fattyacidsfromfishoilmayhelpreduceinflammationandsupportoverallhealth duringcancertreatment.Onestudyfoundthatdogswithnasalcarcinomareceivingradiationhad lowerlevelsofinflammatorymarkerswhensupplementedwithfattyacids16 .

It'scrucialtoworkwithaknowledgeableveterinarianwhenconsideringherbalsupplements,as somecaninteractwithchemotherapydrugsormaynotbeappropriateforcertaintypesof cancer17 .

OneofthemostmeaningfuladditionstoRoxy'scareroutinehasbeenCBD.Iwanttobe completelytransparentaboutthisbecauseIbelieveithasplayedasignificantroleinher wellbeingoverthesepastthreeyears.

WegiveRoxy50mgdailyofhigh-quality,full-spectrumCBDoilfromSynergyWellness (synergycbd.com)—acompanythatspecializesinsmall-batch,organic,third-partytested productsmadefromwholecannabisflowersratherthanhempstemsorleaves.

WhatIcantellyoufromourexperienceisthatRoxyhasmaintainedremarkablecomfort,energy, andappetitethroughoutherjourney WhetherthisisdirectlybecauseoftheCBDorpartofour comprehensiveapproach,Ican'tsaydefinitively—butithasbecomeacornerstoneofherdaily care.

WhattheResearchShows

CBD(cannabidiol)isanon-psychoactivecompoundderivedfromcannabisthathasshown remarkablepromiseinveterinaryoncology.UnlikeTHC,CBDdoesn'tproduceany"high" effects,makingitsafeforregularuseindogs.

ThemostcompellingresearchcomesfromCornellUniversity,whereDr.JosephWakshlagand histeamhaveconductedgroundbreakingstudiesonCBD'santi-cancerproperties.Theirresearch foundthatCBDsignificantlyreducedcaninecancercellproliferationacrossfivedifferentcanine cancercelllines(includingosteosarcoma,lymphoma,mammarycarcinoma,glioma,and transitionalcellcarcinoma)18 .

Evenmoreencouraging,thestudyshowedthatCBDcombinedwithvincristine,acommonly usedchemotherapydruginveterinarymedicine,hadsynergisticeffect18 ThissuggeststhatCBD mayenhancetheeffectivenessofconventionaltreatmentsratherthaninterferingwiththem.

AdditionalresearchhasshownthatCBDtriggersapoptosis(programmedcelldeath)incancer cellswhilenormalcellsundergothisprocessnaturally—somethingcancercellstypicallyresist18 .

MultipleBenefitsforCancerPatients

Beyonditspotentialdirectanti-cancereffects,CBDoffersseveralbenefitsthatcansignificantly improvequalityoflifefordogswithcancer:

PainandInflammationManagement:ResearchhighlightsCBD'scapacitytosignificantly reducebothpainandinflammation,potentiallyreducingtheneedforhigherdosesof conventionalpainmedications19 StudiesalsoindicatethatCBDhasfewerandlesssevereside

effectscomparedtootherpainmanagementdrugscommonlyprescribedinveterinary medicine19 .

AppetiteSupport:CBDrelievesnauseaandvomiting,calmsthenervoussystem,andpromotes digestivehealth,resultinginbetterappetite20.Thisiscrucialfordogsundergoingcancer treatmentwhomaystrugglewitheating.

ImmuneSystemSupport:CBDbooststheimmunesystemandincreasesnaturaldefense mechanisms,whichisessentialforcancerpatientssincecancertumorscanweakentheimmune system21

ReducingTreatmentSideEffects:CBDcanbebeneficialforrelievingsideeffectsfrom chemotherapyandisbelievedtobesafetogivealongsidechemotherapybecauselaboratory studieshaveshownasynergisticeffectbetweenCBDandseveralchemodrugs21 .

QualityMatters

Currently,thereisnoformalregulationofCBDproducts,leadingtowidevariabilityinquality andaccuracyoflabeling.Independenttestinghasrevealedcontaminationinsomeproducts, includingheavymetalssuchaslead,arsenic,cadmium,andmercury²².

ThisiswhywechoseSynergyWellnessforRoxy.Theyuseonlyorganic,whole-plantcannabis flowers(nothempstemsorleaves),conductthird-partytestingforpotencyandpurity,and maintainstrictqualitycontrolstandards.TheirproductsaremadeinsmallbatchesinNorthern California,andfounderLeonardLeinowhasdecadesofexperienceinmedicinalcannabis.

WorkingwithYourVeterinaryTeam

It'scrucialtodiscussCBDwithyourveterinarianbeforegivingittoyourdogtomakesureit doesn'tinterferewithothermedicationsorsupplements²³.CBDcaninteractwithother medications,sobemindfulofpotentialinteractionswithbenzodiazepines,gabapentin, acepromazine,tramadol,andphenobarbital24 .

SomeveterinariansaremoreopentoCBDthanothers.Ifyourcurrentvetisn'tfamiliarwith CBD,considerconsultingwithanintegrativeveterinarianwhohasexperiencewithboth conventionalandcomplementarytherapies.

OurApproach

IwanttoemphasizethatCBDisn'tamagiccure—it'sonecomponentofRoxy'scomprehensive careplanthatincludesqualitynutrition,BEMERtherapy,andlotsoflove.ButIgenuinely

believeithascontributedtohercomfort,appetite,andoverallwellbeingduringwhatcouldhave beenamuchmoredifficultjourney.

IwishIcouldpointtooneexactthingI’vedonethatwasthedefiningreasonwhyRoxyisstill alive.Thetruthis,Idon’texactlyknow.Butmytheoryis,inorderofimportance,changingher diet,theCBDsupplementation,alltheothersupplements,lotsofexerciseandlove,andthe BEMERtherapyshereceivesdailyarewhatmadethedifference.

I’malsogoingtosaythatIconsultedaCBDspecialistwhohadatremendousbackgroundin CBDusageforhumancancerpatients.

I’mnotrecommendingthatyoudothis—andwehadtobeverycarefulaboutdoingit—butin thefirstyear,wegaveRoxyatincturethatincludedbothCBDandTHC.Thereasonbehindthis wasthatthecancerCBDspecialistsaidthereisasynergisticeffectinthehealingpropertiesof thecannabisplantwhenallcomponentsoftheplantareusedtogether.Ineedtoqualifythisby sayingthatTHCcanbetoxictodogs.However,givenRoxy’sprognosisofseveralweeks,we hadnothingtolose.WestoppedgivingherTHCafterayearandnowonlygiveherCBD.

References:

1. AmericanHolisticVeterinaryMedicalAssociation."WhatisHolisticVeterinaryMedicine?" 2024.

2 InternationalVeterinaryAcupunctureSociety "WhatisVeterinaryAcupuncture?"

3. VCAAnimalHospitals.“Acupuncture/AcupressureforDogs.”2025.

4 LeeJ,VickeryK "AcupunctureintheVeterinaryOncologyPatient" VETgirl, 2021

5 EvensonS,HenslyA "AcupunctureforDogs" DogCancercom, 2024

6. RodierL."AcupunctureForDogsWithCancer." Whole Dog Journal, 2009.

7 StorchK,etal “BEMERElectromagneticFieldTherapyReducesCancerCellRadioresistance byEnhancedROSFormationandInducedDNADamage.” PLoS One,2016.

8. MiksisL."PEMFTherapyforDogs:7FAQsAnsweredbyaPEMFExpert." Dr. Buzby's ToeGrips for Dogs,2022

9. PinnaS,LanducciF,TribuianiA,CarliF,VenturiniA.“TheEffectsofPulsedElectromagnetic FieldintheTreatmentofOsteoarthritisinDogs:ClinicalStudy.” Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 2013

10. WilliamsK."PulsedElectromagneticFieldTherapy." VCA Animal Hospitals,2023.

11. BaillieK."CompoundDerivedFromaMushroomLengthensSurvivalTimeinDogsWith Cancer" Penn Today,2012

12 BasedowK "TurkeyTailMushroomForDogs" DogCancercom,2024

13. HackerC."MedicinalMushroomsforDogs." DogCancer.com,2024.

14. Kępińska-PacelikJ,BielW. “TurmericandCurcumin Health-PromotingPropertiesinHumans versusDogs” International Journal of Molecular Sciences,2023

15. SkorupskiKA,etal.“ProspectiverandomizedclinicaltrialassessingtheefficacyofDenamarin forpreventionofCCNU-inducedhepatopathyintumor-bearingdogs.” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine,2011

16. HansenRA,etal.“Menhadenoiladministrationtodogstreatedwithradiationfornasaltumors demonstrateslowerlevelsoftissueeicosanoids” Nutr Res,2011

17 SkorupskiK "Prosandconsofsupplementsintreatingpetcancer" Veterinary Practice News, 2017.

18 HenryJG,etal "Theeffectofcannabidioloncanineneoplasticcellproliferationand mitogen-activatedproteinkinaseactivationduringautophagyandapoptosis" Veterinary and Comparative Oncology,2021.

19 GambleLJ,etal “Pharmacokinetics,Safety,andClinicalEfficacyofaCannabidiolOilinDogs withOsteoarthritis.” Frontiers in Veterinary Science,2018.

20. AmericanKennelClub.“CBDOilforDogs:WhatYouNeedtoKnow.”2025.

21 CrnecI "7WaysCBDOilHelpsDogswithCancer" TotalVet,2025

22. RideoutH,CookAJC,WhettonAD.“CBDforpets:navigatingqualityassurance,safety standards,andmarketingstrategies” J Cannabis Res, 2025

23 AmericanKennelClub “CBDOilforDogs:WhatYouNeedtoKnow”2025

24. HylandK.“Cannabidiol(CBD).” VCA Animal Hospitals,2024.

Chapter6:DietandNutritionforDogswith

Cancer

Cancerdoesn'tjustaffectoneareaofyourdog'sbody—itimpactseverything.Dogsundergoing treatmentmayloseweight,loseinterestinfood,orsufferfromnausea,diarrhea,orchangesin appetite.Atthesametime,theirimmunesystemsareworkingovertime,andtheirbodiesneed extraenergyjusttomaintainbasicfunction¹.

Therightnutritioncansupporttheimmunesystem,preservecrucialmusclemassandbody weight,reduceinflammation,improveenergyandrecovery,minimizetreatmentsideeffects,and supportahealthiergutmicrobiome—whichplaysalargerroleincancerthanmanyofusrealize.

WhattheScienceSays

Here'swhatIwishsomeonehadexplainedtomeclearlyfromthebeginning:veterinary nutritionistsandcancerresearchersconsistentlyrecommenddietswithspecificcharacteristics, andthere'ssolidresearchbehindtheserecommendations.

High-qualityproteinbecomescrucial.Cancercancausemuscle-wasting,sofeedingdigestible, high-qualityproteinsourceslikeeggs,poultry,orleanmeatshelpspreserveyourdog'sstrength andenergy.Thisgivestheirbodythebuildingblocksitneedstorepairandfight².

Healthyfatstakeonnewimportance.Dogsmetabolizefatremarkablywell,andcertain fats—particularlyomega-3fattyacidsfromfishoil—mayhelpreduceinflammationand potentiallyslowtumorgrowth.Researchhasshownthatomega-3fattyacidscanincrease survivaltimesindogswithlymphoma³.Studieshavealsodemonstratedthatfishoiliseffective fortreatingsometypesofcancer,withEPAandDHAactingasanti-inflammatoryagentsthat mayhelpwithvariouscancer-relatedconditions⁴ .

Thecarbohydrateconversationgetscomplex.Manycancercellsrelyheavilyonglucose(sugar) togrow Whilethisdoesn'tmeancarbohydratescausecancer,limitinghigh-glycemicfoodslike whiterice,whitepotatoes,orprocessedtreatsmaybebeneficial⁵

TheKetogenicDietDebate

Youmighthavealreadyheardaboutketogenicdietsfordogswithcancer.Thetheoryis compelling:ifcancercellspreferglucoseforenergy,thendrasticallyreducingcarbohydratesand increasingfatsmightessentially"starve"tumorswhilenormalcellsadapttousingketonesfor fuel.

Theresearchisintriguing.AtKetoPetSanctuary,dogswithterminalcancerwereplacedonstrict ketogenicdietsalongsideconventionaltreatments.Remarkably,55%ofthedogswhocompleted theirprogramsurvivedfarbeyondtheiroriginalprognoses,withsomebecomingcancer-free⁶ . Onepublishedcasestudydocumentedadogwithamalignantmastcelltumorthatcompletely resolvedusingketogenictherapyalone—nosurgery,nochemotherapy⁷ .

Buthere'swhatIlearnedthroughcarefulresearch:thedetailsmatter.Theseweren'tcasual low-carbdiets.KetoPetusedcarefullymonitoredprotocolswithbloodglucoseandketone testing,precisemacronutrientratios,andintensiveveterinaryoversight⁸ Somedogsexperienced "ketoflu"symptomsincludingweakness,lethargy,andnauseaduringthetransition,andsome developedcomplicationslikepancreatitis⁹

Mostimportantly,ketogenicdietsaren'tappropriateforeverydogoreverycancer Dogswith kidneycancer,forexample,arepoorcandidates¹⁰ Thedietrequiresextremelycareful formulationandmonitoringtopreventnutritionaldeficiencies.

Mytakeaway?Whiletheresultsarepromising,thisisn'tsomethingtoattemptwithoutexpert guidance.Youmayseesomebenefitsimplybyreducingcarbohydratesinyourdog's diet—somethingyoucanachievethroughlessextrememeans.

Forthefirstsixmonthsafterherdiagnosis,wetriedfeedingRoxyaverylow-glycemicdiet.But shelostatonofweight.Whenweaddedthecookedorganicsquash,shegainedbacktheweight andherappetiteincreasedaswell.

Home-Cookedvs.Commercial

Somefamiliesfeelmoreempoweredpreparinghome-cookedmealsusingfreshingredients. Otherspreferprescriptionorcommercialdietsformulatedspecificallyfordogswithcancer I've foundthatwhatmattersmostisbeingrealisticaboutwhatispossibleforyourcircumstances. Focusonwhetherthefoodisbalanced,digestible,andappealingtoyourdog.

Ifyou'reconsideringhome-cooking,youmaywanttoworkwithaboard-certifiedveterinary nutritionist.Dogswithcancerhaveveryspecificnutritionalneeds,andevenwell-meaninghome recipescanfallshortincrucialnutrientslikecalcium,traceminerals,oromega-3s.The consultationfeeisworththepeaceofmindofknowingyou'reprovidingoptimalnutrition.

InRoxy’scase,wefoundshethrivesonhigh-quality,grass-fed,organicgroundbeefprotein(we buyitatCostco),sowestuckwithit.SometimesIwonderifIshouldbegivingherawiderdiet thanwedo,butshelovesit,sowe’renotchangingit.

FoodsThatCanMakeaDifference

Basedonmyresearch,herearefoodsworthconsidering(alwayswithyourvet'sapproval):

- Lean,cookedmeats(chicken,turkey,beef,lamb,venison),cannedsardinesorsalmon (richinomega-3s),andeggs(acompleteproteinsource)formthefoundationof cancer-supportivenutrition.

- Non-starchyvegetableslikespinach,broccoli,zucchini,yellowsquash,andkaleprovide vitamins,minerals,andfiberwithoutexcesscarbohydrates.Note:summersquasheslike zucchiniandyellowsquasharepreferabletowintervarieties(butternut,acorn,pumpkin) whichcontainmorenaturalsugars.

- Fishoil,MCToilorpossiblycoconutoil(inmoderation),andflaxseedoilcanprovide essentialfattyacidsandsupportoverallhealth.

- Bonebrothisgentleonsensitivestomachs,canstimulateappetite,andprovideseasily absorbednutrients.

- Smallamountsofpumpkinorsweetpotatocansupportdigestion.

Ontheflipside,somefoodsrequireextracautionduringcancertreatment:rawdiets(dueto infectionriskduringimmunesuppression),high-sugartreatsortablescraps,andobviouslytoxic foodslikegrapes,raisins,onions,garlic,xylitol,andchocolate.WehavechosentofeedRoxy rawmeat.Youneedtodeterminewhat’srightforyourdogthroughconversationwithyour veterinarian.

SupplementsThatShowPromise

Alwaysdiscusssupplementswithyourveterinarianbeforeaddingthem,especiallyifyourdogis onmedications.Butseveralsupplementshaveresearchsupportingtheiruseincaninecancer:

Omega-3fattyacidsfromfishoilmayhelpreduceinflammationandhaveshownbenefitsin extendingsurvivaltimesforcertaincancers.Acommonsupplementaldosefordogsis50-75mg ofcombinedEPAandDHAper2.2poundsofbodyweightdaily¹¹.

Turmeric(curcumin)hasbeenextensivelystudiedforitsanti-inflammatoryandpotentially anti-cancerproperties.Studiessuggestdosingcurcuminat15-20mgperpoundofbodyweight, thoughbioavailabilityremainsachallenge¹².

Medicinalmushroomsliketurkeytailorreishishowpromiseforimmunesupport.Asmentioned inourpreviouschapteronholistictherapies,turkeytailhasshownremarkableresultsinsome studies.

Digestiveenzymesandprobioticssupportguthealth,whichisincreasinglyrecognizedascrucial forimmunefunctionandcancerrecovery.

CBDcanhelpwithpain,nausea,andinflammation—alwayschoosealab-testedproductand workwithaknowledgeableveterinarian.

WhenFoodBecomesaChallenge

Lossofappetitecanfeeldevastatingwhenyou'retryingsohardtonourishandsupportyourdog.

Here'swhatIlearned:warmingfoodenhancesaromaandcanstimulateappetite.Hand-feeding createsconnectionandcomfort.Addingbonebrothorafavoritetoppercanmakefoodmore appealing.Offeringsmall,frequentmealspreventsoverwhelmingasensitivestomach.And sometimes,discussinganti-nauseamedicationorappetitestimulantswithyourvetmakesallthe difference.

Mostimportantly,sometimesjustsittingbesideyourdog,gentlyencouragingandstayingcalm, mayhelpthemfeelsafeenoughtotryafewbites.Don'tforceit—butdon'tgiveup,either.Every smallmealisavictory.

References:

1. BrooksW."LymphomaTreatmentIncludesNutritionalTherapyforDogs" Veterinary Partner, 2021

2. AmaralAR,etal.“Connectionbetweennutritionandoncologyindogsandcats:perspectives, evidence,andimplications-acomprehensivereview.” Frontiers in Veterinary Science,2025.

3 OgilvieGK,etal “Effectoffishoil,arginine,anddoxorubicinchemotherapyonremissionand survivaltimefordogswithlymphoma:adouble-blind,randomizedplacebo-controlledstudy.” Cancer,2000

4 GollaknerR "FishOil" VCA Animal Hospitals,2024

5. BasedowK,HackerC."KetogenicDietforDogCancer." DogCancer.com,2023.

6 KetoPetSanctuary "AboutUs:TheKetoDietforEveryDog"2024

7. SeyfriedTN,MukherjeeP,LeeDC,TaL,NationsL."Casereport:Resolutionofmalignant caninemastcelltumorusingketogenicmetabolictherapyalone." Frontiers in Nutrition,2023.

8 KentC "KetoPetSanctuary:ketosis,cancerandcanines,part1" IVC Journal,2019

9. BasedowK,HackerC."KetogenicDietforDogCancer." DogCancer.com,2023.

10. DresslerD."KetoDietforDogCancer…GoodIdeaorBadIdea?" DogCancercom,2024.

11 ReckerS,UbellA "Omega3and6forDogs" DogCancercom,2023

12. HackerC."CurcuminforDogs." DogCancer.com,2024.

Chapter7:OntheHorizon

Theadvanceshappeningrightnowinveterinaryoncologyfeellikewatchingthefutureunfold beforeoureyes.Researchlabsacrossthecountryaredevelopingtreatmentsthatcouldtransform cancerintoaverymanageablecondition.Whilenoneoftheseemergingtherapiesareguaranteed toworkforeverydog,theyrepresentgenuinehope.

Rapamycin

Takerapamycin,forexample—it'saperfectexampleofhowfastthingsaremoving.Justafew yearsago,thisdrugwasprimarilyknownforpreventingorgantransplantrejectioninhumans. Today,it'satthecenterofsomeofthemostpromisingcancerresearchforbothpeopleanddogs.

Thinkofrapamycinasadrugthattargetscancer'sengineroom—themTORpathwaythatcancer cellsusetofueltheirgrowthandspread.Studieshaveshownthatrapamycincanreducecancer cellgrowthand,athigherdoses,activelykillcancercells¹.

Whatmakesrapamycinespeciallyexcitingisthatit'salreadybeingtestedindogs.TheDog AgingProjectrecentlyreceived$7millionfromtheNationalInstitutesofHealthtoexpand clinicaltrialsstudyingrapamycin'sabilitytoextendthelivesofdogs.Multipleveterinarycenters areconductingstudiestoseehowwellitworksagainstspecificcancers,includingbonecancer, melanoma,andmammarytumors.

CAR-TCellTherapy

OneofthemostrevolutionarydevelopmentsonthehorizonisCAR-Tcelltherapy—atreatment thatessentiallyreprogramsyourdog'sownimmunecellstohuntdownanddestroycancer.

Inhumanmedicine,CAR-Ttherapyhasachievedremarkableresults,withabouthalfofpatients withbloodcancerswhodon'trespondtochemotherapyenteringremissionafterreceiving treatment².

Here'showitworks:veterinarianstakesomeofyourdog'simmunecellsandsendthemtoalab, wherescientistsgivethesecellsnewinstructionsonhowtofindandkillcancer These superchargedcellsaretheninfusedbackintoyourdog,wheretheycanpotentiallylivefor monthsorevenyears,continuingtofightcancer³.

Studieshaveshownthatthetherapyissafeandthatthemodifiedcellsworkeffectivelyindogs. Evenmorepromising,researchershavedevelopedcanineCAR-TcellsthattargetB7-H3,a proteinoverexpressedbyseveralsolidcancersincludingosteosarcoma⁴.Thisissignificant becausesolidtumorslikebonecancerhavehistoricallybeenmuchhardertotreatwith immunotherapy.

PrecisionMedicine

Thedaysof"one-size-fits-all"cancertreatmentarecomingtoanend.Precisionmedicineuses genetictestingtoidentifythespecificmutationsdrivingyourindividualdog'scancer,allowing veterinarianstorecommendtreatmentstailoredtothoseparticulargeneticabnormalities.

CompanieslikeFidoCurearenowofferingcomprehensivegenetictestingthatcanidentify cancer-causingmutationsinyourdog'stumor Thisallowsyourveterinaryoncologistto recommendtargeteddrugsdesignedtoattackthespecificproblemsinyourdog'scancercells, ratherthanusingbroad-spectrumchemotherapythataffectsallrapidlydividingcells.

Recentstudiesanalyzingreal-worlddatafromover2,000dogshaveshownremarkableresults: dogswhosetreatmentwaschosenbasedontheirtumor'sspecificgeneticmakeupstayed cancer-freelongerthandogswhoreceivedstandardtreatments⁵ .

Whilehumanoncologyhasdozenstargetedtherapiesavailable,veterinaryoncologycurrently hasfarfewer.Butthisfieldisgrowingatanincrediblerate.Scientistsarediscoveringthat cancersindogsandhumansareremarkablysimilar,whichmeanstreatmentsthatworkforone speciesoftenhelptheother⁶ .

LiquidBiopsy

Oneofthemostpromisingdevelopmentsisliquidbiopsytechnology—bloodteststhatcandetect cancercellsorpiecesoftheirDNAfloatinginyourdog'sbloodstream.Thistechnologycould allowveterinarianstofindcancerbeforeanysymptomsappear,whentreatmentismostlikelyto besuccessful⁷

Liquidbiopsyhasalreadychangedhowcancerismanagedinhumanmedicineandispoisedto dothesameinveterinarymedicine⁸.Imaginebeingabletoscreenyourdogannuallyforcancer withasimpleblooddraw,catchingitwhenit'sstillsmallandtreatable.

StemCells

Fordogswithcancer,“stem celltherapy”canmeantwodifferentthings:

● Bone marrow/“stem cell”transplant(HSCT)forlymphoma.Afterchemoputs lymphomaintoremission,veterinarianscancollectadog’sblood formingstemcells, givehigh dosetherapy,and“rescue”themarrowwiththosecells.Inpublishedveterinary series,somedogsgoontolivecancer freeforyears—thisisthemostestablished stem celluseincanineoncology(availableonlyatselectcenters).⁹ ¹⁰

● Stemcellsasdeliveryvehicles(MSC+virus).Thinkofmesenchymalstemcells (MSCs)astinycouriers.Researcherscantuckacancer targetingvirusinsidethemand givethemixturethroughasimpleIV.Thegoalisforthosecellstogotothetumorand

dropoffthevirus.Inearlystudies,manytumorsshrank—andafewdisappeared—and mostdogshandledtreatmentwell.¹¹Indogswithaggressivebraintumors,thesame approachwasgenerallywell tolerated,withsomepartialresponsesseen.¹²Teamsarealso testingthevirusalone(nostem cellcourier)insmallstudies.¹³

Whatthiscouldmeanforyou

Ifyourdogisfacinghigh gradeB celllymphoma,askyouroncologistwhetherastem cell transplant(HSCT)couldbeonthetable;it’sthemostestablishedstem celluseinveterinary cancerand,forasubsetofdogs,canmeanlongstretchesofcancer freetime.Forothercancers, theMSC plus virusoptionisstillresearch stage.Thatdoesn’tmakeita“no”—itjustmeansthe nextstepisaskingaboutclinicaltrialsandhowthismightfitalongsideproventreatments.

Exosomes

Exosomesareliketiny,sealedenvelopesthatcellssendout—littlebubblescarryingbitsof proteinandgenetic“notes.”Tumorsshedhugenumbersoftheseenvelopesintothebloodstream, whichmeanswecansometimeslearnaboutadog’scancerfromasimpleblooddrawratherthan atissuebiopsy.

Whenatumorbecomesresistanttoadrug,itoftenchangeswhatitpacksintoitsexosomes—for example,proteinsormicroRNAstiedtoresistance.Ifthoseresistancesignalsarefloatinginthe blood,alabtestcanspotthemearly—helpingthecareteampivotsooner,ratherthanwaitingfor scanstoshowasetback.¹⁴ Reviewsacrossveterinarymedicinepointtoexosomesasanaturalfit fornext genliquidbiopsyandongoingmonitoring.¹⁵

Wherethehopeisrightnow.

● Today:Expectexosome basedbloodteststokeepimproving,findingcancersoonerand trackinghowit’sbehavingovertime.¹⁴ ¹⁵

● Onthehorizon:There’shopeforusingexosomesastreatments—forexample,loading thesetinyenvelopeswithmedicinesandsendingthemtotumors.It’sexcitingscience, butstillearly stageinveterinaryoncology.¹⁵

TheDogAgingProject

BehindmuchofthisprogressistheremarkableDogAgingProject,followingover47,000dogs acrosstheUnitedStatestounderstandhowagingandcancerdevelop.Thismassivedatasetis providingunprecedentedinsightsintowhatfactorsinfluencecancerriskandhowwemight preventit.

We'removingtowardafuturewherecancermightbedetectedbeforesymptomsappear,treated withtherapiestailoredtoeachdog'suniquetumor,andmanagedasachronicconditionrather thanadeathsentence.

Thisdoesn'tmeaneverydogwillbecured,orthatthejourneywillbecomeeasy.Cancerwill likelyalwaysinvolvedifficultdecisionsandsomeuncertainty.Butthedirectionisclear:we're rapidlyexpandingwhat'spossible.

Ifyourdogisfacingacancerdiagnosistoday,theseadvancesoffersomethinginvaluable—hope groundedinrealscientificprogress.Whilesomeofthesetreatmentsarestillyearsawayfrom yourveterinarian'soffice,othersarealreadybeingtestedindogsorwillbeavailablesoon.

Thehorizonlooksbrighterthanithasindecades.Fordogsdiagnosedwithcancerinthecoming years,thesebreakthroughtreatmentsmayarrivejustwhenthey'reneededmost.

References:

1. BlagosklonnyMV.“Cancerpreventionwithrapamycin.” Oncotarget,2023.

2 GlasgowG "TheLatestNewsAboutCART-CellTherapy" University of Colorado Cancer Center,2024.

3 GuidenM "TrialLaunchedtoTestCART-CellTherapyinDogsDiagnosedWithSolidTumors" Gates Institute,2023

4. CaoJW,etal.“TargetingosteosarcomawithcanineB7-H3CARTcellsandimpactofCXCR2 Co-expressiononfunctionalactivity” Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy,2024

5. WuK,RodriguesL,PostG,etal.“Analysesofcaninecancermutationsandtreatmentoutcomes usingreal-worldclinico-genomicsdataof2119dogs.” npj Precision Oncology, 2023.

6 AlshammariAH,etal “AdvancingVeterinaryOncology:Next-GenerationDiagnosticsforEarly CancerDetectionandClinicalImplementation.” Animals (Basel).2025

7. FloryA,etal.“Cancerdetectioninclinicalpracticeandusingblood-basedliquidbiopsy:A retrospectiveauditofover350dogs” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine,2023

8. ChibukJ,etal.“HorizonsinVeterinaryPrecisionOncology:FundamentalsofCancerGenomics andApplicationsofLiquidBiopsyfortheDetection,Characterization,andManagementof CancerinDogs” Frontiers in Veterinary Science,2021

9 GareauA,SekiguchiT,WarryE,etal “Allogeneicperipheralbloodhaematopoieticstemcell transplantationfordogswithhigh gradeB celllymphoma.” Vet Comp Oncol. 2022.

10 WillcoxJL,PruittA,SuterSE “Autologousperipheralbloodhematopoieticcelltransplantation indogswithB celllymphoma.” J Vet Intern Med, 2012.

11. CejalvoT,Perisé BarriosAJ,DelPortilloI,etal.“Remissionofspontaneouscaninetumorsafter systemiccellularviroimmunotherapy” Cancer Res, 2018

12. CloquellA,MateoI,GamberaS,etal. “Systemiccellularviroimmunotherapyforcanine high gradegliomas” J Immunother Cancer, 2022

13. Martín CarrascoC,Delgado BonetP,Tomeo MartínBD,etal. “Safety/efficacyofintratumoral oncolyticadenovirusindogswithcarcinomas.” Vet Sci, 2022.

14 WeinmanMA,etal “Exosomalproteomicsignaturescorrelatewithdrugresistanceand carboplatinoutcomeincanineosteosarcoma.” Cancer Cell Int, 2021.

15 MocciaV,etal “Extracellularvesiclesinveterinarymedicine” Animals (Basel), 2022

Chapter8:Mind-BodyConnectionand EmotionalSupport

There'ssomethingIlearnedduringRoxy'scancerjourney:there’saprofoundconnection betweenheremotionalstateandherphysicalhealing.Inoticedthatondayswhenourhousehold wascalmandpeaceful,sheseemedmorecomfortable,atebetter,andhadmoreenergy.WhenI wasstressedoranxiousaboutupcomingvetvisits,shewouldmirrorthattension.

Thiswasn'tjustmyimagination.Sciencehasbeguntorevealtheintricatewaysthatstress, emotions,andphysicalhealthareinterconnected—notjustinhumans,butinourdogsaswell.

TheScienceBehindStressandHealing

Recentresearchhasuncoveredthatthere'sadirectlinkbetweenpsychologicalstressandcancer developmentindogs.Agroundbreakingstudyinvolving350purebredandmixed-breeddogs foundthatstatesoffear,anxiety,andaggressionarecorrelatedwithincreasedcancerincidence, particularlyosteosarcomaandlymphoma¹.

Whendogsexperiencechronicstress,theirbodiesreleasecortisolandotherstresshormonesthat cansuppressimmunefunction,increaseinflammation,andevencauseDNAdamage—allfactors thatcanpromotecancerdevelopment¹.

Chronicstressactivatesthehypothalamic-pituitary-adrenalaxisandthesympatheticnervous system,creatingacascadeofchangesthataffectsthenervous,endocrine,cardiovascular,and immunesystems2 .

Buthere'stheencouragingpart:justasstresscannegativelyimpacthealing,creatingcalmand reducinganxietycansupportyourdog'srecoveryandoverallwellbeing.

YourDogIsReadingYourEnergy

Researchhasshownthatdogsandtheirguardiansactuallysynchronizetheirlong-termstress levels—measuredthroughhaircortisolconcentrations—suggestingthatdogsessentiallymirror theirguardians'stress3 .

Thismeansthatwhenyou'reanxiousaboutyourdog'sdiagnosis,treatments,orprognosis, they'relikelypickinguponandabsorbingthatstress.It'snotyourfault,andyoushouldn'tfeel guiltyaboutbeingworried.Butunderstandingthisconnectioncanhelpyouapproachyourdog's carewithgreaterintention.

CreatingCalm

Dogsfindtremendouscomfortinpredictability Duringatimewhensomuchfeelsuncertain, maintainingconsistentschedulesforfeeding,medication,walks,andbedtimecanprovidea senseofsecurity

AsI’vebeentrainingdogsandhorsesforoverthirtyyears,inmyexperience,itisimportantto speaktoanimalsincompletesentences.Tellthemexactlywhatisgoingon,howyouappreciate theirbravery,andthatyouarethereforthemthroughitall.IprobablytellRoxyhowmuchIlove andappreciatehercontributiontoourfamilyatleastfivetimeseachday.

Italsohelpstodesignateaquietretreatareawhereyourdogcanrestundisturbed.Fillitwith familiarscents,favoriteblankets,andbelovedtoys.Whenyourdogwantstorest,respectthat need—healingrequiresenergy,andsleepisrestorative.

Useasoftvoiceandslowmovementsaroundyourdog,especiallyduringtreatmentperiods. Avoidforcinginteractionswhenthey'reseekingsolitude,butbeavailableforcomfortwhenthey wantit.

Vetvisitsandmedicalproceduresareinherentlystressful.Somestrategiesthathelpedus: arrivingearlytoletRoxyacclimatetotheenvironmentandbringingherfavoriteblanketforthe examtable.Manyveterinarypracticesarenow"FearFree"certified,meaningthey'respecifically trainedinstressreductiontechniques,whichisgreatnews!

TheHealingPowerofMusic

OneofthemostinterestingtoolsIdiscoveredforhelpingdogsrelaxwasmusictherapy.The researchonthisissurprisinglyrobust:studiesconsistentlyshowthatcertaintypesofmusiccan reducestressandpromoterelaxationindogs.

Classicalmusicappearstobeparticularlyeffective.ResearchbyDr.LoriKoganfoundthatdogs exposedtoclassicalmusicspentmoretimesleepingandlesstimebarkingcomparedtoother musicgenresorsilence4.Theslowtempo,lowerpitch,andfewerdynamicchangeshavea calmingeffectonthenervoussystem.

Morerecentstudieshaveshownthatsoftrockandreggaearealsohighlyeffective,withdogs showingincreasedheartratevariability(amarkerofreducedstress)whenlisteningtothese genres5 Thekeyfactorsseemtobetempo,volume,andvariety,sorotatingdifferentcalming piecesmaintainsthebeneficialeffect.

Thereareevenalbumsspecificallydesignedfordogs,suchas"ThroughaDog'sEar,"whichuses psychoacousticprinciplestocreateparticularlyeffectivecalmingmusic.Whileresearchonthese

specializedrecordingsisstillemerging,onestudyreportspositiveresults6.Youcanfindthis musiconYouTube,Spotify,andAppleMusic.

TheTellingtonTTouch®Method

OneofthemosteffectivegentletechniquesIcanrecommendistheTellingtonTTouch® Method.DevelopedbyLindaTellington-Jones,thisapproachcreatesprofoundchangesinan animal'semotionalstateandstresslevels.IhaveknownLindaforoverthirtyyearsandhave workedwithheronhorses,dogs,andzooanimals.Icanpromiseyouthatinmyexperience,it hasmadeaprofounddifference.

WhatMakesTTouchDifferent?

TheTTouchusesspecific,lightcircularmovementsontheskinandbodythatactivatethe parasympatheticnervoussystem—thepartresponsibleforthe"restanddigest"response. ResearchconductedattheBiofeedbackInstituteinBoulder,Colorado,showedthatthe TellingtonTTouchcreatesdifferentbrainwavepatternsthansimplepetting,stroking,or massage7 .

Themethodrecognizesthelinkbetweenposture,thenervoussystem,andbehavior.Byusing gentle,non-habitualmovements,theTTouchpromotesrelaxationwhileimprovingawareness, physicalbalance,andmovement⁸ .

Fordogsdealingwithcancer,theTTouchcanbeparticularlyvaluablebecauseit:

● Activatestheparasympatheticnervoussystem,reducingstressandallowingthebodyto focusonhealing

● Providescomfortwithoutbeinginvasiveorrequiringthedogtobeinanyparticular position

● Canbelearnedbyfamilymembersandusedathomebetweenveterinaryvisits

● Helpsreduceanxietyaroundmedicalproceduresandhandling

TheBasicTechnique

ThefoundationoftheTTouchinvolvesgentlecircularmovementsaboutoneinchindiameter, usingcurvedfingerstomovetheskininaclockwisedirection.Eachcircleshouldstartwithan upwardmotion,completeslightlymorethanonefullrevolution,thenmovetoanotherpartofthe body Thepressureshouldbelight.

WhilecertifiedTTouchpractitionerscanprovideprofessionalinstruction,basictechniquescan belearnedandsafelypracticedathome.Thekeyistowatchyourdog'sresponse—mostdogs

findthegentlecircularmovementsdeeplyrelaxing,oftenfallingasleepduringsessions.Ifyour dogseemsuncomfortableorrestless,adjustthepressureorlocation.

TakingCareoftheCaregiver

Youremotionalwellbeingdirectlyimpactsyourdog'shealingjourney.

Theresearchonstresssynchronizationbetweendogsandownersmeansthattakingcareof yourselfispartofcaringforyourdog.

NormalizetheEmotionalRollercoaster.Guilt,fear,grief,hope,anger,overwhelm—allof theseemotionsarenotonlynormalbutexpectedwhenyourdoghascancer.Acknowledgethem, feelthem,andknowthatexperiencingthemdoesn'tmakeyouweak.

BuildYourSupportNetwork.Veterinarysocialworkers,petlosscounselors,onlinesupport groups,andlocalcommunitiesofdogguardiansfacingsimilarchallengescanprovideinvaluable emotionalsupport.

Journalingcanalsobeincrediblyhealing.Writingaboutyourexperiences,fears,hopes,and dailyobservationsaboutyourdogcanprovideperspectiveandhelpyouprocessthisjourney.

CreateRitualsofJoy.Inthemidstofmedicalappointmentsandtreatments,intentionally celebratethesmallvictories.Agoodappetiteday,anenthusiastictailwag,apeacefulnapina sunnyspot,amomentofplayfulness—thesemomentsmatterenormouslyandareworth celebrating.

References:

1 ZapataI,EyreAW,AlvarezCE “PsychologicalStressIsAssociatedwithIncreasedCancerRisk inDogs.” Animals (Basel),2023.

2 DaiS,MoY,WangY,XiangB,LiaoQ,ZhouM,LiX,LiY,XiongW,LiG,GuoC,ZengZ "ChronicStressPromotesCancerDevelopment" Frontiers in Oncology,2020

3. SundmanAS,VanPouckeE,SvenssonAC,FaresjöÅ,RothL.“Long-termstresslevelsare synchronizedindogsandtheirowners” Scientific Reports, 2019

4 KoganLR,Schoenfeld-TacherR,SimonAA "Behavioraleffectsofauditorystimulationon kenneleddogs." Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2012.

5 BowmanA,ScottishSPCA,DowellFJ,EvansNP “Theeffectofdifferentgenresofmusiconthe stresslevelsofkennelleddogs.” Physiol Behav,2017.

6. BeecySJ,Dowling-GuyerS,PatelAD,Zavota-RussoG,McCobbE.“Theeffectsofmusic designedforcanineandhumanrelaxationonshort-termstressindogs” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2025.

7. RichmondM.“TheTellingtonTTouchforDogs.” Whole Dog Journal,2010.

8. SchultzR.“TellingtonTTouchinveterinarypractice.” IVC Journal.2017.

Chapter9:MonitoringProgressandAdvocacy

WhenRoxystartedhercancerjourney,IquicklylearnedthatIdidn'tneedtobeaveterinary experttobeanexcellentadvocate.

WhatIneededwastopayattention,asktherightquestions,andtrustbothmyinstinctsandmy veterinaryteam.

BecomingYourDog'sDailyObserver

Thefoundationofgoodadvocacyisknowingwhat'snormalforyourdog,soyoucanrecognize whenthingschange.

DuringRoxy'streatment,Ireallytunedintoherpatterns—howshemovedwhenshefeltgood, herpreferredsleepingpositions,thesubtledifferencebetween"I'mtired"and"Idon'tfeelwell."

CreatingaSimpleMonitoringSystem

IstartedkeepingwhatIcalledRoxy's"dailysnapshot"—nothingcomplicated,justnotesabout appetite,energy,elimination,andmood.Thissimpletrackinghelpedtremendouslyduring veterinaryvisits,allowingmetogiveourteamconcreteinformationratherthanvague impressions.

Researchshowsthatconsistentmonitoringandfollow-uparecriticalfordetectingtreatment responses,managingsideeffects,andcatchinganychangesearly¹.Yourobservationsprovide crucialdata!

WhattoWatchFor

Changesinappetiteoftensignalhowyourdogisfeelingoverall.Notenotjustwhetherthey're eating,buthowenthusiastically,howmuch,andanychangesinfoodpreferences.

Energylevelscanfluctuatedaytoday,butwatchforpatterns.Isyourdogtiredafteractivitybut recoveringnormally,oraretheyshowingpersistentlethargy?

Eliminationhabits—bothurinationanddefecation—canrevealalotaboutoverallhealthand treatmenteffects.Changesinfrequency,consistency,oreffortcanallbesignificant.

Behavioralshiftsoftenindicatepainordiscomfortbeforephysicalsymptomsbecomeobvious. Watchforchangesinmood,sleephabits,orfavoriteactivities.

RedFlagsThatNeedImmediateAttention

Somesymptomsrequireurgentveterinarycare:difficultybreathing,collapse,bleeding,sudden severepain,persistentvomitingordiarrhea,orinabilitytourinateordefecate².Contactyour veterinaryteamimmediatelyifyouobserveanyofthesesigns.

Communication,Communication,Communication

Researchshowsthatcollaborativecarebetweenprimaryveterinariansandspecialistsleadsto improvedclientsatisfactionandbetterpatientadvocacy³.Thekeyisunderstandingthatyou'rean activeparticipantinyourdog'shealing,andthequestionsyouaskmakeadifference.

Insteadofasking,"Howisshedoing?"try:"Basedontoday'sexamandherrecentbehavior athome,whatspecificchangesshouldIwatchforthisweek?"

Ratherthan"Isthetreatmentworking?"ask:"Whatmarkersareyouusingtomeasure treatmentresponse,andwhatshouldIexpecttoseeifthetreatmentiseffective?"

Insteadof"WhatshouldIdo?"try:"Givenhercurrentconditionandourgoals,whatareour options,andwhatfactorsshouldguideourdecision?"

Beforeeachvisit,writedownyourobservations,questions,andconcerns.Bringyournotes. Don'trelyonmemorywhendiscussingtimelineorsymptompatterns—havingwrittenrecords makesconversationsmoreproductiveandaccurate.

Ifyou'refeelingoverwhelmed,it'sperfectlyappropriatetosay,"I'mhavingtroubleprocessingall thisinformation.Canyouwalkmethroughthatagainmoreslowly?"or"Canyouhelpme understandwhatthismeansforherday-to-daylife?"

WhenTreatmentIsn'tGoingasExpected

Sometimes,despiteourbesteffortsandhopes,treatmentsdon'tworkasanticipated.Cancercan beunpredictable,anddogsresponddifferentlytotherapies.Recognizingwhenit'stimetoadjust courseispartofgoodadvocacy

Somecancersdevelopresistancetotherapies,andcontinuingineffectivetreatmentscan compromisequalityoflifewithoutprovidingbenefit.

QualityofLifeAssessment

UsestructuredtoolsliketheHHHHHMMScale(Hurt,Hunger,Hydration,Hygiene,Happiness, Mobility,Moregooddaysthanbad)toevaluateyourdog'swellbeing⁴ .

Intheresourcessection,youwillfindadocumentthatbreaksdowntheHHHHHMMScale.You cansave,print,andsharethatdocumenttohelpyoutrackwhereyourdogisat.Ofcourse,itis nearlyimpossibletoobjectivelymeasureyourdog’squalityoflife.That’swheretoolslikethis canhelptokeepusgrounded.Wecan’thelpit—wewantourdogstoliveforever.

Butwhenbaddaysbeginoutnumberinggoodones,itmaybetimetoshiftfocusfromcureto comfort.

Sometimesadvocacymeansmakingdifficultdecisionsaboutchangingtreatmentdirection. Researchconfirmsthatqualityoflife,ratherthanquantityoflife,tendstobeaprimaryfocusof veterinaryoncology⁵

BuildingYourAdvocacySkills

Yourroleisn'ttobecomeaveterinaryoncologist—it'stobeyourdog'sconsistentvoiceand observer.Youknowyourdog'spersonality,preferences,andnormalpatternsbetterthananyone. Thatknowledgeisirreplaceableandinvaluabletoyourcareteam.

Trustyourinstincts.Ifsomethingfeelswrong,speakup.Ifatreatmentrecommendationdoesn't alignwithyourvaluesoryourdog'swellbeing,askforalternativesorseekasecondopinion.

Askfortimewhenyouneedit.WhenRoxywasfirstdiagnosed,Ireceivedacallfromthe veterinariansaying,“Roxyhascanceranditappearstobeterminal.She’sstillundersedationon thetable,andIcaneuthanizeherrightnow.”Iimmediatelytoldhimthatwewantedtobringher homeandwouldpickheruprightaway Iwantedtodiscusstreatmentoptionsatalatertime.He saidshewouldbereadytobepickedupintwohours.Atthatpoint,mywifeandIcurledup togetheronthecouchandcriedforanhour Sincethen,we’vebeenonathousandhikesinthe fieldtogether We’vebeentothebeachdozensoftimes,andplayedfetchhundredsoftimes.

So,unlessyourdogisincrisis,youusuallydon'thavetomakedecisionsimmediately.It's perfectlyreasonabletosay,"Ineedtimetothinkaboutthisanddiscussitwithmyfamily."Many familiesfindthatsleepingondecisionsorwritingouttheirthoughtsbringsclarity.

ThePartnershipApproach

Thebestveterinaryrelationshipsfeellikepartnershipswhereeveryone—you,yourprimaryvet, andanyspecialists—isworkingtowardthesamegoal:yourdog'swellbeing.

Ifyou'reworkingwithbothaprimaryveterinarianandspecialists,makesureinformationflows betweenthem.Askyourprimaryvettocalltheoncologistwithupdates,orrequestthattest resultsbesharedbetweenpractices.

TheDailyPracticeofAdvocacy

Everytimeyounoticeandreportachangeinyourdog'scondition,askaclarifyingquestion,or requestmoreinformationaboutatreatment,you'readvocating.Everytimeyouinsiston adequatepainmanagement,askforgentlerhandling,orrequestmodificationstomakeyourdog morecomfortable,you'rebeingtheirvoice.

Beinganadvocatedoesn'tmeanyouhavetobeperfectorknoweverything.Itmeansyoucare enoughtopayattention,askquestions,andmakedecisionsfromaplaceofloveandknowledge. Yourdogisluckytohavesomeonewhocaresthismuchaboutgettingitright.

References:

1. GareauA,IntileJ.“Monitoringofchemotherapypatientsingeneralpractice.” Today's Veterinary Practice,2022

2 MetLifePetInsurance “7PetEmergenciesRequiringanImmediateVetVisit”2024

3. JournaloftheAmericanVeterinaryMedicalAssociation."Clientperceptionsimprovewith collaborativecarewhenmanagingdogswithcancer"2023

4. VillalobosA.“QualityofLifeScaleHelpsMakeFinalCall.” Veterinary Practice News,2004.

5. Chewy."HowtoCareforandComfortaDogwithCancer."2025.

Chapter10:HardDecisionsandEnd-of-Life Care

Threeyearsago,whenRoxywasfirstdiagnosed,IneverimaginedI'dbewritingaboutherstory asanexampleofhoperatherthanloss.Buteverycancerjourneyisdifferent—andthat'swhythis chapterfeelssoimportanttowrite.

Evenwhencureisn'tpossible,lovestillshowsupinhowwecareforourdogsthroughtheirfinal weeks,days,andmoments.

Thedecisionsinthischapterareamongthehardestyou'llevermake.Butapproachingthemwith knowledge,compassion,andclearcommunicationcantransformanoverwhelmingsituationinto ameaningfulgoodbye.

WhenTreatmentGoalsNeedtoChange

Sometimes,despiteourbesteffortsandhopes,thefocusneedstoshiftfromfightingthecancer toensuringcomfort.

Thetransitionoftenhappensgradually.Maybetreatmentsaren'tworkingasexpected,sideeffects arebecomingunmanageable,oryourdogisspendingmoretimerestingthanengagingwithlife.

TheAmericanVeterinaryMedicalAssociationnotesthatwhenyourpetcannolonger experiencethingstheyonceenjoyedorappearstobeexperiencingmorepainthanpleasure,it maybetimetoconsiderend-of-lifecare¹.

WhenspeakingwithyourVeterinaryteam,askdirectquestions:"Basedonwhatwe'reseeing, whatshouldIrealisticallyexpectinthecomingweeks?"and"Whatwouldyoudoifthiswere yourdog?"

Yourveterinarianunderstandsthebondyoushareandcanevaluateyourdog'scondition, estimatechancesforimprovement,anddiscusspotentialoutcomes.

UnderstandingPalliativeandHospiceCare

Palliativecarefocusesoncomfortratherthancure.Itcanbeginatanystagewhenthegoal becomesmanagingsymptomsandmaintainingqualityoflife.Hospicecaretypicallytakesover whenpalliativemeasuresarenolongereffectiveandfocusesonprovidingadignified,peaceful death.

WhatPalliativeCareIncludes:EffectivepainmanagementusingmedicationslikeNSAIDs, gabapentin,oropioids,adjustedasneeded.Appetitesupportthroughanti-nauseamedications, appetitestimulants,orhand-feedingfavoritefoods.Mobilityassistancewithramps,supportive harnesses,orsimplycreatingcomfortablerestingareaswhereyourdogcanstillbepartoffamily life.

Manyareasnowoffermobilehospiceserviceswhereveterinarianscometoyourhome,allowing yourdogtopasspeacefullyinfamiliarsurroundings.

TheEuthanasiaDecision

Euthanasiaisapainlessprocedurethatallowsustopreventsufferingwhencomfortmeasuresare nolongersufficient.It'soneofthemostprofoundexpressionsoflove—choosingourdog'speace overourdesiretokeepthemwithus.

Thedecisionoftencomesdowntoasimplebutheartbreakingquestion:"Doesmydoghavemore baddaysthangooddays?"

Manyveterinariansnotethatfamiliesexperiencingpetlossforthefirsttimeoftenwaitlonger thanthosewho'vebeenthroughitbefore,andfrequentlyregretwaitingtoolong².Thisis completelyunderstandable,butsomethingtokeepinmindifyouarefacedwiththisdecision.

TheProcess

Veterinarianstypicallyadministerasedativefirst,soyourdogbecomescalmandrelaxed.The euthanasiasolutionisthengivenintravenously,andpetstypicallybecomeunconsciouswithin secondsandpasspeacefullywithinafewminutes.Thereisnopainordistress³.

Manyfamiliesoptforin-homeeuthanasia,allowingtheirdogtoremaininfamiliarsurroundings withfamilynearby.Othersprefertheveterinaryoffice.Neitherchoiceisrightorwrong—only whatfeelsmostpeacefulforyourfamily.

SupportingYourselfThroughHardDecisions

Youhavepermissiontofeeleverything.Guilt,relief,grief,andevenpeacecanallcoexist. Thesedecisionsfeelimpossiblebecausetheyinvolvechoosingbetweenloveandloss,but makingthemfromaplaceofknowledgeandcompassionhonorsthedepthofyourbond.

Taketimewhenpossible.Unlessyourdogisincrisis,youusuallyhavetimetothink,discuss withfamily,andcometopeacewithyourdecision.Manyfamiliesfindthatsleepingondecisions orwritingouttheirthoughtsbringsclarity

Trustyourinstincts.Ifarecommendationdoesn'tfeelright,askfortime,seekasecondopinion, orrequestalternatives.Youknowyourdog'spersonalityandwhatwouldbemostimportantto them.

CreatingMeaningfulGoodbyes

Somefamiliesplanfinaladventures—afavoritewalk,aspecialmeal,orsimplyquiettime together Othersfocusonnormalroutinesthatbringcomfort.There'snorightwaytosay goodbye.

Considerwhoshouldbepresentandhowtohelpchildrenunderstand.Manyveterinariansare skilledathelpingfamiliesnavigatetheseconversationswithgraceandage-appropriatehonesty, soit’sworthaskingforyourvet’sinput.

Irecommendthinkingaheadaboutburial,cremation,orotheroptionstoprovidecomfortin knowingwhatcomesnext,ratherthanmakingdecisionswhileactivelygrieving.

TheGiftofaPeacefulDeath

Inhumanmedicine,weoftenhearofa"gooddeath"—onethat'speaceful,surroundedbylove, andfreefromunnecessarysuffering.Thesamegiftisavailabletoourdogs.Whilethechoiceis heartbreaking,euthanasiaallowsustoensureourdogs'finalmomentsarefilledwithcomfort ratherthanpain.

Thehardestdecisionsareoftenthemostlovingones.Trustyourself,leanonyourveterinary team,andknowthatchoosingyourdog'scomfortoveryourowndesiretokeepthemisoneof themostselflessactsoflovepossible.

References:

1 AmericanVeterinaryMedicalAssociation “Euthanasia”Retrievedfrom https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/euthanasia

2 LapofLove "HowWillIKnowIt’sTimetoSayGoodbye?"

3 SmallDoorVeterinary "EuthanasiaandQualityofLifeAssessment"

Chapter11:Hope,Resilience,andthe

Human-AnimalBond

AsIwritethesefinalwords,I’mwatchingRoxythroughthewindowinmyoffice.She’ssitting peacefullyintheyard,enjoyingthesunandwatchingtheworldgoby.Threeyearshavepassed sincethatdevastatingdiagnosis,threeyearsoftreatmentsanduncertainty,ofhopeandfear,of smallvictoriesandquietgrace.

She'shere—andhealthy—alivingreminderthatprognosesaren'tpromisesandmiraclesdo happen.

Herstoryisn'taguaranteeforeverydogfacingcancer Butitisproofthatpossibilitiesexist wherenoneseemedpossiblebefore.

WhenLoveMeetsScience

Therearenowordsthatfullycapturetheemotionalstormfollowingacancerdiagnosisina beloveddog.

Formostofus,ourdogsaremorethanpets—they'rehealers,companions,witnessestoourlives inwaysthatfeelirreplaceable.Tolosethemmeansconfrontingoneoflife'smostheartbreaking truths:lovealoneisn'talwaysenoughtoprotectthosewecherishmost.

Butlovedoessomethingprofoundwhencombinedwithknowledge,hope,andaction.Itgivesus strengthtofight,couragetomakedifficultdecisions,andthedeterminationtoshowupdayafter day Sometimes—asinRoxy'scase—itevenhelpsbeattheodds.

Veterinaryoncologycontinuesadvancingatremarkablespeed.Targetedtherapies, immunotherapy,precisiondiagnostics,andintegrativeprotocolsaretransformingwhatitmeans foradogtohavecancer.Survivalratesforcertaincancersareimproving,qualityoflifeduring treatmentisprioritizedmorethanever,andadiagnosisisnolongeranautomaticdeath sentence—it'sacalltoaction.

TheQuietHeroismofCaregiving

Thereisprofoundheroisminthedailyactsoflovethatcancercaregivingrequires.Risingeach morningtoadministermedications,preparingspecialmeals,coordinatingappointments, monitoringsymptoms,andstillfindingenergytothrowaballorsharequietmomentsinthe sunshine.Thereisbraveryinchoosinghopewhenoutcomesareuncertain,andgraceinknowing whencomfortbecomesmoreimportantthancure.

WhatDogsTeachUsAboutLiving

Dogsaresomeofthegreatestexamplesofhowtobetrulypresent.Theydon'twastetime worryingabouttomorrow'sappointmentorgrievinglastweek'ssetback.Theyliveinthis moment—thiswalk,thismeal,thissunnyspotonthekitchenfloor.Duringillness,thisquality becomestheirgreatestgifttous.

Dogsmaynotknowthemeaningoftheword"cancer,"buttheyunderstandenergy,presence,and love.Theyfeelourworryanddetermination,oursorrowandhope.Inreturn,theyofferwhat theyalwayshave—unconditionallove.

Sciencehelpsusextendlife,easepain,andsupporthealing.Butit'slovethatmakesthatlife worthliving.

IfYou'reStillintheFight

Ifyou'rereadingthiswhileyourdogisstillbattlingcancer,Iwantyoutoknow:

Youarenotalone.Thousandsoffamilieswalkthispatheachyear,supportedbyadvancing treatments,compassionateveterinaryteams,andcommunitiesofotherswhounderstand.

Youdon'tneedtobeperfect.There'snoshameinfear,noweaknessingrief,andnowrongway toloveyourdogthroughthisjourney.

Everydaymatters.Whetheryourdoghasweeksoryearsahead,eachmomentofcomfort,each tailwag,eachpeacefulnapinafavoritespotholdsimmeasurablevalue.

Youarealreadydoingenough.Byreadingthis,researchingoptions,advocatingforyourdog's comfort,andshowingupwithlovedayafterday,you'regivingthemeverythingtheyneed.

TheRippleEffectsofLove

Roxy'sstoryripplesoutwardinwaysweneverexpected.Shevisitshospitalsasatherapydog, bringingcomforttopatientsfacingtheirownhealthbattles.Peoplewhohearherstoryfindhope fortheirowndogs'diagnoses.Herveterinarianscelebratealongsideusasshecontinuestothrive, remindingusthatprognosesaren'tabsolute,thatintegrativecarehasvalue,andthatthe human-animalbondisapowerfulforceinhealing.

TheLoveThatRemains

Whetheryourcancerjourneyendswithyearsofadditionaltimetogetherorwithapeaceful goodbye,theloveremains.Itbecomespartofwhoyouare,partofhowyouunderstandthe preciousnessoftime,andpartofthelegacyyousharewitheverydogyoumeet.

AsIwatchRoxyintheyard—graymuzzle,athleticbody,andeyesstillbrightwithcuriosity aboutwhattomorrowmightbring—I'mfilledwithgratitudenotjustforhersurvival,butfor everythingthisjourneytaughtus.

Mayyourjourney,whateveritsoutcome,befilledwiththeknowledgethatthebondyoushare withyourdogisunbreakable.Cancermaychallengeit,butitcannotdiminishit.Andinthat bond,nomatterwhatcomes,thereisalwaysreasonforhope.

ResourcesforDogOwners

Support, Financial Aid, Trusted Information, and More

Thisresourcedirectoryisyourcomprehensiveguidetoreliablesupportwhennavigatingyour dog'scancerdiagnosis.Eachorganizationandwebsitelistedherehasbeencarefullyvettedto ensureyoureceivetrustworthyinformationandgenuineassistanceduringthischallengingtime.

ReliableInformationandEducation

VeterinaryPartner

www.veterinarypartner.vin.com

Databaseofarticleswrittenbyveterinarianscoveringcancertypes,treatments,andcaretips.

DogCancerBlog www.dogcancerblog.com

CreatedbyDr DemianDresslerandDr SusanEttinger Featuresarticlesfromover40 veterinariansandoncologists,combiningconventionalandintegrativetreatmentperspectives.

ColoradoStateUniversityFlintAnimalCancerCenter www.csuanimalcancercenter.org

World-renownedveterinaryoncologyresearchcenterofferingpatientresources,research updates,andeducationalmaterials.

PetCancerCenter www.petcancercenter.org

Providesaccessibleexplanationsofcancertypes,treatmentoptions,staginginformation,and clinicaltriallistings.

PetCancerFoundation www.petcancerfdn.org

Comprehensivetumordatabase,treatmentinformation,andcancerpreventionresourcesupdated regularly.

SpecialistsandTreatmentCenters

AmericanCollegeofVeterinaryInternalMedicine(ACVIM) www.acvim.org

Usethe"FindaSpecialist"directorytolocateboard-certifiedveterinaryoncologistsnationwide. Filterby"Oncology"forcancerspecialists.

VeterinaryCancerSociety www.vetcancersociety.org

Professionalorganizationwithspecialistdirectoryandeducationalresourcesforpetowners.

PetCureOncology

www.petcureoncology.com

Nationalnetworkofferingstereotacticradiationtherapy(SRS/SRT)andadvancedcancer treatments.

VeterinaryCancerGroup

www.vetcancergroup.com

California-basedspecialtypracticewithmultiplelocations.

VIDAVeterinaryTelehealth

www.vidaoncology.com

Remoteoncologyconsultationsandsecondopinions.

PetCancerCareConsulting

www.petcancercareconsulting.com

Oncologyconsultationsconductedatyourlocalveterinaryclinic.

SupportGroupsandOnlineCommunities

CanineCancerSupport(Facebook)

Large,peer-moderatedgroupofferingemotionalsupportandadvicefromexperienceddog guardians.

TripawdsCommunity www.tripawds.com

Theworld'slargestsupportcommunityfordogswhohaveundergonelimbamputations,with forums,blogs,andassistanceprograms.

Reddit:r/dogswithcancer

www.reddit.com/r/dogswithcancer

Activeonlinecommunityforreal-timediscussionsandresourcesharing.

AssociationforPetLossandBereavement www.aplb.org

Griefsupportchatrooms,licensedcounselors,andresourcesforanticipatorygrief.

PetCloudGriefSupportHotline

www.petcloud.org|1-833-226-5276

24/7petlosssupportandcompassionatelisteningservices.

FinancialAssistanceforCancerTreatment

ThePetFund www.thepetfund.com

Non-emergencyfinancialassistanceforchronicconditionsincludingcancertreatment.

Frankie'sFriends www.frankiesfriends.org

Emergencygrantsforspecialtyveterinarycarewithstreamlinedapplicationprocess.

MagicBulletFund www.themagicbulletfund.org

Specificallyassistsdogswithcancerwhenfamiliescannotaffordtreatment.

RedRoverRelief www.redrover.org/relief

Emergencyfundingforlife-savingveterinarycareincrisissituations.

BrownDogFoundation www.browndogfoundation.org

Helpsfamilieschoosingbetweentreatmentandeuthanasiaduetofinancialconstraints.

Waggle www.waggle.org

Pet-focusedcrowdfundingplatformthatpaysveterinariansdirectly

TripawdsFoundation www.tripawds.org/programs

Multipleassistanceprogramsincludingamputationsurgerysupport,rehabilitationgrants,and gearassistance.

Tip: Always ask your veterinarian about partnership programs, payment plans, or sliding-scale pricing for oncology care.

HelpfulReadingandListening

Books:

● Wait for Me in the Rainbow byLauraVidal Abeautifullytouchingbookaboutpetlossandgriefingeneral.

● The Forever Dog byDr.KarenShawBeckerandRodneyHabib #1 New York Times bestsellerthatrevealsnewsciencetoteachushowtodelayagingand providealong,happy,healthylifeforourdogs.

● The Forever Dog Life RecipebookbyDr.KarenShawBeckerandRodneyHabib Aspin-offof The Forever Dog thatshowshowtocreateathriving,sustainablelifestyle andenvironmenttohelpyourdoglivealonger,happier,andhealthierlife.

● Dr Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats byDr KarenShawBecker Basedontheancestraldietsofdogsandcats,thisbookprovidesarotationplanand recipesforameat-baseddiet.

● The Dog Cancer Survival Guide byDr.DemianDressler&Dr.SusanEttinger Acomprehensiveresource,coveringconventionalandintegrativetreatments.Please note:FromwhatIcantell,thisbookhasnotbeenupdatedinoveradecade.

Podcast:

● Dog Cancer Answers www.dogcanceranswers.com

Featuresveterinaryoncologistsansweringlistenerquestionswithexpertinsights.

Decision-MakingandEnd-of-LifeSupport

QualityofLifeChecklist

Seven-pointassessmenttooltoevaluateyourdog'sdailycomfortandwell-being.

LapofLoveVeterinaryHospice www.lapoflove.com Nationwidein-homehospice,palliativecare,andeuthanasiaservices.

Cloud9Vets(UK) www.cloud9vets.co.uk

Compassionateend-of-lifecareathomeforUKpetfamilies.

PracticalTools

TreatmentTracking

Maintaindetailedlogsofveterinaryvisits,medications,sideeffects,andtreatmentresponses.

EssentialQuestionsforYourVeterinaryOncologist:

● Whatistheexactdiagnosisandstage?

● Hasthecancerspreadtootherareas?

● Whatareallavailabletreatmentoptions?

● Whatisthetreatmentgoal—cure,control,orcomfort?

● Whatistheprognosiswithandwithouttreatment?

● Whatsideeffectsshouldweexpect?

● Howwillwemonitortreatmenteffectiveness?

NutritionSupport

Board-certifiedveterinarynutritionistdirectory:www.acvn.org

TheTellintonTTouch®

FormoreinformationontheTellingtonTTouch,visitwww.ttouch.com

HereistheTellingtonTTouchYouTubechannel,whichisfullofhelpfulvideos: https://www.youtube.com/@TellingtonTTouch

BEMERMat

IfyouareinterestedinpurchasingaBEMERmat,mydearfriendLindaTellinton-Jonesisa BEMERdistributor.Youcancontactherheretopurchaseamat:linda@ttouch.com

These resources represent years of collective experience from veterinary professionals, researchers, and thousands of dog families who have traveled this path. Whether you're seeking cutting-edge treatment options, emotional support, or practical guidance, this directory connects you with trusted experts and caring communities dedicated to helping you and your dog through every step of the cancer journey

OtherBooksbyTomMitchell

AsImentionedthroughoutthisbook,Ihavebeenadogtrainerforover30years!

Ifyoufoundthisbookhelpful,Iencourageyoutocheckoutmyotherbooks.

In"Fun,Fast&EasyDogTrainingforKids:SuperDogTrainingAcademy,"I’veturnedRoxy intoasuper-dogtohelpteachkidsallabouttheworldofdogsandhowtotreatanimalswith kindness.Thisbookmakesanexcellentgiftifyouknowanykidswhojustgotapuppy!

Ifyouhaveapuppyinthehousehold,checkout"PuppyPottyTraining:TheWorld'sEasiest PuppyPottyTrainingBook."Thismethodworkswondersforrescueandelderlydogsaswell.

There’salsomyfirstbook:"1MinuteDogTraining:TheCompleteGuidetotheFun,Fast,and EasyWaytoTrainYourPerfectDog."Thisbookisthecompleteguidetomydogtraining method.It’sagreatreadforanydogguardian,andyoucanfindtonsofgreatinformationabout nutrition,howyourdog’sbrainworks,whatyourdogistryingtotellyou,traininghacks, remarkablestories,andsomuchmore!

IMPORTANTMEDICALDISCLAIMER

PLEASEREADTHISDISCLAIMERCAREFULLYBEFOREREADINGTHISBOOK

NotaSubstituteforVeterinaryCare

EssentialVeterinaryConsultationRequired

NoWarrantiesorGuarantees

Theinformationinthisbook:

● Doesnotguaranteeanyspecificoutcomesorresults

● Maynotbesuitableforyourdog'sindividualcircumstances

● Shouldneverbeusedtodelay,avoid,orreplaceveterinarycare

● Cannotpredictorpreventadversereactionstotreatments

● Doesnotensuresurvivalorrecoveryfromcancer

IndividualCircumstancesVary

LimitationofLiability

TomMitchell,theauthor,publisher,andanyassociatedentitiesCANNOTBEHELDLIABLE for:

● Anyinjury,illness,death,oradverseoutcomeresultingfrominformationinthisbook

● Decisionsmadebasedoncontentinthisbook

● Delaysinseekingappropriateveterinarycare

● Anyfinanciallossesrelatedtotreatmentdecisions

● Misinterpretationormisapplicationofinformationprovided

InformationAccuracy

Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetoensureaccuracy,thepublisherassumesnoresponsibility for:

● Errors,omissions,oroutdatedinformation

● Changesinveterinarystandardsortreatmentprotocols

● Variationsininformationinterpretation

● Currencyofresearchfindingsortreatmentoptions

EmergencySituations

IFYOURDOGISEXPERIENCINGAMEDICALEMERGENCY,CONTACTYOUR VETERINARIANOREMERGENCYVETERINARYCLINICIMMEDIATELY.Donotrelyon thisbookforemergencymedicalguidance.

ResearchandResources

LegalCompliance

Readersareresponsibleforensuringcompliancewithalllocal,state,andfederallawsregarding veterinarycare,prescriptionmedications,andtreatmentofanimalsintheirjurisdiction.

Acknowledgment

Byreadingthisbook,youacknowledgethat:

● Youunderstandthisdisclaimer

● Youwillconsultappropriateveterinaryprofessionalsforallmedicaldecisions

● Youassumefullresponsibilityforyourdog'smedicalcare

● Youwillnotholdtheauthororpublisherliableforanyoutcomes

This disclaimer appears at the beginning and end of this book to emphasize the critical importance of professional veterinary care in all cancer-related decisions.

How My Dog Beat Cancer: A Story of Hope & Healing

TABLEOFCONTENTS

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ForewordByDr.WendyAsato,DVM

IMPORTANTMEDICALDISCLAIMER

NotaSubstituteforVeterinaryCare

EssentialVeterinaryConsultationRequired

NoWarrantiesorGuarantees

IndividualCircumstancesVary

LimitationofLiability

InformationAccuracy

EmergencySituations

ResearchandResources

LegalCompliance

Acknowledgment

PREFACE

AMessageofHopefromOneDogGuardiantoAnother

WhyI'mSharingThisStory

ThisIsaStoryofHope

YouDon'tHavetoWalkThisPathAlone

Roxy'sStory:WhenCancerCameforOurFamilyAgain

TheDogWhoEmbodiedOurFamily'sSpirit

TheWordsThatChangedEverything

HowLoveFoundUsThroughaDog

WhenEverythingChanged

TheDiagnosisThatShatteredOurPeace

PhysicalTherapy&

ImportantConsiderations

Chapter1:WhatIsCancerinDogs?

TheMostCommonTypesofCancerinDogs

WhySomeDogsAreMoreatRisk

TheGeneticsFactor:WhyBreedMatters

Age:TheUnavoidableRiskFactor

EnvironmentalandLifestyleInfluences

TheSpayingandNeuteringQuestion

References:

Chapter2:EarlyWarningSignsandDiagnosis

RecognizingtheWarningSigns

PhysicalChangesYouCanSeeandFeel

ChangesinEatingandWeight

BehavioralandEnergyChanges

WarningSignsfromBodySystems

TheDiagnosticProcess:WhattoExpect

InitialEvaluation

DiagnosticTests

UnderstandingYourDog'sDiagnosis

CancerClassification

TreatmentPlanning

Chapter3:NextSteps

CopingwiththeDiagnosis

BuildingYourCareTeam

QuestionstoAskYourVeterinaryTeam

Chapter4:ConventionalTreatmentOptions

Surgery:TheMostDirectApproach

RadiationTherapy:PrecisionTreatment

Ablation:PrecisionTumorDestruction

HowItWorks

TypesofAblation

MakingSenseofItAll

Chapter5:HolisticandIntegrativeTherapies

What"Holistic"and"Integrative"ActuallyMean

Acupuncture

BEMERTherapy

MedicinalMushrooms

HerbalMedicineandSupplements

WhattheResearchShows

MultipleBenefitsforCancerPatients

QualityMatters

WorkingwithYourVeterinaryTeam

OurApproach

Chapter6:DietandNutritionforDogswith

Cancer

WhattheScienceSays

TheKetogenicDietDebate

Home-Cookedvs.Commercial

FoodsThatCanMakeaDifference

SupplementsThatShowPromise

WhenFoodBecomesaChallenge

Chapter7:OntheHorizon