Nosebleeds are often the first thing a dog lover notices when their dog has a nasal tumor, and this horrifying symptom can continue even after treatment is started. Caller Holly wants to know why nosebleeds occur – is it the growth of the tumor causing destruction, or the tumor itself bleeding? Veterinary oncologist Brooke Britton answers Holly’s question, and also explains how nosebleeds can be addressed. Unfortunately, sticking some tissues up your dog’s nose is NOT a good idea, and severe ble...
Jan 02, 2023•18 min•Ep. 197
There are lots of things that you can do to help your dog feel happy and fulfilled, and to increase the human-animal bond. Here are some of the things we talk about in this episode: 1. Walks 2. Playing with toys 3. Grooming 4. Meditation 5. Treats and special snacks 6. Emotional management exercises 7. Training 8. Scent games 9. Massage 10. Environmental enrichment Links Mentioned in this Show: Dog walking – the health benefits https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/dog-walking...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 196
Darlene’s dog just had an anal gland tumor removed. Her vets were concerned that it had spread to the lymph nodes, so she had a follow-up CT scan. During that they found a possible mass in the stomach. There are lots of things to consider in this case. Oncologist Brooke Britton weighs in on whether or not the stomach mass might be a metastasis of the anal gland tumor, or if it is a tumor at all. She also discusses the challenges of getting a diagnosis on stomach masses because of their location....
Dec 12, 2022•26 min•Ep. 195
There are very few signs that directly indicate your dog has cancer. Even a lump could be an infection or a benign growth. Many common early signs, such as lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, or increased drinking, can be caused by a variety of health problems. Veterinary oncologist David Vail recommends keeping up with regular veterinary exams and going in whenever your dog doesn’t seem right. Your vet can do testing to narrow down the possible issues that could be causing your dog’s symptoms, and...
Dec 05, 2022•30 min•Ep. 194
Marjorie called in to our Listener Line to ask what the best treatment options are for early oral melanoma. Oral melanoma is an extremely aggressive dog mouth cancer, but catching it early does present some good options for treatment. Oncologist Brooke Britton explains how the location of a melanoma tumor can change prognosis, as well as the factors that can impact the success of a surgery. She then talks about the melanoma vaccine, and tells an amazing story about one of her patients who had a ...
Nov 21, 2022•21 min•Ep. 193
Veterinarian Erica Ancier explains how pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) can fit into your dog’s cancer treatment plan (or other health needs!). This modality is safe for most dogs, and has no side effects – perfect for combining with other therapies to achieve optimal pain control. She also discusses specific products and some of the pros and cons of each one. Listen in to learn how PEMF therapy can help your dog. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Assisi Animal Health/Zomedica https://...
Nov 14, 2022•47 min•Ep. 192
Many dog lovers have experienced the insidious cancer hemangiosarcoma, which develops in the blood vessels. But caller Lou has a question about cutaneous hemangiosarcoma, a less-common form that develops on the skin instead of in organs like the spleen or heart. But Dr. Brooke Britton has good news - the best thing about cutaneous hemangiosarcoma is that these tumors can often be stopped in their tracks with surgery alone. Learn which dogs are at risk for skin cancer, how to recognize these tumo...
Nov 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 191
General practitioners (or your regular vet) are fabulous at screening for diseases like dog cancer. But when it comes to a medical problem that is life threatening and/or will be expensive to treat, oncologist David Vail strongly recommends seeing a specialist if possible. Getting a dog cancer second opinion with a specialist allows you to confirm your dog’s diagnosis, plus get all of the most up-to-date information on treatment options. Specialists also have a ready network of other experts tha...
Oct 31, 2022•30 min•Ep. 190
Dr. Robert Silver joins us again to talk about specific mushrooms that can help dogs with cancer, including chaga, cordyceps, lion’s mane, maitake, reishi, shiitake, and turkey tail. He also discusses the safety of mushroom supplements, and his current dosing formula: 20-30mg/kg of beta glucans per day for dogs with cancer. Listen in to hear why Dr. Silver uses beta glucans to determine mushroom supplement dosing, as well as the benefits that each mushroom brings to the table. Dr. Silver also di...
Oct 24, 2022•37 min•Ep. 189
Dr. Robert Silver is a longtime veterinarian with a passion for integrative therapies that can work alongside traditional treatments. One of his special interests? Medicinal or functional mushrooms. In this episode, Dr. Silver breaks down what makes certain mushrooms beneficial for dogs with cancer (hint: beta glucans are just the tip of the iceberg), how mushrooms are grown and harvested to make a quality supplement, and what veterinarians need to know about medicinal mushrooms. Be sure to chec...
Oct 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 188
Oncologist Dr. Brooke Britton explains the challenges of doing surgery to remove bladder tumors, from the importance of the location of the tumor to special considerations the surgeon will have to make during the procedure. And if you have never thought about how similar a bladder with a tumor is to a snow globe… you’re in for a treat. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Rocky Mountain Collie and Sheltie Rescue About Today’s Guest, Dr. Brooke Britton: Brooke Britton completed her residency training...
Oct 10, 2022•17 min•Ep. 187
Researchers from Cornell University surveyed over 400 veterinarians, and 99% of them said they have experienced clients wanting to pursue futile care for their pets. So what is futile care, anyway? Futile care is continuing aggressive treatment when it is unlikely to benefit the patient. These scenarios can be difficult to identify and define, but can be distressing for veterinarians who are compelled to provide care that they feel is prolonging suffering in their patients. Listen in to learn mo...
Oct 03, 2022•48 min•Ep. 186
Petco Love is a nonprofit organization (previously known as the Petco Foundation) that offers several programs to help dogs and the people who love them. Petco Love’s President, Susanne Kogut, explains how Petco Love raises money where that money goes. They have funded cancer research studies done by the University of Pennsylvania and Oklahoma State University among others, and have also partnered with veterinary universities to provide funds that each facility can use to help owners who cannot ...
Sep 26, 2022•38 min•Ep. 185
Jenny’s dog had some soft, squishy lumps that her vet said were simple lipomas, but after she kept pursuing the matter, turned out to be mast cell tumors. The good news is that true lipomas can’t turn into mast cell tumors. So what happened with Jenny’s poor pup? Veterinary oncologist Brooke Britton joins us again to discuss the similar appearance of fatty tumors and MCTs. And just because one lump on your dog is benign doesn’t mean that every other lump will be. Mast cell tumors can imitate a v...
Sep 19, 2022•21 min•Ep. 184
When Dunbar coughed up blood in October 2019, Tara knew things were about to get rough. He was soon diagnosed with undifferentiated pulmonary carcinoma with lymph node involvement. But thanks to the dedication of his humans and a great pet health insurance policy, Dunbar has been able to get the treatments he needed. Through surgery and chemotherapy, Dunbar has always been happy and outgoing, lovingly referred to as “the mayor” by his veterinarian Kate Berlin. So when the cancer reared its head ...
Sep 12, 2022•41 min•Ep. 183
As well as dog cancer treatment information like a deep dive into medicinal mushrooms, this fall Dog Cancer Answers will also feature some True Tail stories about real-life dogs and their cancer journeys and more question and answer episodes from listeners like you. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Dog Cancer Support Dog Cancer News Petco Love About Today’s Guest, Molly Jacobson: Molly Jacobson is a writer. She is also the editor of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Gui...
Aug 29, 2022•11 min•Ep. 182
Listen in to learn how the OncoK9 blood test by PetDx uses next-generation sequencing to determine if your apparently healthy dog has cancer DNA floating around in her body. While this test won’t give you a diagnosis, it can be used as a screening test to find cancer before it causes symptoms of illness, letting you get a head start on treatment for your dog. This simple blood draw is one of the newest tools for dog lovers to use to battle canine cancer. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: PetDx Pe...
Aug 22, 2022•54 min•Ep. 181
Listen in to get a sneak peek at some of our upcoming episodes (hint: next week’s interview is a game-changer for dog cancer screening!) plus to hear about some of the resources available online. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: Dog Cancer Support Dog Cancer News About Today’s Guest, Molly Jacobson: Molly Jacobson is a writer. She is also the editor of the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. A ...
Aug 15, 2022•7 min•Ep. 180
Whether your dog is a super senior or a gentle geriatric, she is probably going to experience some issues with cognitive decline, mobility limitations, and chronic pain. These aging challenges are compounded if your older dog also has cancer. Dr. Mary Gardner has tips on how to tell if your dog is a senior vs. geriatric, the vital importance of regular vet care for mature pups, and evaluating your dog’s quality of life. She also goes into signs of chronic pain and how to assist your dog with get...
Aug 08, 2022•40 min•Ep. 179
Radiation therapy can sound very scary to many dog lovers. But it can be extremely useful for dog cancer, both to destroy tumors and to provide pain relief. Jenny Fisher is a veterinary technician specialist in oncology, and has helped many dogs through radiation treatments. She explains all things radiation therapy, from the different treatment types to its best uses and potential side effects. If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between teletherapy and brachytherapy, why some courses ...
Aug 01, 2022•55 min•Ep. 178
Gio called in to our Listener Line about his dog with a mammary mass. Unfortunately, his dog has started to chew on the mass, causing bleeding and more discomfort. To make matters worse, his vet is concerned that it may be too large to completely remove with surgery. Oncologist Brooke Britton weighs in on the different surgery options for a dog with a large mass, as well as how to protect tumors that are bleeding or that bother your dog. And when it comes to actually getting a surgery done, you ...
Jul 25, 2022•24 min•Ep. 177
Double board-certified veterinarian Dr. Lauren Trepanier has lost three Boxers to lymphoma, and she’s not letting that slide. She is currently studying the impact of carcinogens caused by environmental pollution on lymphoma in Boxers and transitional cell carcinoma in all dogs. For lymphoma, the initial study found that Boxers have a higher risk of developing lymphoma if they live within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant, or within two miles of a chemical supplier or active crematorium. Current ...
Jul 18, 2022•40 min•Ep. 176
Dr. Jules Benson of Nationwide Pet Insurance breaks down the data from their first two white papers on dog cancer – Oodles of Doodles, which compares Poodles and Goldens to Poodle mixes, and Diversity of Risk, which looks at cancer risk in specific breeds and purebred dogs vs. mixed breed dogs. You might be surprised by some of the findings! The goal of these studies is to one day provide guidelines for cancer screening in specific breeds, and in the meantime, to increase education and owner awa...
Jul 11, 2022•50 min•Ep. 175
Caller Janet has found that in her breed, checking the anal glands every six months after the dog turns six years old can be really helpful for catching anal gland carcinomas early, and wonders if there are other things that owners can do for other cancers. Oncologist Brooke Britton discusses the importance of routine wellness visits with your veterinarian, as well as screening tests that can be done once in a while, such as liquid biopsies or taking x-rays. She also emphasizes what we as dog lo...
Jul 04, 2022•36 min•Ep. 174
When your dog has cancer, there are a lot more people on her care team than just you and the oncologist. Veterinary technicians – including ones who specialize in oncology – are another layer of medical professionals ready to help your dog. Jenny Fisher, Registered Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Technician Specialist in Oncology, was the Head Technician in Oncology at Louisiana State for 14 years. Fisher explains what vet techs do in the hospital, the education they have undergone, and the...
Jun 27, 2022•45 min•Ep. 173
Have a dog with cancer and wish there was something you could do – right now – to help other dogs avoid this disease? Enter Darwin’s Ark. The Darwin’s Ark Cancer Project is a free, survey-based project that is looking for trends that could pinpoint why some dogs get cancer and why others don’t. Some of the participants will also get a free genome sequencing and/or a silicone tag to help pick up pollutants that your dog is exposed to. Blood samples may also be collected from some dogs to evaluate...
Jun 20, 2022•45 min•Ep. 172
The AKC Canine Health Foundation was founded in 1995 and is now an independent organization that gives grants to researchers studying health problems in dogs. Their website also features a variety of educational resources for dog lovers and veterinarians alike! Learn about where the money comes from, how they select which studies to fund, and some of the fascinating studies underway that will help give us some extra ammunition in the fight against dog cancer. Links Mentioned in Today’s Show: AKC...
Jun 13, 2022•52 min•Ep. 171
The Vaccination Against Canine Cancer Study (VACCS) is testing out a vaccine that will hopefully prevent dogs from getting eight of the most common cancers. As of June 1st the study finished enrolling 800 healthy dogs, each of whom will be followed for five years after getting the initial vaccination series. Listen in to hear Dr. Jenna Burton, one of the oncologists working on the study, explain how the vaccine was designed, which dogs can participate, and what they are hoping to see and learn. ...
Jun 06, 2022•45 min•Ep. 170
Immunotherapy is becoming increasingly important in human cancer treatment, and more and more companies are bringing this technology over to dogs! The ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) system is still experimental, but they are already seeing positive results in the approximately 200 dogs that have been treated so far. CEO Tammie Wahaus explains how ECI works, the role of a healthy immune system in successful immunotherapy, and why they chose to focus on osteosarcoma first. A randomized pivotal t...
May 30, 2022•48 min•Ep. 169
When your dog is diagnosed with cancer, suddenly you find yourself dropped into a world of medical jargon. Two terms you might hear are staging and grading. In this episode, Dr. Brooke Britton explains what staging and grading are and what they can mean for your dog’s prognosis. Staging in particular can help indicate the best treatment plan for each case. Dr. Britton also goes over how to work with your vet to get the most bang for your buck – for many of us with a limited budget, we often need...
May 23, 2022•33 min•Ep. 168
