Chemo For Dogs Worth It

Dogs diagnosed with lymphoma aren t so lucky.

Chemo for dogs worth it.

Chemotherapy for dogs is a treatment that is worth a lot of consideration. But the cells in the intestinal tract and the bone marrow are also rapidly dividing hence the chance for side effects such as vomiting diarrhea anemia and a weakened immune system. Chemotherapy treatment for humans is known for its unpleasant side effects such as loss of appetite nausea fatigue hair loss and more. Something to make her feel better.

Dogs are unable to understand that so chemo in dogs in not about quantity of life and it is not about a cure. The stats on cancer in dogs show that about half of all dogs over 10 years old have a higher probability of developing cancer. Chemo for pets is designed to elicit only minimal side effects so that if patients do start to suffer uncomfortable symptoms we can terminate the treatment. Dogs often receive lower doses of chemo than humans though some side effects are still experienced.

As with any medical treatment chemotherapy cost can vary widely depending on the frequency and duration of the treatment the drug s used the medical facility and geographic location. How much does chemotherapy for dogs cost. However chemotherapy protocols in dogs at least are generally well tolerated. Dogs are given a much lower dose than human chemo and thus have fewer side effects are less ill and the treatments are immediately stopped if the dog becomes ill.

However cancer can be curable if caught early. These days it s not uncommon to hear about pets being diagnosed with cancer. You will need to have an honest discussion with your vet about chemotherapy and dogs and weigh up what the best choice is in your situation. As in humans with cancer chemotherapy is used as a treatment for cancer in dogs.

The peak sick days for dogs is seven to 11 days after chemo says michael and if they are too sick from the previous week then they can t get their chemo for the current week. Chemo therapy simply attacks rapidly dividing cells i e the cancer cells. In some cases your dog may go on to experience a good quality of life for some months or even years thanks to this treatment. Owners can spend about 5 000 on treatments that would extend their pet s life for about a year or two with little hope of a cure.

At tufts a standard chemotherapy protocol for lymphoma is likely to cost 3 500 to 4 500.