Cancer is a genetic disease more specific, a gene anomaly that controls cell growth and leads to their excessive proliferation.
Cancer can affect 25% of the canine population and leads to the death of 50% of dogs and cats who are older than 10 years of age. By treating this disease, we aim to ensure patient comfort and prolong their life.
Available services
- Conventional chemotherapy protocols, targeted therapies or immunotherapy vaccines at CVL as well as for referring veterinarians.
- On-site complete laboratory
- Surgeries
- CT Scan
- Radiology
- Ultrasonography
- Endoscopy
- Biopsies
- Fine needle aspiration and cytology
- Bone marrow aspiration
Specialized surgeons work with internal medicine specialists, oncologists, radiologists and other specialists on board.
Consult these links for more information
Diagnosis et therapy
When we suspect cancer, the first step is to obtain a definitive diagnosis; the next step is to determine the extent of the disease.
We have many tools to achieve this:
- On-site complete laboratory
- Surgeries
- CT Scan
- Radiology
- Ultrasonography
- Endoscopy
- Biopsies
- Fine needle aspiration and cytology
- Bone marrow aspiration
Therapies
Different therapies are available to treat cancer: chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, oncological surgery and radiation.
The adopted strategy depends on various factors including: the type of cancer, its location, the extent of the disease and the condition of the animal.
It is possible to establish with the referring veterinarians the best treatment plan for their patients.
Chemotherapy
Animals treated at our hospital are placed under the care of a technician specialized in oncology. This person makes sure the patients receive all the specific care they need.
Because we know the amount of stress that owners of cancer-suffering pets are under, we do everything in our power to reassure them.
Chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy is usually the preferred plan when the cancer is disseminated or when the metastatic risk is high. Chemotherapeutic agents, targeted therapy or immunotherapy used exist in many forms. Some drugs have to be administered intravenously, others orally or subcutaneously.
A drug can be administered alone or in combination according to a pre-established protocol.
The choice of a drug or of a protocol depends on the animal's general health status, the type of cancer and also on the client's financial possibilities.
Treatment duration varies depending on the drug used and can take from 5 minutes to one day. Prolonged hospitalization is rarely necessary.
Side effects associated with chemotherapy are uncommon (unlike in human medicine). They vary, and depend on the drugs used and the animal's individual susceptibility.
In general, these side effects do not last and are self limited without any much intervention. Less than 5% of patients are hospitalized following treatment and less than 1% could die from its consequences.
Our first priority is to ensure that our patients have a good quality of life by minimizing the occurrence of side effects.