If your dog has cancer

Archived Message

If your dog has cancer
by Andrea Noel
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
When my "Toto" was diagnosed with cancer (see A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY-below), I was told that there was nothing that could be done and that I would have to accept that his condition was terminal. I am a reasonably sophisticated and discriminating consumer of veterinary medicine and immediately called the finest facilities in Canada and the Eastern U.S. but none of them could offer any hope.

Thank goodness I did not accept the first five or six opinions. I was absolutely terrified but I knew that I could not give up until I had exhausted every possible avenue. I persisted and was led to Colorado State University Vterinary Teaching Hospital. This is truly one of the finest veterinary facilities in the world and the leader in veterinary oncology. People travel from all over the world to bring their seriously pets there. The research that is being conducted there will sometimes not even reach humans for five or more years. They are at the cutting edge in oncology ( and many other areas).

The reason that I mention this is that when your dog has cancer, you need information and treatment options IMMEDIATELY. A week in canine cancer, is a VERY long time. I hope that none of you ever have to travel in my shoes, but should you find yourselves on the same road, I will provide you with the coordinates of this renowned facility. It is not always necessary to travel to Colorado, indeed a great percentage of their work done with telephone consultations, with your local vet.

Also, not every cancer will have the happy outcome that my story has, but I think that when your pet becomes seriously ill, it is helpful to know that you have done everything possible. If anyplace can help, this place can.

Something that I did not know until "Toto" got cancer, was that 50% (yes 1/2!) of the dogs that die over the age of ten years of age, die of cancer. It is an epidemic in dogs.

I feel so strongly about this facility that I am donating every penny of the money that is generated in the sale of my dogs, to the Animal Tumor Center at Colorado State. If any of you felt that you wished to support this work, I am sure that they would be pleased to accept any donations.

Also, should any of you find yourselves with a maltese who has cancer, please do not hesitate to contact me for information. I do know how scary it is, especially at first. I do not wish to sit in judgement of anyone who decides not to treat their dog. It is expensive and emotionally draining and there are no guarantees. It is a personal decision and one that must take into account many different factors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it was THE BEST thing that I have ever done and I have never regretted that we did it.

If you find yourself in need of C.S.U.:

Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
300 West Drake Road
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1620
Tel:(970)221-4535

You can contact me at:andrea@capitalnet.com

Wishing you and your canine companions a lifetime of health and happiness,

Andrea Noel

DISCUSSION:

Thanks Andrea for this valuable information. Jay, can we put this message in the archives under "cancer"?
Isabel

Thank you Andrea. This is valuable information indeed. None of my Maltese had cancer but years ago I had a Kerry Blue Terrier that did - bone cancer in his shoulder. There was no treatment for him. My Maltese at their lives end have mostly had heart failure - congestive heart failure. Once as young as 10 years with no advance warning.
Mary Lou

Andrea, I too can highly speak of CSU at Fort Collins. Tho not a dog I had a barrel horse that kept colicing. Every vet over here had tried to figure out what to do. I was finally sent to CSU and the vets over there did a colon by-pass on my horse, at that time he was only the 5th horse in the US to survive such an operation. He actually had two operations, because the first time they descovered he was not build quite right, they called me in the middle of the night to talk about the options and two days later they redid the surgery. That was 7 years ago and altho he is retired at 20 years old he is still going strong and I can not say enough about CSU. The vets even called me at home on Christmas Eve that year to see how the old guy was doing. I don't think it was any more expensive than a regural vet. CSU is a teaching college and if the procedure is rare they will cut the cost some. If in doubt give them a call.
PK

PK is correct. The cost of the treatment at CSU is extremely reasonable. I paid just a fraction of what I would have been charged for the same treatment in Canada. Also, they often have studies and research projects and if your animal qualifies you sometimes pay nothing or very little. In our case, there was no project, so we had to pay for "Toto's" treatment (it was worth every dime!) What is very expensive is the travel and hotel expenses. My stays have ranged from a minimum of four nights, to a maximum of two weeks and I have to go monthly. If you are fortunate enough to live within driving distance or have friends that you can stay with, you will find the medical expenses are not prohibitive. Beyond the costs, the medical teams are FABULOUS! The veterinarians are perfect blends of intelligence and compassion. Although it is a huge facility, there is an intimacy to the place. From the minute we walk in, until we leave, the staff come over to visit with "Toto" and ask after him. We have our vets home number and she calls regularly to chat and check on him. I thank God that such a place exists and that I was able to find it in time to help "Toto". I canot give it a higher reccomendation.I am happy that it was also able to help PK.
Andrea Noel

Andrea --Thank you so very much for this post. I've printed the information and will keep it in Austin's file. I am so glad that things worked out for your Toto. I am so attached to my little maltese, Austin and I would do anything for him. Austin and I send our blessings to you and Toto for many more years of good health!
Terre W

Thank you so much for the very valuable info. I'm glad that it turned out good for your dog. I'm sure that I would have done the same thing if I was put in your situation. Money, will never be an issue when it comes to my dogs health. It's just money - one can replace that. The unconditional love of our pets cannot. Fortunately, I have gotten the best health insurance policy available for my Chibi.
RC

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