November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. The British Small Animal Veterinary Association report that it’s estimated 1 in 4 dogs and 1 in 5 cats will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Indicators can include appearance of an obvious lump, lameness, weight loss, loss of appetite, exhaustion and a general lack of energy.
If cancer is diagnosed and caught early, in many cases, effective treatment plans can be put in place to help support quality of life and give valuable extra time together. Did you know that, just as in humans, there are a wide variety of cancer treatment options available to pets including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiography and that many treatments can be administered in practice and do not necessarily require your pet to attend a specialist referral centre?
One of our patients currently undergoing cancer treatment has been struggling with eating and putting on weight. We contacted our Hills food rep with a query about their On Care Nourish and Support wet food which is specifically designed to help poorly pets with weight gain and body condition maintenance. Emily checked out stock and sent us 6 trays of the wet food to pass on to our patient’s owner, free of charge. An incredibly kind gesture for cancer awareness month.
If you are worried about an unusual lump or that your pet doesn’t seem themselves, please do get them checked with a vet. In many cases, the outcome won’t be cancer-related and we can look at treating what is wrong to improve your pet’s health. However, if it is cancer, we can support you and work together to help give your pet that valuable extra lease of life.