There are a lot of things that dogs are very resistant too because of their very powerful immune systems that are developed over a lifetime of being exposed to germs. Cancer though, is not affected by this sort of immune system and it can happen to dogs the same as it can happen to humans although it is far less likely to happen to a dog.
When it does happen we normally don't need to get as alarmed as we would should this befall a human, but it is still something that if not addressed and worked towards for a cure, will eventually kill the dog. This is a certainty.
While our primary focus is to sterilize local animals we do all that we can for the local dog population and that includes treating them for cancer.
Discovering that a dog has cancer is just as difficult as it is for a human. Perhaps a lot more so because a dog cannot tell you where the pain is, or that they just started feeling tired all the time around June of last year or something. The only way you can really tell is if there is a visible exterior tumor or if you know the dog very well. When the dog lives outdoors we normally find this out by accident because we brought them in for something else and while doing the standard blood test discover they are cancer-positive.
This isn't an easy process once it is discovered although it does have a significantly higher success rate than it does for humans. This is because, according to the doctors, that dogs' immune systems can tolerate a much higher level of chemo than a human can. This doesn't mean that it is a fun experience for the dog, but it is a lot better than having cancer, that's for sure.
We have to house the dogs for a long time though in order to monitor them and also because it can be difficult to actually find them later since the treatment is not a one of experience. They have to have multiple treatments and then later we are able to test their blood to make sure they are free from cancer before putting them back where they found them.
This is always a bit of a tricky time because we want to be nice an accommodating for the animals but at the same time we cannot get the used to having everything served to them and thus, impact their ability to survive once they are reintroduced to where we found them. Thus far we have a 100% success rate and when we see them again later at their "home" we will test their blood again if they will let us and most of the time the cancer doesn't return. I suppose this could be considered a win.
I think it should be obvious that this sort of treatment is considerably more expensive than other things that we would do even though the clinic that we are partnered with doesn't upcharge for anything that is involved nor do they charge us for their time. We are very grateful for that.
But in the past month we have had two dogs that we have treated and rehabilitated and now the coffers are empty and we will have to forego treatment of any dog that we encounter that has cancer, at least for now. We hope that our fundraising drive will be successful because if there is one thing that we really don't like doing, it is to refuse an animal care that it needs.
if you would like to see how you can help out or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
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