Category Archives: Oncology

Lumps in and under the skin are a very common problem veterinarians are asked to assess. I’m not only saying this as a cancer specialist—skin lumps are common in primary care practice as well. According to a 2025 Clinician’s Brief Survey, primary care veterinarians evaluate an average of 2.7 masses each day in the clinic. What happens next—once a veterinarian examines a patient with a mass—is the subject of this blogpost.

November 7th is Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day. This is a day dedicated to helping dog families recognize the signs of lymphoma, understand how it affects dogs and learn what to expect from lymphoma treatment. With those goals in mind, I’ve written today’s blogpost to answer common questions about canine lymphoma, one of the most frequently diagnosed types of canine cancer.

November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month and, for the rest of the month, my blogposts will focus on cancer and cancer treatment in pets. Last week, I provided a cancer care roadmap for pet owners following the diagnosis of cancer in their favorite fur person. Today, I am taking a bit of a different approach to cancer and pets. I am looking at some recent studies of how important pets are to people with cancer.

November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month and, for the rest of the month, my blogposts will focus on cancer and cancer treatment in pets. Last week, I defined the various categories of chemotherapy drugs veterinary oncologists use to treat dogs and cats with cancer. Today, I provide a roadmap for pet owners following a diagnosis of cancer in their favorite fur person.

When I see a new client in the clinic to discuss chemotherapy for their favorite fur-person, the conversation can be long and stressful. We need to cover treatment options, treatment schedule, outcomes, side effects and quality of life. I recently had this conversation with a new client, who stopped me and asked, “What exactly are chemotherapy drugs?” It’s a fair question but not one I’ve had to answer before, surprisingly. Keep reading for my answer.