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Information about caring for your pet during chemotherapy
Cancer is, unfortunately, one of the most common diseases seen in pets, particularly older pets.
Although it’s a daunting and sad diagnosis, many cancers are treatable and chemotherapy can be
used as part of the treatment plan to allow you more quality time with your loved pet. Our main
goal is compassionate care and making decisions with you; that suit you and your pet the best. We
will support you through this journey as a team.
Most owners are worried about side effects and quality of life during chemotherapy. Our experience
is that side effects are rare and excellent quality of life can be maintained during treatment. Below
is some answers to commonly asked questions.
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What is chemotherapy and how often will my pet need to come to the clinic?
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Chemotherapy is the name given to medications that are used to fight cancer. They
are most commonly in an injection or tablet form. The tablet forms can be
administered at home, whilst the injection forms will be administered at the clinic,
during which time your pet will need to stay with us for part of a day.
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Each chemotherapy plan is different, so we will discuss with you what the schedule
for visits will be. We will do our best to work around your work and other
commitments. Most commonly we will see your pet on either a weekly or threeweekly basis initially.
Will my pet be nauseous or vomit?
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With newer chemotherapy drugs, these side effects are thankfully uncommon.
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We will usually dispense some medications to you to have on hand should your pet
feel a little nauseous, inappetant or have vomiting or diarrhoea after a treatment.
Most pets continue eating and feeling normal and this is just a precaution.
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Less frequently, some pets need to come into the clinic for a day or so of treatment
if they get dehydrated or stop eating completely
Will my pet lose their hair?
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Unlike in humans, severe hairloss is rare and only occurs in some breeds. You might
notice the coat becomes a little softer or that the guard hairs are lost. Some cats
lose their whiskers.
What are some other side effects and how ill they affect my pet?
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Side effects associated with the bone marrow are generally very mild and do not
affect the pet’s health. We check the bone marrow with blood tests routinely durng
treatment. If the bone marrow is getting a little stressed, and the white cell count
reduces, we can postpone the treatment for a few days to a week to allow it some
time to recover.
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Most pets receiving chemotherapy feel physically well after treatments.
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Are there any special homecare instructions?
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The concentration of chemotherapy drugs in urine or stool is very low, however it is
wise to minimize your exposure to it for 3 days after each treatment.
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Allow your pet to urinate on soil where any waste will drain away. Contact with soil
and sunlight will inactivate the chemotherapy drugs.
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Please wear gloves or use an inside-out plastic shopping bag to pick up stools, and
dispose of the waste in the regular bin.
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If bedding is dirtied, you can wash it or dispose of it.
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Pregnant ladies should speak with their obstetrician about the safety of their pet
receiving chemotherapy, and should not administer medicaitons or pick up wastes
at any time.
Should I change my pet’s food?
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Will my pet be in pain?
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Generally, you should continue feeding your pet the food they enjoy. There are
prescription diets specially formulated for cancer patients (such as Hill’s n/d).
It is one of our priorities that your pet should not experience pain. We will consult
with you about this, and chose appropriate methods to ensure pain is not affecting
your pet.
How will I know when it is time to say goodbye?
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This is understandly, the hardest decision of all. We will help you assess your pet
along the way, in particular, their quality of life and life expectancy. Together with
you, we will help you chose the right time to say goodbye.