Pets with cancer?

On Nightline today, the presneter was talking about medical expenses for pets and mentioned chemotherapy as one of the treatments pets receive for cancer. My question is do our furry friends who undergo chemo lose their fur. I mean humans lose their hair because of chemo......

Pets with cancer?

In my experience, only a few animals lose hair whilst undergoing chemotherapy. Even then, they usually don't go completely bald- the coat might go a little bit thin, or they might lose their whiskers, etc.

There is a difference between chemo in humans and animals. In humans, the ultimate aim of chemo is generally curative rather than palliative, so therapy must be extremely aggressive. Chemotherapy drugs by their very nature are toxic to cells, which is why so many adverse effects are seen in human cancer patients.

In animals, chemo is basically just a palliative treatment- it may only add another few months to the animal's life but in relative terms (because of the much shorter lifespan), this is similar to giving a person maybe another 5-10 years. In most cases, the animal will still die or be euthanased because of its cancer, but will have had a few months with good quality of life where the cancer has been held at bay by the therapy.

Because of this difference, although the drugs are the same, the drug doses used in animals are much, much lower than those used in people. This means that animals on chemo tend to experience far fewer side effects than their human counterparts. Some animals will prove to be overly sensitive to some drugs, which may mean that the protocol needs to be altered, but on the whole most seem to cope with it very well indeed.

Pets with cancer?

yes they do

it's really sad to see

Pets with cancer?

If you go to www.yahoogroups.com there are alot of groups for dogs and even cats who have cancer. They would know everything. I think they do lose some hair though, yes. But more thinning of the hair. Not going bald all over.

Pets with cancer?

Not all humans undergoing Chemo loose their Hair, Not all Animals do either.

Pets with cancer?

I dont know but i would have to put the good fellow down. There is no way i would let any of my animals live like that they just deserve better than that. I would think that they would lose their fur. It would make sense bc we do.

Pets with cancer?

yeah they do but they are a LITTLE BIT more resistant ot it or what ever u want to call it

Pets with cancer?

Many dogs do not lose their hair during chemo; however, like people, some do lose their hair. It really depends on the individual dog. I had a miniature schnauzer who had cancer on her back right leg and so it had to be amputated- then a few years later we noticed another lump and found out the cancer had spread so after a few months she had to be put to sleep because she could not function correctly because of the cancer (couldn't eat, had seizures, etc). She never had to undergo chemo; however, many pet owners put their pets through chemo because it gives the pet and owner more time together.