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THE ANIMAL WELLNESS FUND FOR RESCUES WITH CANCER
WE BELIEVE HOMELESS ANIMALS WITH CANCER DESERVE OPTIONS, TOO
FUNDING TREATMENT and CARE PLANS for RESCUE ANIMALS DIAGNOSED with CANCER
Costs for cancer treatments in companion animals can be exorbitant sometimes nearing $20,000 for full plans. Rescued animals in shelter systems are not given any options against fighting cancer or increasing quality of life while they live with the disease. Many of these animals will be euthanized without having a guardian or home to call their own. They will never get a proper diagnosis nor a chance to live their best life.
This fund provides rescue animals with an opportunity to be assessed and treated by cancer specialists, when they otherwise wouldn’t be considered. It will allow for professional testing and staging services to be performed in order to assess plan options for each individual animal, ultimately allowing our doctors to choose the best course of action.
The goal is always to improve quality of life, including the increase of comfort and positive experiences for each diagnosed rescue animal, and potentially extending years of life with available treatment.
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PROVIDING A QUALITY END-OF-LIFE CARE PLAN IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT WHEN TREATMENTS ARE NOT AN OPTION.
Funding will also support a network of forever fosters, who act as loving guardians for each diagnosed rescue animal through treatments and end-of-life comfort care plans.
This is Eleanor. She’s an 8-year-old terrier mix rescued as a stray off the streets of Los Angeles. She has soft tissue sarcoma, a cancerous mass, in her anal and pelvic region. She needs our help to fund staging, treatment and the best care plan for her. Her foster is taking excellent care of her, making home cooked meals and bringing her on hikes and beach walks.
How common is cancer in dogs and cats?
Almost half of dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer. Dogs get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans, while there is less information about the rate of cancer in cats.
What are neoplasia, tumors and cancer?
Neoplasia is the uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells or tissues in the body, and the abnormal growth itself is called a neoplasm or tumor. It can be benign or malignant. Benign neoplasms tend to grow slowly; displace, but do not tend to invade, the surrounding body tissues; and do not spread throughout the body. Malignant neoplasms, on the other hand, can be unpredictable and grow at various rates (sometimes rapidly), invade the tissues around them, and spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.
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AVAILABLE CANCER TREATMENTS AND COSTS
Each type of cancer diagnosis requires individual care. Treatment may include a combination of therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, cryosurgery (freezing), hyperthermia (heating) or immunotherapy. Pets often tolerate chemotherapy better than people.
Surgery
If the animal is a candidate, surgery removes cancerous tissue inside the body as well as surrounding tissues that may be infected. Surgery works best for tumors contained in one area. It is a local treatment and not usually used for blood cancers (like leukemia) or for cancers that have spread.
Remove the entire tumor when cancer that is contained in one area.
Debulk a tumor means removing some, but not all, of a cancer tumor. Removing part of a tumor can help other treatments work better and protect other surrounding organs from damage.
Ease cancer symptoms by removing tumors that are causing pain or pressure.
If surgery alone cannot control the tumor, additional treatments may be beneficial.
Radiation
Radiation therapy involves multiple treatments and anesthesia, but the majority of cats and dogs handle this very well, according to Veterinary Cancer Group. Radiation therapy is sometimes helpful for slowing a tumor’s growth when removal is not possible.
Chemotherapy is medication that can be given orally, intravenously, or directly into the tumor. It may slow the cancer in about 40% of the patients.
Pain management is an extremely important aspect of cancer treatment. Providing comfort and easing pain helps to increase quality of life for each animal diagnosed with cancer. When other treatments are not an option, providing palliative care for each rescue diagnosed is crucial for a happier end of life experience. All animals diagnosed with cancer deserve the most comfortable and pain-free experience possible.
Diagnosis and Staging is a necessary part of assessing which treatments are best for each animal. It can include:
x-rays
cytology
blood testing
ultrasound
CT scan
Sources
https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/cancer-pets
http://vetcancergroup.com/cancer-fact-sheets.html
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery
COSTS FOR STAGING & TREATMENTS
Palliative Plans can range from $2,000-5,000 this includes pain management, health plans and sometimes low level radiation.
Surgery Plans can range from $5,000-$10,000 to remove cancerous tumors, tissue and surrounding areas, and this usually includes radiation before or after surgery at additional costs.
Radiation Plans can range from $6,000-15,000 depending on their level of intensity.