New Treatment Options for Dogs with Cancer

Recent innovations in canine cancer treatment have made two of the most common kinds of cancer in dogs much more survivable and an easier experience for your pet dog. If your dog has one of these three types of cancer, read on for new treatment options

New Treatment for Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs

Mast cell tumors, also known as MCTs, are one of the most common forms of canine cancer. The challenge in treating MCTs is that sometimes they are "locally invasive." They invade surrounding skin, so a veterinarian must remove a margin of healthy tissue around the tumor to prevent the cancer cells from spreading further.

Sometimes, however, MCTs metastasize to the liver, lymph nodes, and spleen to become a systemic cancer.

A new treatment for non-metastatic MCTs is Tigilanol Tiglate. This drug, derived from an Australian rainforest plant, is available under the trade names Stelfonta and Virbac.

Tigilanol Tiglate is injected into a mast cell tumor under the dog's skin and tumor site which works by activating a protein that spreads throughout the tumor, disintegrating the tumor cells in approximately seven days. It is not FDA-approved for treating MCTs that have already metastasized to liver, spleen, or lymph nodes, but it can be used to treat canine mast cell tumors that are growing under the skin just below the elbow of the leg or in the hock (the connection of the shin to paw).

Treatment with Tigilanol Tiglate results in an open wound where the cancer has been destroyed. Unlike most open wounds, this wound isn't covered with bandages. It's okay for dogs to lick it. The wound is usually completely healed in four to six weeks. As many as 98% of dogs that receive this treatment are considered cancer-free at 12 weeks.

Because this drug is FDA-approved, it is covered by pet insurance.

New Treatment for Lymphoma in Dogs

When dogs get lymphoma, it's not unusual for pet owners to give up. They don't want to put their dog through the side effects of the only drug available for treating canine lymphoma until recently, Doxorubicin (Adriamycin). This expensive treatment also required a lot of trips to the vet.

A new cancer treatment for dogs with lymphoma, however, increases the chances of improvement to 84%, and 45% of dogs receiving the treatment go into remission. The new treatment is a drug called Rabacfosadine that is administered by IV with Doxorubicin three times in three treatments three weeks apart. It requires fewer trips to the vet, costs less, and often results in a good prognosis.

New Treatment for Osteosarcoma in Dogs

It's now possible to treat canine osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, with no chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy at all. A new immunotherapy consisting of the vaccine used to prevent Listeria has doubled the survival time for treated dogs. Immunotherapy helps the immune system and immune cells fight cancer. Dogs that receive the vaccine, on average, stay cancer-free for 18 months and survive, on average, about 2-1/2 years.

Canine Biologics: The Nutritional Base of Canine Cancer Support

As a dog owner, canine nutrition is important. Canine Biologics provides the nutrition your dog needs to stay as active and happy as possible. Our human-grade foodsupplements and wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil give your dog's body the nutritional support it needs to work with cancer treatment for greater quality of life. 

Our canine cancer diet provides the best food for dogs with cancer. Our wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil for dogs promotes a healthy immune response that minimizes inflammation without the immunosuppressant side effects of many anti-inflammatory drugs.

Contact us for more information about our three-pronged, integrated approach to nutrition for dogs with cancer.