11536 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98125
Phone: 206-364-3733 Fax: 206-364-3667
We work with compounding pharmacies such as Ballard Plaza Pharmacy
for the right formulation of chemotherapy or other medications for your pet.
Please visit this website before purchasing any of your pet's prescriptions online.
If a NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory) is included in your pet's protocol, please remember, these do have side effects.
At times, we are afforded the unique opportunity to provide clinical trials to the right candidates. If we are involved in a study that might be right for your pet and his/her diagnosis, this will be discussed as a possible option for treatment.
WE HAVE NO ON-SITE TRIALS or STUDIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
We are currently taking blood samples from pure bred dogs to support research being conducted at the
Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium. These samples will allow researchers to identify genes responsible for breed-specific susceptibilities. This information can be utilized to establish more precise diagnostics and therapeutics for both canine and human cancer patients. Please let us know if you are interested in submitting a blood sample from your dog; the sample needed is no larger an amount than a normal blood sample taken for routine analysis.
TREATMENT OPTIONS INCLUDE: If the cancer is localized to an area of the body, surgery is often recommended. The success rate for curative treatment with surgery increases when there has not been metastases or when spreading has not occurred.
Though we do not perform surgeries, in the event surgery is appropriate, you and your pet may be referred to a veterinary surgeon or back to your pet's primary care veterinarian for surgery. Radiation is the use of high energy x-rays or particles in an attempt to kill rapidly growing cancer cells. Radiation is considered for tumors that cannot be (completely) surgically removed or if there is concern that the tumor may return after surgery. Radiation is most successful when the tumor is limited to a single site (no metastases) and is amenable to radiation reaching it. Sometimes, advanced imaging techniques such as CT or MRI are needed to specifically determine the location and extent of the tumor for treatment planning purposes.
Surgery
Sometimes, advanced imaging techniques such as CT or MRI are needed to determine how successful surgery is likely to be. If clean margins are not achievable due to location, we may be able to follow surgery with radiation or chemotherapy to effect longer term control.
Radiation Therapy
"Annie" post radiation therapy for nasal chondrosarcoma
Sadly, we have lost Annie, but she lived another two years following treatment.
Strontium-90 and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) are two additional and more precise radiotherapy treatment modalities available for our patients.
Strontium-90 allows us to deliver treatment to superficial tumors. IMRT allows us to treat certain tumors more precisely, thereby sparing surrounding normal tissue(s) from receiving unnecessary radiation. The appropriateness of these modalities is determined by your pet's tumor type and location.
If radiation therapy is appropriate for your pet, further information regarding this process will be discussed with you in detail.
Immunotherapy Pain Management
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used when a cancer has spread or has an increased likelihood of spreading. Chemotherapy comes in many forms and is frequently administered orally, intravenously or subcutaneously by our expertly trained technicians and assistants during your pet's regular appointment times.
Sometimes, at-home administration of oral chemotherapy will be appropriate.
Please always follow the directions exactly, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call our office.
Immunotherapy is the use of the body's own immune system to fight cancer and is fairly new in the veterinary oncologist's arsenal.
The Canine Melanoma Vaccine is now available for purchase. If your dog has been diagnosed with melanoma, please visit Merial's Consumer Education Website for more information. Then please call the office for an appointment to have any additional questions you may have answered.
The vaccine is not appropriate in all situations
Sadly, not all cancers carry a favorable prognosis. However, in cases where definitive treatment may not be feasible or appropriate, palliative care can provide meaningful improvement in quality of life, even in cases of advanced disease.
Many types of cancer can cause pain in animals. Pain can also result as a side effect of our therapy for cancer; any tissue injury can cause pain, and stress responses can include delayed healing, sleep deprivation, and decreased GI motility, among other physiologic changes.
Combination therapies and newer strategies for pain management provide us with an opportunity to improve your pet's quality of life.
