Battling Canine Cancer

Image of fluffy dog panting.

Every day, Cindy Fleischner lines up her crew of cuddly canines for breakfast. As the four other dogs eat, Cindy pulls Katy, her 12 year old Shepherd mix aside for a peanut butter treat. Katy is battling lymphoma and this treat hides her daily dose of chemotherapy drugs. Katy is not alone in this war. Canine cancer is one of the leading causes of dog deaths. Of the more than 100 million dogs in North America, about two in four will develop cancer and one in four will die from some form of this dreaded disease. In some purebred dogs, the percentages could be even higher.

Adopted from the Denver Dumb Friends League, Katy was no stranger to hospitals. As a licensed Therapy Dog, she spent many hours at a local hospital, bringing comfort and joy to patients.However, Fleishner began to notice that Katy, a normally sweet dog, became distracted and that something was not right. A physical examination found a growing mass on Katy's throat. Further testing and surgery would determine that the lump was thyroid cancer.

Fleishner found that the whole process of determining the best course of action was confusing. After surgery, Katy underwent radiation therapy for the thyroid tumor at Colorado State University. She was able to win this battle, but her war against cancer wasn't over yet. Katy was again diagnosed, this time with a lymphoma, requiring more treatments and time with a cancer specialist. Eventually, these treatments saved her life. Fleishner knows she's lucky. In her metropolitan area, she had the choice of visiting a veterinary teaching hospital or a specialty center with a veterinary oncologist. Unfortunately, not all owners are as lucky. Sadly, cancer will claim almost 50 percent of dogs over 10 years old, leaving their owners bewildered and unsure of what to do. And of the almost 9,000 veterinary specialists, less than 200 specialize in veterinary oncology. A new collaboration, however, may help provide some answers - and options.

The Morris Animal Foundation, www.morrisanimalfoundation.org has launched the Canine Cancer Campaign in an attempt to stop cancer in our pets with a goal to cure this deadly disease within the next 10 to 20 years. Another immediate priority of the foundation is collaborating with cancer specialists ensuring pet owners have access to treatment options and advice. A new service through Oncura Partners, a well-known oncology specialist group is paving the way for owners to receive a free consultation through their veterinarian. Additionally, the MAF Canine Cancer Campaign brings together research scientists, industry leaders and 44 million dog-owning households throughout the nation in an effort to eradicate canine cancer.

Already, multiple scientific endeavors are working towards this end. A canine cancer tissue bank has been created due to a generous $1.1 million donation from Pfizer Animal Health. The Golden Retriever Foundation has promised $500,000 towards research for early detection. This will be money well spent since approximately 60% of Golden Retrievers die from cancer. Fleishner happily reports Katy is doing well with her lymphoma treatments, and her sweet, good-natured personality has returned.

Beyond helping our dogs with new innovative therapies, the Canine Cancer Campaign offers benefits for us as well. Many breakthroughs happening in this research will help fuel further prevention, treatment and even cures for human cancers. Remember, there is hope for dogs and their owners - despite a cancer diagnosis. Like Katy, pets can tolerate cancer treatments. Your veterinarian will work with you, local specialists and national resources to ensure your pet receives the best outcome possible. To learn more about the Canine Cancer Campaign, visit www.curecaninecancer.org.

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Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

Open 1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month. Closed 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month.

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "We have a new 8 week Boston Terrier that we took to Springfield Vet yesterday for the first time. Absolutely pleased with the service, attitudes and genuine care shown to our little boy. The whole team was so professional, but took time to talk to you and explain everything. Dr Cynthia Wiseman is so wonderful, she sat in the floor did Logan's exam and played with him. What bedside manners. I will continue to use them, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caring and professional vet."
    Roi W.
  • "We absolutely love this vet clinic and the staff! The facilities are modern and always clean. Everyone is always so friendly and genuinely care for you and your animal- they make you feel as if you are apart of their family.

    Our boy, Samson, is a Rottie (and quite the problem child). We are usually in the clinic almost every other month for something and they are always so helpful and show great care and love for our pup! We are very picky/protective puppy parents, so we were very grateful to have found both Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Heath shortly after getting Samson.

    We have definitely found our "home" in the vet world, and would highly recommend to anyone who is currently looking!"
    Machaelie H.
  • "I have taken my dog here since he was a puppy. The staff are so friendly and caring, a very clean place and they always get us in quickly. When we come in no one passes us without greeting my dog and I and they're never in a rush to get us out of there."
    ShealynR.
  • "We decided to start taking our new kitty here this past fall and we love it! He was not on his best behavior (to say the least) for his first appointment, and the staff was so patient and was still able to safely run his bloodwork and give him his vaccinations. Every service has been reasonably priced, and they did everything they possibly could to make sure that our little guy was off to a healthy start after we adopted him. What I love is that they really seem to focus on the small details, too, like trimming our cat's nails after remembering that I had expressed interest in doing so at a previous appointment, or supplementing his flea treatment with something to safely speed up the process. We will definitely keep coming here as long as we live in Springfield!"
    Megan J.
  • "I have been taking my dog to SVC since 2012 and when I adopted my cat in 2015. I have never had a bad experience. We have seen Drs. Heath & Cynthia Wiseman and I love them both. Always professional, always take their time when looking my pets over, asking questions, and answering mine."
    Katherine P.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "Pleasant staff.,very informative. Great environment for your pets, including own room for cats to play so as they aren't stressed out."
    Cheryl K.
  • "Dr. Cynthia Wiseman has helped my little Shiba dog with chronic hip problems tremendously with consistent acupuncture therapy! So thankful for this practice and the high quality of care they offer my pets!"
    Lacey M.