When your dog is diagnosed with cancer, your decision making skills are taxed to their limits.  Often times, the decisions are solely in your power and it can be a very lonely road.

You need to know about the variety of canine cancer treatment options available.

How to Determine The Best Cancer Treatment Options For Your Dog

Initially, you will need to decide whether you would like your dog to even go through cancer treatment.  There are many factors that play into this decision:

• Consider the stage and grade of the disease.
• Understand the emotional roller coaster that comes with treatment for both you and your dog.
• Think about the age of your dog and how much time he has left with you.  Should he be an older animal, you might want to take into consideration his quality of life.
• It sounds petty when compared with the life of a beloved animal, but you must consider finances.  Even with pet insurance, canine cancer treatment can be quite expensive.

7 Questions to Ask Your Vet About Your Dog’s Cancer Treatments

If you have chosen treatment for your dog, there are some further questions you must be prepared to answer.  These include:

1. What is the best possible outcome of treatment?
2. How often is that outcome achieved in dogs of the same age and breed?
3. How invasive and traumatic is the treatment?
4. What are the most common side effects?
5. What is the worst possible outcome including adverse reactions?
6. If the treatment fails, what is the backup plan of coping?
7. What are the associated long-term costs?

Once you have reached your decision, take confidence in it and do not second-guess yourself.

As treatment progresses, you absolutely can influence the outcome by taking special care at home.  For more information on how to best care for your dog while he or she is in treatment, check out my book about dog cancer.