Launched on the first National Canine Cancer Awareness Day, a new initiative co-sponsored by Jaguar Animal Health, TogoRun, and Ivee, sponsored a multi-year Gallup survey of US dog owners. The initiative, titled Take C.H.A.R.G.E. (Canine Health And ReGistry Exchange), also hopes to give veterinarians and dog owners information about how common it is for dogs to develop cancer.
“This new study gives us information from a very large number of dog owners, which improves the accuracy of the findings,” says Dr. Philip Bergman, a veterinary cancer specialist and the Director of Clinical Studies for VCA Animal Hospitals. He highlights these five important insights from the study.
1. Most pet owners who pursue cancer care for their pet walk away happy
The Gallup survey found that nearly 3 in 4 pet owners whose dog experienced cancer in the past 10 years were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience during treatment—even though only 39 percent reported that their dog was cured or went into remission. Having a veterinarian who cares about the dog’s comfort, and who offers high-quality care and thorough explanations of treatment options were most important for pet owner satisfaction, according to the survey results.
“It’s also our team’s experience that the vast majority of pet owners are very satisfied with the cancer care their pets receive,” says Dr. Bergman. “Even when we don’t hit all our medical goals, we typically give the pet owner more time with their pet and we virtually always improve the quality of the pet’s remaining life. Clients appreciate that so much. We often hear from them for years afterward. I think they also appreciate that they feel they made the right decisions for them and for their pet.”
2. Pet owners’ hesitate to move forward with treatment for three main reasons
According to the new research, 68 percent of pet owners whose pets were diagnosed with cancer decided not to move ahead with treatment. The key reasons for not moving forward: The age of their dog (54 percent), treatment cost (39 percent), treatment side effects (38 percent), or other reasons.
“We see 14-year-old dogs that look 8 all the time. (And also 8-year-old dogs that look 14.)” says Dr. Bergman. “Clients clearly assume that older pets will do more poorly with cancer treatment. But the data shows older dogs may actually do better than younger dogs. This is a place where I think we can do a better job helping pet owners with education and by sharing our experience.”
“It’s great that this new study is providing benchmarks around canine cancer care. Now when we try new approaches, we’ll be able see if we moved the needle to improve client education, helped pet owners feel more prepared, and supported them better over the course of their pets’ treatment.”
3. Managing side effects of treatment is critical to pet owners’ satisfaction
The Gallup survey found that 63 percent of respondents reported feeling a lot of stress during their dog’s cancer treatment, and the study shows that dog owners’ ability to manage side effects from the treatment is key to improving the experience.
“This level of pet owner stress is higher than I typically see from our clients—or they’re hiding it well,” says Dr. Bergman. “Certainly, the data suggests we can do better, and that we need to really watch for this.”
Clearly, minimizing the side effects of treatment helps both the patient and the pet owner. And Dr. Bergman says pet cancer specialists keep that top of mind.
“As specialists, we see an average of 10 percent to 20 percent of patients experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea with most canine cancer treatment. And less than 1 percent of our patients need to come back to the hospital to get help with side effects,” he says.
Similar to Dr. Bergman’s experience, a study of cat owners whose pets underwent cancer treatment shows that 83 percent of the pet owners were happy they treated their cat and 87 percent would treat another cat. The results suggest that these experienced cat owners believe cats tolerate the treatment well.
“When I think about responses from dog owners who’ve not had a pet who underwent cancer treatment, I worry their levels of concern about side effects are due to perceptions about human cancer care, which is quite different,” Dr. Bergman says.
4. Pet owners need more information
The Gallup study found that 46 percent of dog owners strongly agreed that their dog received high-quality cancer care, but only 30 percent strongly agreed that they knew what to expect during their dog’s cancer treatment.
Educating clients about what they could expect during their pets’ treatment is one of the key elements of a consultation with the specialist, Dr. Bergman says. “When clients go to that first appointment, they’re not agreeing to move forward with treatment,” he says. “This is their chance to get all the information—to talk about their goals and needs—and that helps them feel satisfied with their choices for their pet, no matter what they decide. We talk to clients about these things every day, and it can help them to hear about our firsthand experience.”
5. Pet insurance can help!
The vast majority of dog owners who responded to the study (92 percent) said they did not have pet insurance when their dog was diagnosed with cancer. Yet having insurance can really lower pet owners’ stress around the costs of care and make the best options for their pet’s treatment more affordable.
“It’s great that this new study is providing benchmarks around canine cancer care,” says Dr. Bergman. “Now when we try new approaches, we’ll be able see if we moved the needle to help pet owners feel more prepared, and supported them better over the course of their pets’ treatment.”
Special cancer centers inside the network of hometown VCA Animal Hospitals makes a braintrust of veteriarians who specialize in cancer treatments available to provide the best possible care for pets with cancer. To find the VCA Pet CancerCare Center nearest you, visit www.vcahospitals.com/vca-pet-cancer-alliance.
