The Tails of Truth Podcast:

You're Not to Blame: A Veterinary Oncologist Gets Honest About Cancer in Pets

Our favorite veterinary oncologist gets honest about pet cancer including diagnosis, treatment, and everything in between.

Dr. Brooke Fowler of Veterinary Cancer Services joins Dr. Angie and JoJo to answer the questions pet parents are already asking and the ones they're too scared to bring up.

What this episode covers:

  • Why cancer in dogs and cats is rarely caused by anything you did
  • The genetic basis for cancer in specific breeds
  • Mast cell tumors: diagnosis, grades, and newer treatments including Stelfonta injection
  • Hemangiosarcoma: surgery, supplements, and realistic expectations
  • The real cost of chemo and middle-ground options that exist between "do everything" and "do nothing"
  • How to choose a veterinary oncologist whose values match yours
  • The honest answer to "would you do this for your own dog?" from two vets who asked each other on air

Dr. Fowler also weighs in on where integrative medicine fits into conventional oncology and why she sends clients back to Dr. Angie for herb support.

For cat parents: This episode leans toward dogs and we know it. A full feline oncology episode with Dr. Fowler is planned. We promise.

Reach Dr. Brooke Fowler: vetcancerservices.com | 720-414-0116

Key Takeaways

  1. Cancer in pets is multifactorial. Genetics, breed, and aging play a far larger role than food, vaccines, or environment though the honest answer is we don't fully know.
  2. Immunosenescence — the immune system's declining ability to catch and correct DNA errors as a pet ages — is a primary driver of cancer in older animals.
  3. Mast cell tumors are the most common skin tumor in dogs.
  4. Stelfonta injection resolves approximately 83% of mast cell tumors with a single injection, though it creates a significant wound during healing.
  5. Hemangiosarcoma remains one of the common cancers we treat, but splenectomy often restores quality of life and dogs frequently feel better post-surgery than they did in the weeks before.
  6. Chemo does not have to mean misery. Starting at the lower end of dosing ranges and adjusting is Dr. Fowler's approach.
  7. Metronomic chemotherapy is low-dose oral chemo combined with anti-inflammatories and is an accessible middle-ground option many people don't know exists.
  8. Turkey tail mushroom and Yunnan Baiyao have studies showing inhibition of hemangiosarcoma cell lines. This is where East and West medicine work well together.
  9. Your quality of life is part of your pet's care equation. Acknowledging that is not selfish. It's honest. 
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Sound Bites

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  • "I'm saying this because a lot of people love to blame themselves. What did I not feed him? We live by power lines. And the truth is it's none of that." — Dr. Brooke

  • "We're all gonna die. And I think it's okay to give our dogs and cats permission to die too. Which is a controversial thing to say." — Dr. Angie 

  • "So often we are buying time for ourselves more than the animal." — JoJo

  • "You get all of the joy from your pet in their life. You get that joy and then you pay for it in the end, right? Because we lose them before we want to." — Dr. Brooke

  • "After doing integrative medicine and being hired by people that feed raw or home cook or do all the things I can't say that I see cancer rates in that population be any less." — Dr. Angie  "Your dog has no concept of what the future is or what the past is. Today's the day. That's all there is. And that is what we fundamentally love about them.  — Dr. Brooke

  • "The difference between one kibble and the next is just not as much as you might think. It's really so small." — Dr. Angie

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