There will always be a need for vets. That idea, plus my huge love of animals, has led me down the path of becoming a veterinarian. I have not graduated from my course yet, but the reason behind this blog is to share my learning journey. I intend to write blog posts on subjects like the veterinarian education path, my thoughts on whether to be a general or specialist vet and how I wish to use alternative treatments like acupuncture in my practice. If you too have a love of animals and want to make this your job, then my blog will be interesting to you.
Two tips for people whose dogs are undergoing chemotherapy
If your dog has a condition such as cancer, which your vet is about to start treating with chemotherapy, you should keep this advice in mind:
Try to arrange for them to be seen by a mobile veterinarian where possible
During the weeks or months when your dog is receiving chemotherapy medication, you should try to ensure that any essential veterinary treatment they require is carried out by a mobile veterinarian who can visit your home.
Whilst a mobile vet might not be able to administer your pet's chemotherapy drugs (as most medications of this kind need to be administered in a brick-and-mortar vet clinic), they can perform examinations and treat most other non-surgical ailments that do not require lots of equipment or which are not very complex.
The main reason why a mobile vet's services should be used in this situation is that some chemotherapy medications can lower a dog's immunity and, in doing so, make them more likely to succumb to the effects of any pathogenic organisms they encounter. As such, if you take your immunocompromised pet to your usual veterinary clinic, where there will probably be many other sick animals present (some of which might have contagious diseases), the chances of your dog contracting an illness will be very high.
By having a vet provide the treatment that your dog needs on your own property instead of taking them to a clinic, there will be no risk of your pet being exposed to contagions that might make them even more unwell.
Familiarise yourself with the common side-effects of this treatment
When your dog begins to receive this treatment from their vet, you must ensure that you familiarise yourself with the side-effects they are likely to experience. The reason for this is that knowing how this treatment regimen will affect your pet will enable you to differentiate between the symptoms that are normal (and are, therefore, nothing to be alarmed by) and the ones that require you to seek medical attention for your pet.
For example, whilst an occasional bout of nausea is quite common in dogs who have this treatment, you should seek help from a vet if your dog vomits profusely for a long time, to the point where their body becomes very dehydrated. Being aware of this should ensure that your dog gets the help that they need if their body struggles to cope with the effects of this powerful medication.