Tell Us What You Think

Your pet just got a cancer diagnosis. Your first instinct is to wonder what you did wrong.

Dr. Brooke Fowler, veterinary oncologist at Veterinary Cancer Services in Boulder, CO, is here for that conversation. The honest answer is: we don't fully know what causes cancer in pets. Genetics, aging, and biology are doing most of the work and the guilt most pet parents carry is rarely warranted.

In this episode, Dr. Brooke joins Dr. Angie and JoJo for one of the most honest, grounded conversations we've had on this show. We talk about why dogs and cats get cancer, what you can actually control, and how to make treatment decisions without losing yourself in the process.

We get into mast cell tumors, hemangiosarcoma, the real cost of chemo, newer treatment options, quality of life, financial limitations, and the question every pet parent dreads: would I actually do this for my own pet?

Dr. Brooke also shares where integrative and conventional oncology work well together and when turkey tail mushroom and Yunnan Baiyao actually have the studies to back them up.

Note: This episode leans heavily toward dogs and specific dog cancers. We love our cat people and we're bringing Dr. Brooke back for a dedicated feline oncology episode. Stay tuned.

To 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.

Soundbites:

"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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