Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog owners' views on quality of life during and after cancer
By Serras, A R et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2019·Animal Health Trust, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Owners' perception of their dogs' quality of life during and after radiotherapy for cancer.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dog owners shared their experiences about their pets' quality of life before, during, and after radiotherapy for cancer. Most owners felt their dogs had a good quality of life, scoring it an average of 9 out of 10, and 92% were satisfied with their decision to pursue treatment. Six weeks after the treatment ended, many owners expressed they would choose radiotherapy again if needed and would recommend it to others. Overall, the treatment was well-received by both the dogs and their owners.
People also search for: dog cancer treatment options · radiotherapy for dogs · dog quality of life after cancer treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine the owners' perception of dogs' quality of life before, immediately after and 6 weeks after radiotherapy treatments for a variety of neoplasms and assess owner satisfaction over their decision to treat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaires were given to owners whose dogs completed a radiotherapy treatment at a referral radiation oncology centre. Questionnaires were given at three time points: before treatment, on the last day of treatment and more than 6 weeks after the treatment was finished. Owners were asked questions regarding their perception of radiotherapy and the quality of life of their pets before, during and after treatment with radiation therapy. Quality of life was scored from 1 (could not be worse) to 10 (could not be better). RESULTS: Seventy-one owners met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results showed that 6 weeks or more after treatment, most owners were happy that they had chosen to treat their dogs (92%) and would treat another pet again, if indicated (88%). Across the three time points, median quality of life perception score was 9. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Radiotherapy was well tolerated by owners and dogs in this study. The great majority of clients were happy to have pursued radiotherapy, would choose to do it again (if indicated) and would recommend it to a friend.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30618206/