Dealing with your pet's terminal illness can be tough on your pet and you as well. Lisa Antao finds out how to cope
Almost all pet owners swear by the unconditional love, emotional support and companionship that they receive from their pet, irrespective of what species of the animal kingdom it belongs to. After all, their pet is not just limited to the status of being a mere pet but an integral part of their family and lives. And therefore, it's equally devastating for a pet owner to learn that their beloved pet has contracted a terminal illness, such as cancer, just as a family member or dear friend might contract the same.
The possibility of losing their 'best friend' anytime soon can affect the owners, mentally and physically as well. BT guides you pet parents on how to deal with such a situation. Pets, especially dogs, often contract fatal medical conditions such as tumours and various types of cancers like those of the mouth, liver and mammary glands (in case of females). Veterinarian Dr Hitesh Swali, says that such medical conditions are common especially in dogs. "The cause of cancer and tumours in pets is unknown just like in the case of humans.
However, canine species like golden retrievers and cocker spaniels are more susceptible to cancer and tumours," says he, adding that generally pets in their old age tend to suffer from these and the risk increases after five to six years of age. In very rare cases, it can occur in puppies too. Actor and pet owner Dino Morea lost his dog, Sir Sly, a great dane around two years back to a fatal illness — tick fever. "When I learnt that Sir Sly who was barely three-and-a-half years of age was suffering from tick fever, I didn't know it could be fatal. He suffered for two days and passed away. It was heart-wrenching," admits Dino, who also lost his other pet, Patch, a 14-year-old dalmation, owing to old age, around a year back. Generally when pets are diagnosed with cancer, they have about six months to one-and-a-half years to survive, depending on how far the disease has spread in their bodies.
Veterinarian Dr Raj Hans says, "It's a very sad situation for pet owners. In such cases, 99 per cent of them take maximum care of their pets, giving them as much love and medical attention as they need. In extremely rare cases, individuals are given the option to put their pet 'down' where treatment isn't possible and the suffering of for the pet is severe, but even in those extremely rare cases, owners flatly refuse to do so." Because of insufficient medical treatment options for pets in India, for example, there's very limited options for chemotherapy for a dog or cat afflicted with cancer. The focus lies on giving them as much comfort in their 'remaining' days. Since the cause of cancer is unknown, Dr Swali says that pets, especially when dogs turn seven years of age, it is advisable for them to undergo a complete medical checkup especially a blood test at least once a year, if not every six months, to detect the possibility of cancer, tumour or other fatal illnesses. This is because pet owners who learn about their pet's terminal illness at the last moment end-up feeling severe guilt and regret. Also, when a pet is diagnosed with a fatal disease, the owner is susceptible to depression.
So, here's the moral of the story: A regular medical health checkup is essential for your pet's well being.
lisa.antao@timesgroup.com
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