February is National Pet Dental Month. During this month there is an increased effort to educate pet owners on the importance of oral health in pets. The AVMA notes that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of dental disease by the age of 3, a condition which worsens without intervention. Untreated dental disease can result in pain, infection, bone loss, oral bleeding, reduced appetite and can have a negative impact on internal organs such as the heart. Attention to the oral health of pets also allows us to screen them for oral tumors. During a yearly oral exam your veterinarian will as ..read more

An introduction to equine oncology. Many people are surprised to hear cancer occurs in horses and that it is a medical condition that is treatable. Horses have been treated for cancer for years, however, their treatment has not evolved at the rate of humans, dogs and cats. Some may even say equine oncology is still in its infancy. The literature on equine oncology is quite small compared to other species. Few large studies exist on the many equine cancer’s out there. The majority of equine oncology literature is case reports for different cancer’s along with chemotherapy dose finding studies ..read more

PVS is now offering a new clinical trial to investigate the ability of nanoparticles combined with laser therapy to kill tumors in dogs and cats. This clinical trial is currently enrolling dogs and cats with the following tumors: 1) Low-grade mast cell tumor 2) Oral malignant melanoma 3)Oral squamous cell carcinoma 4) Soft tissue sarcoma To be included in the trial patients must have a single tumor that has not spread. Patients much have also either declined standard therapy or failed standard therapy such as surgery or radiation therapy. This trial is sponsored so owners are given a stipend ..read more

Here are a few ways to help pay for cancer care and pet cancer research. Cancer is not a topic anyone ever wants to deal with, especially when it comes to a loved one, human or animal. The questions and emotions associated with a cancer diagnosis are intense and often long-lived. During the course of treatment, one concern is the cost of cancer care. Sadly, paying for cancer care can be an added stress to an already difficult situation. Here we will explore some options for helping pay for cancer care in pets and how to donate to cancer research. Together we can help each other get through di ..read more

The thoughts of one veterinary oncologist… Deciding to Treat When a pet is first diagnosed with cancer, owners may be overwhelmed with emotion and questions. Some will be so overwhelmed that they instantly decide to euthanize, unable to process any additional information for another minute, just knowing their pet has cancer. Other owners want information – they seek answers to the questions like what type of cancer does my pet have, how is this cancer treated, what is the prognosis, and what does treatment cost? As an oncologist, I’m here to try and provide information and options. The decisi ..read more

At Private Veterinary Specialties LLC, we focus on cancer treatment in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Our mobile department battles hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma and other forms of cancer in dogs, cats, and other beloved pets both large and small. We also believe that it’s important for you to understand the disease and how it can affect our pets. Fifty percent of dogs over the age of 10 develop cancer at some point during their lives. Some of the most common forms include malignant lymphoma (a tumor of the lymph nodes), mast cell tumors (a form of skin cancer), mammary gland tumors (br ..read more