Treatment for Canine Leukemia

When choosing the best course of treatment for a dog with canine leukemia, a veterinarian has several available options. Canine leukemia is a fairly serious condition, and may require expensive long-term treatment in order to be managed effectively. The treatment options for canine leukemia in dogs is fairly similar to the treatment for leukemia in humans, and will be managed by skilled veterinarians.

Blood Transfusion

Since dogs with canine leukemia may sometimes become severely anemic, a supplementary treatment for the anemia must sometimes be performed before treatment for the leukemia can be initiated. In cases of dogs with moderate to severe anemia, a blood transfusion is sometimes performed. Dogs can only recieve blood from other dogs, and must be matched with eleven different blood groups. When performing a blood transfusion in a dog, the most important blood group for a veterinarian to match is the A1/A2 system. If a dog has A negative blood, this means that they are able to be a universal donor/reciever of blood. However, blood transfusions in canines are relatively difficult, since a dog may develop immune resistance to a donor after only a few transfusions.

Chemotherapy

It is very common for a veterinarian to suggest chemotherapy as a treatment option for dogs with leukemia. Chemotherapy in dogs is similar to chemotherapy in humans, in that anti-cancer drugs are used to control and destroy cancerous cells. This prevents the cancerous cells from multiplying, and may eventually stop the spread of the cancer. The side effects of chemotherapy are that the anti-cancer medications usually also destrop healthy cells. This is the reason why such severe side effects are associated with chemotherapy treatments, both in dogs and in humans.

Most veterinarians will prescribe a combination of several different anti-cancer drugs for the most effective chemotherapy treatment. It is important, however, to keep in mind that chemotherapy in dogs is often fairly expensive, and does not guarantee a complete cure. Canine leukemia can sometimes be fatal, and may not respond to chemotherapy treatments. However, most veterinarians will do their best to ensure that the highest quality treatment is available to your dog.

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