Peter was Devastated to Learn his Black Lab Was Diagnosed with Canine Cancer | Then He Did This

old-black-labrador-retriever-dog

All too often our beloved dogs fall victim to canine cancer but there’s always hope

We all hope our Labs will enjoy long, healthy and happy lives, unfortunately that is not always possible. This is the story of Peter who – shortly after his beloved dog, a black Labrador Retriever, reached the respectable dog age of 10 years old – received the sad tiding his Lab had developed a melanoma and was diagnosed with cancer.

Advised by a good friend Peter enlisted his dog to receive special treatment boosting his immune system with Interleukin 12.

Although Peter’s dog in the end sadly lost his battle against the cancer, eight months of quality living were added to his life due to the treatment.

This post, besides Peter’s story, contains two additional videos I’m sure you want to watch.

In the first video Veterinarian Dr. Demian Dressler explains what you should know if your dog is diagnosed with canine cancer.

To end this post on a happy note, the second video and short video shows the reaction of a senior dog when he received a clean bill of health again.

Here is Peter’s story

Peter Way, an engineer in Fort Collins, Colo., was devastated when his black Labrador, Prince, developed melanoma in his mouth shortly after turning 10. “His upper palate was not looking so good, and he was getting worse,” Mr. Way said.

On the advice of a friend, he enrolled Prince in a clinical trial at Colorado State University’s Flint Animal Cancer Center, where researchers were testing a subcutaneous delivery method for Interleukin 12, a powerful immune enhancer that is also under study for treating advanced cancers in people.

The drug initially boosted Prince’s ability to fight off the melanoma, giving him eight months before the cancer “came roaring back” and the dog had to be put down. But Mr. Way has no regrets. The safety study will help with the design of later human trials, including the best way to administer the drug, and may lead to improved treatments for both pets and people. “That’s so important to all of us who love dogs,” Mr. Way said.

Curated from Learning From Dogs With Cancer written by Susan Jenks

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Veterinarian Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM tells you what you need to know if your dog had been diagnosed with canine cancer.

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Sometimes there’s a happy ending, watch the next short video to see this senior golden retriever’s reaction to the happy news

That’s all folks

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