# North Texans- Canine Oncology Recommendations?



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

North Texas Members:

While I hope and pray we don't need to pursue this I am getting my ducks lined up for Barkley's after-care. If you have experience with any canine oncologists in the North Texas (Dallas particularly) area and can recommend them, will you post here or send me a PM? If you don't recommend someone please PM me too. 

I am also thinking of holistic oncology as well, if there is even such a thing. If any of you know of a Dallas area holistic oncologist, please let me know! 

Thank you!


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Sorry, I'm really far away so I can't help out, but I have a couple of suggestions.
First, Carol posted a great link on another thread, don't know if you saw it or not, to help you find a vet or specialist, including holistic:
http://www.fightcaninecancer.com/findavet.html
Secondly, although I'm not sure how far Texas A&M is from you, it's often worth the trip to the big university oncologists. Normally they will set up a program of treatment and then refer you back to your regular vet for the treatment itself. Your vet will then confer with them as needed. You will only see them once, or possibly a couple of times. So it's not like you'd be driving there on a daily or weekly basis.
Even though you don't have the diagnosis back yet, you can call any of the specialists you are considering and speak with them, explain the pending diagnosis, and just get a feel for what you think of them. It helps me to be proactive, and from your posts, I think you are the same.
And finally, remember, we are here for you and Barkley!


----------



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Thanks Hotel4Dogs! Texas A&M is the closest veterinary school and I will certainly ask about getting referred there if needed when we go to our vet over the course of the week. It is about a 3 hour (maybe longer) drive. The cancer specialists my veterinary clinic used to refer their patients changed hands (it's now a VCA or a Banfield or something like that) and they stopped all referrals there. The other oncologist is very close to my house but her business ethics/practice is pretty poor (long story involving our Beau during his hemangiosarcoma diagnosis) and they don't like sending patients to her either unless it is a last resort. She also failed to properly read a blood test on my Beau a few years earlier and didn't catch a rocky mountain spotted fever diagnosis (this was in the days when there was only a handful of sonogram machines available for dogs and he had an enlarged abdomen that needed checking out). I'd prefer not to use her because I find not reading a blood test result properly negligent at best. Thank goodness my regular vet spotted it and called me asap. I would certainly not mind visiting a few times at A&M and getting the care here in Dallas. I might even persuade Penny and Maggie's Mom to go on a road trip with me!

I'm going to check that link--thank you!


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

while you're at it....while you're waiting for the diagnosis, you can call and get a copy of the formal surgery report. It will be very helpful for whatever vet you end up seeing, because it will state whether or not they saw any other lesions, which organs were palpated, etc.


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I would second that trip to College Station. I don't have any personal experience with them, but they have an outstanding reputation.


----------



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Dallas Gold said:


> Thanks Hotel4Dogs! Texas A&M is the closest veterinary school and I will certainly ask about getting referred there if needed when we go to our vet over the course of the week. It is about a 3 hour (maybe longer) drive. The cancer specialists my veterinary clinic used to refer their patients changed hands (it's now a VCA or a Banfield or something like that) and they stopped all referrals there. The other oncologist is very close to my house but her business ethics/practice is pretty poor (long story involving our Beau during his hemangiosarcoma diagnosis) and they don't like sending patients to her either unless it is a last resort. She also failed to properly read a blood test on my Beau a few years earlier and didn't catch a rocky mountain spotted fever diagnosis (this was in the days when there was only a handful of sonogram machines available for dogs and he had an enlarged abdomen that needed checking out). I'd prefer not to use her because I find not reading a blood test result properly negligent at best. Thank goodness my regular vet spotted it and called me asap. I would certainly not mind visiting a few times at A&M and getting the care here in Dallas. I might even persuade Penny and Maggie's Mom to go on a road trip with me!
> 
> I'm going to check that link--thank you!


 
I'm praying that we don't need a road trip, but if Barkley does, count me IN.


----------



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Let's hope that we don't need to go down to TAMU.....


----------



## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Bennett was at the Vet Referral Center on Trinity Mills, with the Internal Medicine Group. It was a matter of getting the diagnosis first and then deciding what to do. His internist was in touch with the Oncology group at A&M, numerous times over the 4 days he was there. Unfortunately, his lymphoma was too far advanced.

OSU also has very good vet program and is around 4 hours from North Dallas.
CSU is a lot farther, but would be my choice if at all possible.

Fingers crossed that this is wasted effort on your part because you don't need it.


----------



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Baja OK, thanks for the info. I'm sorry to hear you lost Bennett so soon after diagnosis. We've been there too--that is tough. Our vet group used to recommend the DVSC for internal medicine and oncology but that is the group that changed ownership. We used to take our first golden up there for the internal medicine group as well (under referral). I had one internist tell me she was 100% positive we were dealing with a hemangiosarcoma with our golden, when he was 11. She very coldly told me I might as well get used to the idea and treatment was not worth it because they die within 6 months anyway. Very cold lady. Our normally sweet boy snapped at her--I'm sure it was her nasty tone! She did all the tests, x-rays, sonograms, etc. and apologized to me when we went to pick him up--turns out she couldn't find any evidence and he had a mystery illness that cleared up with 3 different antibiotics. Unfortunately 2 1/2 years later we got a hemangiosarcoma diagnosis, too late. 

I really like Hotel4Dogs idea of consulting at a university hospital, getting a plan, then having our vet clinic do it for us if they will. I think they will. If I were to use the oncologist in Dallas that messed up a blood test reading I might have my vet recheck everything and give a second opinion on all of it. I just don't trust her!


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I don't know about A&M, but here you can just contact the University Vet School specialists yourself, you don't need a referral.


----------

