Dr. Joanne Intile

By Dr. Joanne Intile, DVM, DACVM Learning that your pet has cancer is devastating. Deciding on which, if any, treatment path to take is confusing and it is normal to feel anxious as you are making decisions for your pet. Owners frequently struggle with feeling a lack of control and search for options to enhance their pet’s prognosis during their treatment plan. While most of these choices are...

  By Joanne Intile, DACVIM   The skin is the largest organ of a dog, and tumors affecting this structure are common. Between 60 to 80 percent of skin tumors in dogs are benign, meaning if you notice a lump on your dog’s skin, there’s a good chance it won’t be anything to worry about. However, the visible appearance of a growth can’t be used to predict whether it’s cancerous....

By Joanne Intile, DACVIM Lymphoma is a blood-borne cancer of lymphocytes, which are a specific type of white blood cell. It is the most common cancer diagnosed in dogs. There are several forms of lymphoma in dogs, the most common being high-grade lymphoblastic B-cell lymphoma, which closely resembles non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people. Lymphoma is one of the most treatable cancers in dogs, and...

I’m seated across from one of my favorite owners and her endearing 9-year-old Lhasa Apso, Sparky. I’m reviewing Sparky’s medical record, determining when he’s due for repeat chest x-rays to make sure his there’s no evidence of his cancer resurfacing. Sparky is customarily unimpressed, making no attempt to stifle an uninterested yawn. Mrs. Baker, Sparky’s owner, patiently awaits my...

Many owners inquire about oral chemotherapy options in lieu of injectable treatments because they perceive the former as being less “intensive” and therefore less stressful for their pet. Countless times, owners ask me if I couldn’t just prescribe the “chemo pill” they heard about from one of several typical sources (insert any one of the following: primary veterinarian, friend,...

Nationwide Insurance recently reported the top ten medical conditions affecting dogs and cats and their associated costs based on data from claims from over 1.3 million owners for more than 550,000 pets. I assumed cancer would be the top disease on the list for both species. It is the most frequently diagnosed illness in older pets and treatments can be expensive, therefore making it a...