Pet owners go to great lengths to fight cancer
Some owners will spend tens of thousands to help their cancer-stricken pets
For Mike and Beverly Berge, the decision to drive their beloved goldendoodle, Murphee, from Chattanooga to Knoxville for regular cancer treatments was a fairly simple one, made easier by simply looking into Murphee’s eyes.
“It was like looking into human eyes, and we were willing to do anything for her,” Beverly Berge says.
The Berges made a decision similar to a lot of pet owners these days when it comes to caring for their sick animals, even pets like Murphee who develop cancer or other diseases more associated with humans.
Do whatever it takes. Whatever it costs.
The medical care now available for pets rivals that of humans — and that includes the cost of doing so. Berge says she doesn’t remember how many thousands of dollars it cost to care for Murphee, “but we are still paying off the credit card,” she says.
Dr. Mitch Rosenzweig, vice president of veterinary operations at Animal Emergency & Specialty Center, which has offices in Chattanooga and Knoxville, says pet owners are demanding the very best care for their pets, no matter the cost. He says the technological advancements in pet care over the years “has been amazing,” and these days his center treats everything from bone cancer to lymphoma and tumors in all kinds of animals.
“They have put the demand on our profession to put forth the same level of care we see in people,” he says. “We try to work with the budget because everyone is different. Not everybody can afford everything we offer.”
Experts say there has been a boom in recent years in animal clinics using technologically advanced equipment and medicines that are as good as those in many human hospitals. And it’s led to an ethical debate whether such treatments, costing tens of thousands of
dollars per patient, should really go toward keeping pets alive.
Some doctors say they need to weigh when such treatments go too far.
“Just because we can, doesn’t always mean we should,” says Brooke Britton, oncologist at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Manhattan. “I’m a firm believer of stopping before a time when we’ve believed we’ve reached a limit of what we think we can reasonably do to extend a pet’s quality of life and life span.”
Dr. Kristy Richards, a professor at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine who studies lymphoma in both animals and people, says the debate over such animal treatments should note that there is often a benefit to humans that goes beyond the emotional.
“The research we do in veterinary clinics feeds over into our knowledge of how to treat humans,” says Richards, also an oncologist at Manhattan’s Weill Cornell Medical College who treats human lymphoma patients. “The fancy-dancy medical things we do for dogs help us treat humans.”
In a treatment room with a shimmering view of the East River in Manhattan, a veterinary team is trying to prolong the life of Lola, a 9-year-old Havanese battling pancreatic cancer. She releases a shrill whimper as a needle enters her haunch to deliver another dose of chemotherapy.
“OK, Lola, OK, lovey, OK, honey,” whispers chief oncologist Nicole Leibman.
Lola’s owner, Dominique Milbank, waits in a quiet, private room, impatient and worried until she got the news: The six-month-long course of chemo has been successful. Her dog’s cancer is in remission.
“It’s the best news you could give me!” Milbank exclaims.
Here in Chattanooga, a groomer first noticed a lump on Murphee about a year ago. Surgery removed the lump, but a week later Murphee wasn’t able to go to the bathroom. The Berges were told the only option was chemo, so they made the appointment at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville.
Murphee received chemotherapy from Jan. 27 until August. It bought Murphee and the Berges some time, but the decision finally was made to end her suffering.
While Beverly Berge says the decision to do whatever they could for Murphee no matter the cost was the right one for them, some animal experts around the country are asking if there should be a limit to the cost and extent of pet care.
Berge fully understands that dilemma. But for them, spending the time and money was worth it.
“We are very happy and very thrilled that we got to spend that extra time with her,” Berge says. “She was the light of our lives. The holidays have been tough this year.”
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.
Verna Dobnik of t he Associated Press contributed to this story.