Palliative care in small animal oncology

Mason, Sarah

doi:10.1136/inp.i1869

Cited by 7 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 112 publications

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“…Only two publications expressly related to horses, 14,15 neither of which were original research studies, while none focused specifically on donkeys or donkey–horse hybrids. This is consistent with other areas of companion animal welfare and veterinary practice, where horses have fallen behind dogs and cats in terms of both research and what is offered 19,24,36 . This in turn is likely to affect interactions between veterinarians and clients depending on the species owned, with Arora et al 17 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Scoping review of end‐of‐life decision‐making models used in dogs, cats and equids

et al. 2022

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Background End‐of‐life decisions for companion animals can be stressful for veterinarians and owners, and when delayed result in poor animal welfare. Delayed euthanasia has been identified as a particularly prominent issue for horses. This scoping review aimed to identify the available literature on veterinary decision‐making models, which can support end‐of‐life planning. Methods A protocol was preregistered, and a structured literature search was performed on six electronic databases. Publications were reviewed against specifically developed eligibility criteria. Data from original studies and narrative‐type reviews were extracted separately, and the components of each model were charted. Results A total of 2211 publications were identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Eight were original research studies and 15 were narrative reviews or similar. Publications were not indexed uniformly, increasing the difficulty of discovering relevant sources. The end‐of‐life decision‐making process comprised three stages: (1) making the decision, (2) enacting the decision and (3) aftercare. Twenty key components of decision‐making models were identified, although no publication reflected all of these. Conclusions A lack of original research studies and equine‐specific publications was identified. Shared decision‐making models for euthanasia in veterinary practice should include all three stages and consider species‐specific issues.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Scoping review of end‐of‐life decision‐making models used in dogs, cats and equids

et al. 2022

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“…Veterinary surgical oncology is a specialization that is increasing in veterinary medicine. Because of better and more widespread veterinary care, companion animals are now more likely to live longer, 4,5 leading to an increase in the number of patients developing cancer over their lifetimes. Animals that are not good candidates for definitive cancer treatment can still undergo palliative therapy, including surgery, and enjoy a relatively good quality of life for their remaining time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To maximize efficacy and minimize treatment-related morbidity and mortality, the patients must be selected carefully, and treatment goals and their implications must be clearly established. 4,5 This process should be clear to both veterinarians and pet owners. With the increased availability of palliative care solutions, both clinicians and owners must address ethical, medical, social, emotional, and even financial issues.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Practice patterns about the role of palliation in veterinary surgical oncology

Virgilio¹,

Belluzzi²,

Santos³

et al. 2021

Vet Comparative Oncology

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Whether surgical palliative therapy is appropriate for oncologic veterinary patients is an increasing concern as pet age increases because of improved care. In this study, an online survey (available for 30 days), comprising 100 questions with structured response options, was administered to 492 diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). The survey queried the technical, ethical, social, medical, and financial aspects of surgical palliative therapy for oncologic veterinary patients.Responses were received from 155 ECVS diplomates (31.5%, n = 155/492). Palliative surgery was a relatively common intervention in veterinary oncology, with 50% of respondents (n = 77.5/155) indicating that 75%-100% of oncological surgeries performed were palliative. The presence of metastasis was judged as a key determinant when deciding to perform palliative oncological surgery by 41% of the respondents (n = 63.5/155). The survey revealed that the most commonly performed procedures in palliative oncological surgery were marginal resection, debulking, and amputation. In contrast to human medicine, palliative limb-sparing surgery, stent placement, and embolization were rarely used in veterinary settings, mainly because of a general lack of expertise among veterinarians, elevated costs, and recourse to euthanasia. Taken together, the survey results highlight the need for appropriate guidelines in the field of oncological surgery. To establish general guidelines and direct veterinarians towards the most appropriate judgement, understanding how and what veterinary surgeons manage palliative oncological surgery and how they perceive the main ethical, social, medical, and financial concerns are essential. Such guidelines will lead to better care for ailing animals and will facilitate the path to healing for owners.

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“…On the other hand, cancer diagnosis of a pet also mobilizes the family. Due to the new meaning given to human-animal interaction, the number of owners who seek cancer treatment for their pets is increasingly higher (Mason, 2016). The same study demonstrated that the existing proximity and emotional bond shift focus from end-of-life care, represented by euthanasia, to other options, such as surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…The same study demonstrated that the existing proximity and emotional bond shift focus from end-of-life care, represented by euthanasia, to other options, such as surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care. Veterinary patients can be seen enjoying a good quality of life, in spite of their illness (Mason, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%