Mabel (2005-2014)
When you’re young, cancer often seems like something abstract and distant: something that happens to neighbors and strangers, but never in your own home. However, at 18 the disease hit in my home when my miniature schnauzer, Mabel, got bladder cancer. She was my first dog, the runt of the litter with the personality of a grandma from the start. Though cancer affects one in four dogs, and one in two dogs older than 10, we never thought sweet, small Mabel would join that statistic.
Running around with toys was never Mabel’s idea of a good time, preferring instead to cuddle up on the couch. In her advanced age, she still walked a few miles every morning with no signs of trouble, so her energy level wasn’t a red flag. It was her loss of bladder control that alerted us something was amiss. The same dog who had one accident during puppy potty training suddenly could not last the night without having an accident. We hoped it was minor; the vet thought it was just a bladder infection, completely treatable. A brief penicillin regimen, and she should be cured, so we kept waiting to wake up to a clean carpet and a healthy dog.
1. ANIMAL RESEARCH LED TO BREAKTHROUGHS LIKE THE DISCOVERY OF PENICILLIN
Penicillin, which is used to treat a variety of conditions in both humans and animals, was first developed by researchers working with mice. Along with other antibiotics, it is an important treatment available to alleviate bladder infections and other uncomfortable conditions in dogs and cats. Unfortunately, what we didn’t know at the time was that Mabel’s symptoms were caused by a more serious illness.
It’s going to be okay became the motto in our house. Mabel isn’t feeling well, but it’s going to be okay. It’s just a bladder infection, so it’s going to be okay.
When it was clear the bladder infection was not improving, the vet discovered that Mabel had a tumor growth on her bladder. We tried to be positive: if it had not yet spread too extensively it could be removed. It can be removed, we told ourselves- it’s going to be okay. Call it denial, but I sincerely believed that this was just a bad chapter- nowhere near the end of the book.
Mabel was never a fighter; she was mild-mannered and sheepish. As exemplified by her patience in allowing her rowdy little sister, another miniature schnauzer, to walk all over her, and by her habit of picking up mouthfuls of food and scurrying into the living room to eat (even with no competition at her bowl): she was not an alpha dog. She needed our help to fight this cancer and we believed in her. She is going to win—it’s going to be okay.
2. HUMANS AND DOGS ARE OFTEN SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE SAME CANCERS
Before performing an operation to remove the mass in her bladder, the vet ran tests to see if the cancer was contained. Unfortunately, we learned our fight against cancer was lost before it had even begun. The most common type of bladder cancer, in humans and dogs, is transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). There are two types– superficial tumors that are easily treated, and invasive tumors likely to metastasize. Mabel had the invasive form that is all too common in dogs, and it had spread throughout her body. Any treatments would do nothing but cause her more unnecessary pain.
During our last week with Mabel, her body deteriorated. We could no longer pick her up or hold her because she was in so much pain. The little control she had left over her bodily functions was gone. Euthanizing a pet is a painful decision, but watching her suffer was far more excruciating. It was clear that anytime she was awake Mabel was in pain. No one wanted to put her down, but she did not deserve to suffer just because we were too selfish to lose her.
3. DOGS ARE INVOLVED IN EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS THAT COULD HELP HUMAN CANCER PATIENTS
It was a short time frame from the day she was diagnosed to the day we were forced to make that difficult decision. If any treatment options were possible, our family would have chosen to fight her cancer. If it were caught earlier we would have tried chemotherapy or enrolled her in an experimental trial like the clinical trials at Purdue University, which have extended the lives of dogs with TCC more than a year longer than is typical in dogs who have undergone standard treatments.
Cancer is a hard battle for the over 1.6 million Americans diagnosed every year, but for millions of dogs it’s usually considered an optional fight. Increasingly, however, owners are choosing to fight for their pups with experimental treatments. By the time Mabel was diagnosed, the cancer had spread too extensively, but for those whose dogs can take part in experimental trials, their participation in these studies has immense implications beyond their own dogs—and even beyond the 6 million dogs a year that are diagnosed, and living with cancer. The information gleaned from this research can be used to better treat human patients and might, one day, unlock a cure.
4. TREATMENTS LIKE IMMUNOTHERAPY WILL BEGIN WITH ANIMAL RESEARCH AND LEAD, EVENTUALLY, TO USE IN VETERINARY MEDICINE
Mabel (2005-2014) celebrates a birthday
Cancers such as bone cancer, lymphoma, and bladder cancer spontaneously arise in dogs, due to the same genetic mutations that causes cancer in humans. Pioneering treatments, like immunotherapy, can be used to treat canine cancer, laying a foundation for human clinical trials. Comparative oncology centers conduct trials in dogs with cancer to evaluate new treatments for dogs and humans: using animal research, for the benefit of animal health, in tandem with human health.
Our greatest asset in the fight against cancer is in our homes. Research with dogs living with cancer is progressing towards more effective treatments for our animal companions and our fellow man. Trials with dogs lead to treatments that can transition from extending dogs’ lives to aiding humans in their fight against cancer: giving families, pets and humans, more time together. With continued canine cancer research, and the new breakthroughs that result, when families facing cancer hope that it’s going to be okay… it actually will be.
By: Hannah Eaton, FBR Intern
I appreciate the personal perspectives here and hope the best for Mabel and her family. Our own dog, now 11 years old, has mast cell cancer that has spread, and she will not last forever no matter what. What I learn from this experience, however, is not that research can advance from Bella’s condition as a model system (and I am a medical researcher myself). Rather, that death, disease, mortality and loss are essential complements of life. We cherish Bella each day, and one day at a time. And Bella teaches us to live in the moment, each day and one day at a time.
My 10 year old pitbull Piglet was just diagnosed with cancer. From my understanding it kind of like breast cancer in a female. When the vet took her blood it showed that the cancer has spread throughout Piglet’s body. Now I’m faced with the hardest decision of my life. Either spend a lot of money to have a mass removed that will probably only give Piggy two more weeks to live, or have her put down. If there is any advice anyone can give me, I am up for some. I love my baby girl more than anyone will ever know.
I believe it was FBR where I had previously read about the use of attenuated bacteria to treat, and sometimes successfully, cancers in dogs and other domesticated animals. At times injecting the bacteria directly into the cancer mass or tumor could bring about positive results. Infusing the animal systemically with bacterial toxins could also be effective in bringing about an immune response fever which could also be fairly effective in doing battle against the cancer. Chemotherapy does not bring about an immune response and tends to sometimes compromise the animal’s immune system as does radiation. This can lead to long term complications bringing about a “cure is worse than the disease” syndrome. The bacterial toxins are not without side effects either. But on the other hand they are limited usually only to the time that the patient is being treated. Side effects tend to be transient fever, chills, body aches and nausea. I’m wondering if the author (Hannah Eaton) had ever investigated this bacterial therapy avenue for her schnauzer, Mabel. How many small animal Veterinary Doctors are even aware or are able to utilize such bacterial therapies outside of large research institutions?
Thank you for relating Mabel’s story. We just had to euthanize our 11 year old Sheltie who had urethral cancer that had metastasized. At the time we euthanized her she seemed happy and energetic, but because she could not urinate she would’ve had to spend the remaining days with a catheter in a hospital setting. Mabel’s story helped us to have peace with our decision.
Antonova I just read your story and it hit home. Our 9 yr old sheltie girl just had to be put down 2 weeks ago due to bladder cancer. She tried to be so strong. Even on the last day she picked up a toy but felt too bad to play. She was high in spirits until the last minute. We had to make that hard decision for her. I would have held on forever but it would have been selfish. She had stopped eating, was constantly passing blood and panting uncontrollably. This has absolutely gutted me. She was my life. My husband and I were never able to have children but she filled that void. I miss her so much. I would have given years of my life to have her longer. Shelties are the best unfortunately they are prone to so many terrible things.