Dr Nikhil Sharma, Lead veterinarian, Oncology Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, Jubilee Hills.
“Chemotherapy? I could never put my pet through that.”
It is a sentence veterinarians hear often – and understandably so. For many people, chemotherapy is associated with suffering: weight loss, weakness, hair loss, fatigue, and the painful memory of watching someone they love battle cancer.
The fear is real. The hesitation is real.
And truthfully, chemotherapy is not a gentle drug. It was never designed to be.
Chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells. It does not distinguish between “good” and “bad” cells; to these drugs, a cell is simply a cell. That is precisely why chemotherapy demands respect given to it by careful planning, extensive diagnostics, and thoughtful decision-making before a single treatment is started.
Contrary to common belief, veterinarians do not recommend chemotherapy casually.
Before beginning treatment, we discuss every aspect with pet parents – the diagnosis, the stage of disease, expected prognosis, possible complications, treatment goals, and even the side effects people are often most afraid of hearing about. Every decision is made after careful deliberation and with the pet’s quality of life at the center.
What many people may not realize is that chemotherapy in veterinary medicine is very different from chemotherapy in human medicine.
In pets, the primary goal is not simply to prolong life at any cost. Our aim is to preserve comfort, happiness, appetite, and dignity while also increasing survival time. The disease should never become easier to tolerate than the treatment itself.
That principle guides every protocol we design.
So, despite its reputation, why do veterinarians still recommend chemotherapy?
Because many pets actually tolerate it remarkably well.
For some families, chemotherapy provides precious extra months – months filled with walks, meals, tail wags, playtime, and normalcy. In cancers where a cure may not be possible, treatment can still offer something invaluable: time.
Time for families to process the diagnosis.
Time to adjust emotionally.
Time to create memories.
And sometimes, time to prepare for the difficult goodbye that may eventually come.
Cancer does not just affect pets; it affects entire families. Chemotherapy, when used responsibly, can help make that journey a little less abrupt and a little more manageable.
No veterinarian views chemotherapy lightly. It is never prescribed without thorough testing, discussion, and assessment of whether a patient is healthy enough to undergo treatment safely.
Yes, chemotherapy has side effects. Yes, it can be difficult. But when approached with care, honesty, and compassion, it is not merely the “bad guy” people imagine it to be.
Sometimes, it is simply a tool that helps us give pets what matters most: a good quality of life and a little more time with the people who love them.
