The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma
Despite the emergence some years ago of oncology as a veterinary specialty, there has been very little in the way of ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in dogs. The purpose of this article is to undertake an ethical analysis to critically examine the use of chemotherapy to prolong the life of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/7/441 |
| _version_ | 1818509225129672704 |
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| author | Tanya Stephens |
| author_facet | Tanya Stephens |
| author_sort | Tanya Stephens |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the emergence some years ago of oncology as a veterinary specialty, there has been very little in the way of ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in dogs. The purpose of this article is to undertake an ethical analysis to critically examine the use of chemotherapy to prolong the life of dogs suffering from cancer. If dogs have no concept of the future and are likely to suffer at least some adverse effects with such treatments, consideration should be given as to whether it is ethical and in the animal’s best interests to use chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs are mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic and may be irritant. Furthermore, chemotherapy may involve multiple trips to the veterinarian, multiple procedures and periods in isolation. Cancer-associated pain has been shown to be under-diagnosed and pet owners overestimate the effects of chemotherapy on treatment survival time. Of additional concern is the public health risks associated with chemotherapeutic drugs. As chemotherapy is not generally considered curative, it is in effect palliative care. However, palliative care may not be in the best interests of a terminally ill animal. As the specialty of veterinary oncology continues to grow and as the use of chemotherapy becomes more commonplace in the treatment of animals with cancer, it is imperative that there is an ongoing ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in animals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:42:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3f4dfeb91b547b786b3000badf5136b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:42:32Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3f4dfeb91b547b786b3000badf5136b2022-12-22T01:30:40ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152019-07-019744110.3390/ani9070441ani9070441The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical DilemmaTanya Stephens0Haberfield Veterinary Hospital, Haberfield, NSW 2045, AustraliaDespite the emergence some years ago of oncology as a veterinary specialty, there has been very little in the way of ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in dogs. The purpose of this article is to undertake an ethical analysis to critically examine the use of chemotherapy to prolong the life of dogs suffering from cancer. If dogs have no concept of the future and are likely to suffer at least some adverse effects with such treatments, consideration should be given as to whether it is ethical and in the animal’s best interests to use chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs are mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic and may be irritant. Furthermore, chemotherapy may involve multiple trips to the veterinarian, multiple procedures and periods in isolation. Cancer-associated pain has been shown to be under-diagnosed and pet owners overestimate the effects of chemotherapy on treatment survival time. Of additional concern is the public health risks associated with chemotherapeutic drugs. As chemotherapy is not generally considered curative, it is in effect palliative care. However, palliative care may not be in the best interests of a terminally ill animal. As the specialty of veterinary oncology continues to grow and as the use of chemotherapy becomes more commonplace in the treatment of animals with cancer, it is imperative that there is an ongoing ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in animals.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/7/441chemotherapycancerdogsoncologyethical theoriesethical analysis |
| spellingShingle | Tanya Stephens The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma Animals chemotherapy cancer dogs oncology ethical theories ethical analysis |
| title | The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma |
| title_full | The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma |
| title_fullStr | The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma |
| title_short | The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma |
| title_sort | use of chemotherapy to prolong the life of dogs suffering from cancer the ethical dilemma |
| topic | chemotherapy cancer dogs oncology ethical theories ethical analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/7/441 |
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