Overview
Our approach to dogs and cats with cancer includes a complete health assessment so that owners can make the best treatment decision for their pets.
The patient's quality of life is paramount, and we strive to not just prolong their life through treatment but improve it, and alleviate suffering.
Penn Vet's oncology service at Ryan Hospital is a member of the Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (COTC) led by the National Cancer Institute. We collaborate with our human medicine counterparts to investigate new treatments through clinical trials.
Participation in these trials provides your pet with access to novel therapies, and simultaneously gathers valuable information that can help improve treatment for others.
Making an appointment with the Medical Oncology service:
To make an appointment with Medical Oncology, call 215-746-6557.
The Medical Oncology service sees dogs and cats with a diagnosis of cancer. Prior to the appointment, fax the results from your primary veterinarian to the oncology service so that we can review the information and prepare requests for the remaining diagnostic tests that we may need.
Please have your local veterinarian complete all related forms (PDF) as part of the referral.
Patient Resources
Thank you for bringing your pet to Penn Vet Oncology for their cancer care. This is a summary of our policies so you know what to expect during your appointment.
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Scheduling Future Visits
Please contact the Appointment Desk at 215-746-8387 to schedule future appointments. If you know that your pet will require frequent visits for treatment, you can schedule many of these in advance.
Pets with unscheduled visits may need to return on a later date or may be charged as an Emergency visit.
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Oncology Re-check Visit Procedures
Recheck visits are different than the initial consult appointment. A treatment plan or recheck plan is typically recommended after the first visit. For most recheck visits, a nurse or veterinary student will come to the lobby to greet you and your pet after you have checked in with the business office.
Please have your yellow sheet completed, so that we can collect all the pertinent information regarding your pet’s status, side effects and refill needs.
The oncologist in charge of your pet’s care will call you with an update and discuss the next treatment after the completion of the physical exam and planned diagnostics. If there is a significant change in status, the clinician will discuss additional tests with you and arrange for a face-to-face consultation whenever needed.
Although you will not speak with the veterinarian when you arrive, you will speak with them during your pet’s time with us, and/or when your pet is discharged.
Your pet will be cared for by a team of oncologists and oncologists in training, so you will very likely see different clinicians at subsequent visits.
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Duration of Your Visit
The average length of time that your pet’s recheck visit will take is 2-3 hours, sometimes longer depending on the diagnostic testing required; please make sure we can reach you by cell phone during this time. For your convenience you can drop your pet off before 9:00 am and pick them up in the afternoon. You can schedule this “drop-off” appointment when you speak with the Appointment Desk staff.
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Fasting
Unless your pet is going to be sedated or have chest x-rays or an abdominal ultrasound, you do not have to fast your pet prior to the visit. If we recommend that you fast your pet, please do not feed them after 10:00 pm the night before the visit, but continue to allow them water. If your pet should not be fasted due to a medical condition (like diabetes) or is taking daily medications, contact the Oncology Service to make arrangements.
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Emergencies
If your pet is experiencing problems during working hours (8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday) or you need to talk to one of the Oncology clinicians, please call the common Oncology voice mail at 215-898-4805 and leave a message. An Oncology clinician or nurse will get back to you the same day.
If your pet is experiencing serious problems after hours or during the weekend, please bring your pet to the Emergency Service for evaluation. The phone number for the Emergency Service is 215-746-8911.
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Non-Oncology Related Procedures
We are a specialty referral hospital, and our Medical Oncology clinicians and nurses are trained to treat and manage your pet’s cancer.
Other routine care procedures (such as vaccination and heartworm testing) as well as ear cleaning, nail trims, and anal sac expression should be performed by your primary care veterinarian.
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Help Us Help You
Complete the yellow sheet, it is important that you report side effects from the chemotherapy so we can make necessary adjustments in your pet’s treatment plan.
Please check your pet's pill bottles before you come, so that you can tell us your refill needs. If you run low, call for refills before the day of the last pill.
If you have blood work performed by your primary care veterinarian, fax copies to us at 215-573-6049 before your next appointment
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Day by Day Pet Support
Day by Day Support is a grief support group, held the first Tuesday of every month
Dedicated telephone hotline, 484-453-8210, available 24/7
Weekly telephone check-in from Day By Day staff upon direct request from clients
Weekly online Support Chat, held each Sunday at 7:00 pm
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Getting Involved
Help us fight cancer by supporting our research.
Cancer is a common cause of illness and death in both dogs and cats; only through continued research and research support can we change this.
The oncology service is actively involved in cancer research, including projects that focus on our own hospital patients only as well as multi-institutional and national clinical trials though our membership in the Comparative Oncology Trial Consortium.
We would be happy to talk with you about our research and how you can contribute to the work we do.