Oncology Care

Focusing on Quality of Life

Cancer is NOT a simple condition or a simple verdict… Finding out that your pet has cancer can be stressful and distressing. You and your family need to be able to make informed decisions about what is best for your pet. 

Here at OREV, our board-certified oncologists will meet with you and your pet to confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment options and prognosis. We work together with you and your primary veterinarian to determine the right treatment plan for your pet, focusing on overall quality of life and comfort level.
Picture of Skittles after finishing chemo

Cancer Care Services

Our oncologists are skilled in a wide range of cancer treatments. Treatment options commonly performed include:
Megan holding a dog as he goes through chemo

Surgery is a commonly used treatment option for pets with cancer. The best chance to achieve complete surgical removal of the tumor is during the first surgery and is often best performed by a board-certified surgeon experienced in surgical oncology. Depending on the cancer, chemotherapy or immunotherapy may be recommended after surgery to improve your pet’s outcome.

Chemotherapy is often used to treat cancer that has spread (or has the potential for spread) to other parts of the body or to treat cancer that cannot be treated with surgery alone. Chemotherapy can be administered intravenously on an outpatient basis or prescribed to be given orally at home. The goal of chemotherapy is to treat cancer as effectively as possible while still providing the best quality of life to your pet. Chemotherapy is typically not expected to cure cancer in most cases, but rather control cancer by slowing the spread or recurrence. Most pets have an excellent quality of life during chemotherapy treatment.

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that stimulates your pet’s immune system to fight cancer. One example is the canine melanoma vaccine, which is used for the treatment of a type of oral cancer in dogs called malignant melanoma. This form of treatment is very well tolerated and may help improve the outcome in dogs with oral malignant melanoma.

Palliative care is a type of treatment that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and pain associated with cancer. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of your pet. Palliative care may involve giving oral pain medications at home, drugs to stimulate the appetite, or treat nausea, and nutritional support.

Other cancer treatments include radiation therapy and electrochemotherapy. When recommended for your pet, we will refer you to a radiation oncologist or electrochemotherapy specialist.

Getting Started

Does My Pet Need a Referral?
Yes, our patients are referred by their primary care vet when their conditions indicate a need for specialized expertise in advanced surgery and oncology. When you contact us, we’ll review your pet’s health record and schedule an initial consultation to evaluate your pet’s needs.
Do I Need a Board-Certified Veterinarian?
If your pet requires specialized care outside the scope of your primary vet, you may need a board-certified veterinarian. Our board-certified vets have completed 3-4 years of additional training beyond veterinary school in specific areas of surgery and oncology.
What to Expect in the First Appointment?
During your initial appointment, one of our board-certified veterinarians will review your pet's history, perform a full examination, and follow-up with an in-depth discussion about your pet’s condition, ensuring your questions are answered. Together, you and our specialist will discuss the possible treatment options and decide what is best for your pet and your family.

Care Crew

Dr-Collette-headshot
Sarah Collette
DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Oncology)

Pet-timonials

Love notes from our special patients.
Fantastic staff and veterinarians. Compassionate and I can clearly see they care about my cat. They listen to me, and have been amazing in helping keep my cat healthy and comfortable while navigating cancer. LOVE these people.
Patty Lanasek
Incredible service. We took our 13-year-old lab here after a routine check-up and our vet discovered a cancerous tumor. The staff had great communication and always had a great attitude. I genuinely felt they cared for our Kottin girl and they'd be sure to treat her well. They did fantastic. Highly recommend OREV.
Tiffany Miller
This place is amazing. Their entire staff is compassionate, communicative and just so lovely. My sweet dog has gotten chemo treatments from them for the last year, and had to have surgery during that time as well so we have worked with the whole team. They remember us, her treatment, and respond immediately if you have any concerns. If your pet is going through something tough, I can't recommend OREV enough to help make the process a little bit easier.
Jessica Porter