12 May 2025 02:00
Helping Pets and People Through Cancer with Dr. Renee Alsarraf
In this episode of Ask the Vet, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus is joined by her AMC colleague Dr. Renee Alsarraf for a heartfelt and informative conversation about cancer in pets. Dr. Alsarraf brings a unique perspective, not only as a board-certified veterinary oncologist, but also but also as a cancer survivor and pet parent to dogs who have faced cancer. Together, they discuss:
- The types of cancers commonly seen at AMC
- How radiation therapy works and when it’s used
- AMC’s use of linear accelerator technology for targeted treatment
- What’s changed in oncology over the years and what hasn’t
- How Dr. Alsarraf helps clients navigate difficult treatment decisions
- Insights from her memoir Sit, Stay, Heal: What Dogs Can Teach Us About Living Well
- What to expect from her upcoming webinar, Navigating a Pet’s Cancer Diagnosis
- How she stays hopeful doing emotionally challenging work
Also on this month's show:
- Viral trending animal story featuring Buford, a 150-pound ranch dog in Arizona who helped lead a toddler to safety
- Animal news, including a biotech company that claims to have brought back dire wolves, a new study showing that dogs understand meaningful words even in monotone speech... and the oldest known domestic cats in history, found in a 1559 shipwreck.
- Pet Health Listener Q&A, where Dr. Hohenhaus answers questions about what a giardia-positive test means in a newly adopted cat, managing inconsistent dog-to-dog reactivity, and whether gabapentin side effects in dogs are normal or worth reevaluating.
Do you have a pet question for Dr. Hohenhaus? Email [email protected] to have your question answered on Ask the Vet's Listener Q&A.
