ABOUT DR SUE
DVM, DACVIM (ONCOLOGY)
Dr. Sue Ettinger is a practicing veterinary cancer specialist, international speaker, book author, and vlogger (video blogger). She is one of approximately 450 board-certified specialists in medical oncology in North America and currently practices at Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. She is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Fidu, a teleconsulting company to bring together general practice veterinarians and boarded veterinary specialists. She received her veterinary training at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her residency in medical oncology at the Animal Medical Center in NYC in 2003.
She was voted the 2019 Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year and has recently received awards for Exceptional Doctor Performance and the Public Relations Achievement.
Also known as Dr Sue Cancer Vet®, Dr. Sue is the co-author of the Second Edition of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, which is a best-selling book in small animal health for the last several years. She is a frequent contributor to many veterinary publications, including Today’s Veterinary Practice, Today’s Veterinary Business, Clinician’s Brief, Veterinary Team Brief, & DVM360. She also has co-hosted the podcast The Pet Cancer Vet and is a frequent guest on many veterinary podcasts.
There are many myths and misconceptions about cancer in dogs and cats. Most cancers are treatable, and there are a variety of treatment options. Dr Sue’s focus is to provide comprehensive and compassionate care. She strives to minimize side effects – from the cancer itself and treatment – to help her patients lead active, normal lives even while undergoing treatment. Her motto is live longer, live well.
Dr. Sue is most passionate about raising cancer awareness, and she has developed “See Something, Do Something, Why Wait? Aspirate.®” to promote early cancer detection and diagnosis. This cancer awareness initiative for skin and superficial tumors in dogs and cats provides a set of guidelines for pet owners and veterinarians to help identify the best management for skin and subcutaneous (under the skin) masses in dogs and cats. Masses must be sampled and evaluated under a microscope to determine what they are. The sooner we determine whether a mass is cancerous and should be removed, the better for our pets. Most skin and subcutaneous tumors can be cured with surgery alone if diagnosed early when masses are small. Early detection saves lives.
A native of Long Island, New York, Dr Sue knew she wanted to be a veterinarian since she was in kindergarten. She currently lives in Westchester, New York, with her husband, a veterinary internist, their two sons, and their goofy black Labrador, Matilda, and yellow Labrador, Penelope.
Dr Sue loves to use social media to help clients and veterinary professionals with cancer in pets, including Instagram, her YouTube Channel , and her popular Facebook page with over 38,000 fans.
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You asked for more cases. You got it!
Today’s case is about oral malignant melanoma, a big lymph node, aspirates and quick overview on the most common oral cancer in dogs.
Looking for more info on melanoma? I have 2 vlogs ( # 115 & 116) on melanoma including skin, digit and oral malignant melanoma, so please church them out and subscribe on YouTube too. #linkinbioWhy?
When we were young it was, why is sky blue?
I remember the why’s my sons would ask when they were little. Why are dinosaurs extinct? Then, why are there more peanut allergies than when you were a kid, mommy?
At first I told them I was a veterinarian (how do you explain to a kid that you are a cancer vet?). Then as they got a little older I told them I was a cancer vet, and there were so many more questions. Why do dogs and cats get cancer? Why does that dog in your video have three legs, mom?
The why’s never stop.
You may be asking, why did MY pet get cancer? Why can’t I get the Covid-19 vaccine? Why are things so hard sometimes? Why can’t I be motivated with my to dos?
I have been asking myself a lot of these questions recently. TBH I am having a hard time getting motivated. I knew when the calendar turned to 2021, it would not magically get better, but I am not as organized and focused as I would like. Are you feeling the same way? (Maybe you are crushing 2021 l, but I am not.)
So I am circling back to my why.
Why do I do what I do? This picture reminds me of my why.
This is Woobie, who I have been treating for 4 and a half years. He was first diagnosed with a malignant thyroid carcinoma and had surgery and I treated him with chemotherapy. Last summer I diagnosed a splenic myxosarcoma and now were are dealing with liver carcinoma, too.
Why does he have 3 cancers? I may not have all the answers to the why’s, but taking care of Woobie and his family is my purpose.
These are some of my why’s:
To serve my patients and clients in the hospital I work.
To serve veterinary professionals and pet owners by providing cancer information and raising cancer awareness and early detection.
And to speak and teach. (I sure prefer live and in person over zoom and hope that will return soon.)
Reminding myself that helped me journal for the week and get organized. For now, I am getting basic, working on self-care, maybe a little grace, definitely new content, and hopefully I can crush it in 2021.
Why not?Why is treating cats with GI lymphoma trickier than other cat cancers?
The most common symptoms of gastrointestinal lymphoma in cats are:
🤮Vomiting
💩Diarrhea
⚖️Weight loss
🤢And changes in appetite
They can have 1 of these or more these clinical signs.
And even though cats tolerate chemo well (better than dogs and people), do you know what the GI side effects of chemo are?
Vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and changes in appetite.
In this video, I give you some quick tips for how I manage cats with GI lymphoma that are getting chemo so we can minimize side effects, so kitties can feel better more quickly.
My goal with all my cancer patients is that they not just live longer, but they feel well during chemo treatment. And then after too.
This video was part of my stories on IG this week so if you like it, be sure to follow me and watch my stories for more tips like this as we follow Tiger each week as he goes through the CHOP multi-drug protocol.
Looking for more info on cat lymphoma (causes, protocols, tests, prognosis)? Please check out my 4 part series on cat lymphoma on Youtube (vlog 97-100). #LinkInBioI don’t know how to tell you this.
To be honest, I didn’t know if I had to. But I don’t compartmentalize well, and it’s impossible for me to completely separate my professional from personal life.
Although this might’ve been the toughest and saddest holiday season ever, this picture was my moment of joy. My boys.
I woke up alone in my new temporary apartment on Christmas morning. That was really tough.
For those of you to follow me in my stories, you saw that I moved right before Christmas. Some of you asked where the family was moving. Well, the entire family didn’t move.
We’re getting divorced. There I said it. It still hurts. Like crazy. After 17 years of marriage. We dated for 5 years before that.
No, I don’t wanna go through the details. (Please do not ask.) I haven’t even told my friends or my family the details. It’s private, painful. It still hurts, it’s still raw.
A friend who went through a divorce told me it’s like a death. You are mourning the life you thought you would have with your ex, with your family as a unit. And I’m definitely still going through that process and trying to wrap may head around my new life. And how I have changed my boys’ lives.
Doing what I do here on social media is a big part of who I am. It provides me purpose and a joy from knowing I am helping others. You all inspire me to focus on something good during this very sad, tough year. And my I cannot separate work from personal life as much as I have tried.
So like many of you, I am looking forward to better days ahead in 2021. 2020 has been a horrible year for so many of us. I am sorry for your struggles, losses, and challenges too.
Your love and support this year has TRULY meant the world to me. Thank you, and Happy New Year!