Thank you for your interest in the Private Practice Cancer Care educational video series by Demian Dressler, DVM. Functional Nutriments is proud to have underwritten this important video series and make it available free to veterinarians. To watch the video series, just enter your credentials in the form on this page.
You can learn more about the video series and watch the trailer below!
Meet Demian Dressler, DVM, owner of the accredited practice South Shore Veterinary Care on Maui. Maui is the most isolated spot on the planet, and incredibly rural. That fact, combined with the lack of board-certified specialists and a demanding, non-traditional client base forced him to "think different" about canine cancer.
Private practice veterinarians are almost always the ones to give bad news to clients, so having a plan for how to do that is critical. Dr. Dressler reviews a two-pronged approach he and his co-author, Susan Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology) have developed just for such sensitive communications. By using SPIKES and IM SAD in your own practice, you can use discussions of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options to build trust with your clients. That bond will help your clients trust your recommendations and put their confidence in you.
The most dreaded question private practice veterinarians face is usually "How long does my dog have, doc?" They're looking for a bottom line, so we give them the only "real number" we have: the median survival time. This may be a useful metric, but it also (often) makes us wrong. In this video Dr. Dressler explains his approach to this question, and how he manages expectations so that he can be "right" more often and keep the trust of his clients.
This video series is most useful for private practice veterinarians whose clients can't (or won't) take a referral. Luckily, there are six areas of cancer management that you absolutely can "take charge of" as a private practitioner. Get an overview of just how much good you can do, even if you don't have a specialist in charge of the case.
Many private practice veterinarians whose clients can't (or won't) see a specialist think there's only one real option for neoplastic canines: prednisone. While there is a place for pred, and it's certainly better than "there's nothing I can do," there is a lot more your CAN do for your patients. For one, you can offer palliative care, both in combination with specialist care and alone. Learn how to manage your client's expectations and find the "sweet spot" between life quality and longevity.
What should your clients be feeding their dogs with cancer? We have diets for dogs with all sorts of conditions – but not for cancer? There is a lot of data to show us what to eat and what not to eat. My guidelines are based on literature AND clinical experience of over a decade. These concepts are gaining traction in the veterinary community, and understanding them is critical to advising clients.
Boosting immune support in neoplastic canines is important, particularly to clients who won't or can't refer to an oncologist. Decreased immunity can occur due to aging, surgical stress, and cancer itself. Learn about the compounds you can use with confidence as a private practice veterinarian. Also learn how to balance immune support with anti-cancer effects, while increasing bioavailability.
What are dietary apoptogens, and why are they so important for private practices veterinarians, especially those whose clients will not or cannot be referred to a specialist? Well, forty percent of owners use nutritional supplements regardless of what their veterinarian tells them … so giving accurate, measured, high quality, science-backed advice about supplements is sound practice. It earns trust and helps clients navigate the morass of online information about anti-cancer, antiangiogenic, antimetastatic compounds.
In this video, Dr. Dressler gives us an overview of metronomic (low-dose oral) chemotherapy protocols useful for private practice veterinarians. These may be a great option for clients who won't or can't see an oncologist. Learn more about how this less expensive, efficient, balanced approach can help your clients in the comfort of their own home.
Dr. Dressler takes a deeper dive into Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) metronomic protocols, which are especially useful with hemangiosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and mammary adenocarcinoma. These low-dose oral protocols are a good treatment option for private practice veterinarians to offer to clients who will not (or cannot) refer out. Learn how to decide on doses, and how to combine these protocols with COX-2 inhibitors. Also: considerations for mitigating side effects.
