Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over two years, and managing quality of life throughout diagnosis, treatment and end-of-life care requires welfare-centred decision-making.
Canine cancer welfare requires honest assessment of what treatment achieves for the individual dog — not just survival extension but quality of life during treatment and prognosis period. Treatment that extends life by weeks while significantly impairing daily comfort may not serve the dog's welfare. Conversely, effective treatment that achieves remission with manageable side effects clearly benefits the dog. The welfare-centred oncology conversation focuses on the dog's experience throughout the treatment journey rather than solely on response rates and survival statistics.