Otis Gets His Wag Back — Bone Cancer Patient is Pain-free

Otis, the golden retriever, was in his golden years when bone cancer pain threatened to shorten his life. As a participant in a clinical trial aimed at pet dogs, he was given a single treatment of a pain therapy treatment called SP-SAP that doctors claim has drastically his pain levels

Bone cancer at advanced stages often leads to animals being euthanized for pain-related issues. This medication  prevents chronic pain signals from reaching the brain. The pet’s brain no longer knows it is in pain from the cancer, but can still feel normal acute pain that can be treated with traditional pain care.

A study sponsored byAbout Advanced Targeting Systems, Inc. the  San Diego-based biotechnology company that has developed the drug  promising published promising results in the November 2013 issue of the journal Anesthesiology. Pet dogs receiving SP-SAP displayed significantly less pain than dogs receiving traditional pain care, with no visible side effects and an improved quality of life.

With the hope of translating these results to humans, a clinical trial testing SP-SAP on terminal cancer patients has begun.

For pet owners of pets suffering from cancer, its worth noting this information and discussing it with your veterinarian.