As our pets grow older, their health becomes a priority, and one of the most common concerns for senior pets is cancer. Generally, about 50% of dogs’ yearly deaths are due to cancer, and many of them remain undiagnosed. It is yet another shocking fact that emphasizes the importance of understanding cancers in pets, especially the care and quality of life post-diagnosis. Let’s explore our products, like Memorial Gifts For Pets and Personalized Pet Memorial Gifts, to sympathize with pet parents who have recently lost their beloved pets.
What Are Cancer Stages in Pets?
Staging in animals measures the spread of the disease. A pet’s cancer stage shapes the treatment plan and prognosis. For example, if the tumor is localized to a single area, the prognosis may be more optimistic. But if it has metastasized, then treatment might be limited.
Cancer staging also aids in understanding how aggressive the disease is. In veterinary science, most cancer staging protocols are guidelines borrowed from human oncology, especially those regarding the most common ones, such as lymphoma. Below is a simplified version of how lymphoma is staged in pets:
Stage 1: Cancer affects one lymph node on one side of the diaphragm.
Stage 2: Several lymph nodes are affected, but only on one side of the diaphragm.
Stage 3: Lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm are involved.
Stage 4: Cancer spreads to the liver or spleen.
Stage 5: Cancer invades other organs, such as the bone marrow, skin, or eyes.
A cancer stage for your pet gives you the impetus to decide how to properly care for and treat it. For instance, earlier-stage cancer may be amenable to surgery or local treatment, while advanced stages may need more aggressive therapy like chemotherapy.
How Is the Stage of Cancer in Pets Determined?
Accurate determination of your pet’s cancer stage involves a set of diagnostic tests. These tests inform your pet’s health status, enabling the veterinarian to choose the best treatment. Some of the diagnostic tests that are very important include;
- Complete Blood Count (CBC): This test measures your pet’s red and white blood cells and platelets, identifying issues like anemia, infections, or cancer.
- Blood Chemistry Panel: This test evaluates your pet’s organ function, including the kidneys and liver, and checks for abnormalities in glucose and electrolyte levels.
- Fine-needle aspirate (FNA): A less invasive method to collect cells from a suspected tumor using a needle and syringe.
- Biopsy: In cases where more information is needed, a biopsy, which involves removing tissue for detailed examination, might be performed.
- Radiographs (X-rays): These detect whether cancer has spread to vital organs like the lungs.
- Ultrasound: This test helps evaluate lymph node size and detect metastasis.
- Bone Marrow Aspirate or Biopsy: This test is crucial for bone marrow cancers.
Honoring Your Pet with Meaningful Personalized Pet Memorial Gifts
Losing a pet to cancer or another illness is very emotional. Finding ways to remember your dearly loved pet can soften the blow to the heart while keeping the dear one in memory. Pet Perennials offers many types of memorial gifts for pets intended to provide comfort and solace as you grieve. Here are a few considerations that carefully remind you of the bond you were able to have with your pet.
- Faithful Angels Memorial Dog Figurine: This Faithful Angels Memorial Dog Figurine is symbolic and showcases how much you love and treasure a dog because of his love and devotion. This beautifully designed figurine features angel wings and a touching sentiment, making it a perfect keepsake. This figurine is 4.5 inches tall, sculptured out of non-toxic resin, and etched with the word “Devoted.” This beautiful figurine is the ultimate symbol of a dog’s friendship, which would comfort the pet parent at times of reflection.
- Memorial Pawprint and Angel Wings Glass Ornament: This glass ornament featuring the pawprint design accompanied by angel wings, as well as a heartfelt message written on it, “No longer by my side, but forever in my heart,” is a lovely way to convey this message. A hand-stamped metal charm bearing your pet’s name can add a personal touch to it in the form of a memorial pet gift. Hang it on your house, rearview mirror of your car, or Christmas tree at Christmas-wherever it hangs, it is a subtle reminder of your pet’s perpetual presence.
Some Toys and Treats
- Puppy Cake Peanut Butter Dog Cake Mix: This Peanut Butter DIY treat is a popular dog-friendly treat. Create a light, fluffy, and moist cake for your pups with an icing mix included. The recipe requires one egg, oil, and water and can be microwaved or baked. The cake mix includes rice flour, cane sugar, peanut flour, baking powder, salt, and tapioca starch.
- Ethical Spot Frozen Yogurt Plush Squeaker Toy for Dogs: Ethical Spot’s Fun Food toy offers a zero-calorie frozen yogurt option for dogs. Available in two sizes, the 4-inch toy is suitable for small and medium-sized dogs, while the Jumbo is ideal for larger ones. This toy is perfect for squeaker-loving dogs.
Processing Grief with Memorial Gifts
Gifts for when a pet dies are tributes to your pet and tools for processing grief. The tangible presence of these keepsakes helps channel your emotions and reminds you that the love shared with your pet will never fade.
Pet Perennials understands how deep and special a pet owner’s bond with their furry friend is. Therefore, it provides an extensive range of personalized pet memorial gifts. Our thoughtful collection will help keep the memories alive about a beloved pet in a meaningful way. Whether a pet memorial wind chime or memorial garden for after a pet has passed away or a figurine honoring the cherished pet, these gifts for when a pet dies will bring a pet’s memory close to its owner’s heart.
Also, memorial gifts for pets can bring calmness and healing to losing a pet; though their loss journey might have had many tears and darkness, it’s indeed full of emotional ups and downs. Regardless of whether a pet died from cancer or any other disease, memorial gifts for pets can soothe the heart in passing away life. Gifts for when a pet dies from Pet Perennials: the Faithful Angels Memorial Dog Figurine, the Memorial Pawprint and Angel Wings Glass Ornament, similar to any other, would remind you of when your dear pet made your life richer by being in your life. When you lose your beloved pet, thoughtful memorials like these gifts help you celebrate the life they lived and the happiness they gave you while helping you navigate your grief.