May 14th, 2008 9:41 AM Eastern
Bone Marrow Transplants For Fido
by Paula Rizzo
Veterinary Oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Bryan says over the years the procedure has been done experimentally in dogs.
Bone marrow transplants have been done routinely for humans in the past two decades and save thousands of lives, so Bryan believes it can do the same for dogs.
But, it won’t be cheap – the procedure will cost $20,000.
“This represents a big giveback to the canine species,” Bryan said.
Tags: bone marrow, dog, transplant
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Even though the story in The Vancouver Sun gave the dateline as Seattle, the veterinary school where the procedure is to be performed is at the main campus in Pullman, WA, quite a distance from Seattle. WSU West in Seattle is mainly administrative offices serving recruitment and fundraising.
I don’t know how similar a bone marrow transplant would be for a dog as opposed to a human, but I have known a number of people who have undergone bone marrow transplants, often with horrible side effects. My father underwent two and both times had a condition where the skin inside his mouth and throat sluffed off and blistered so badly that he wasn’t allowed to drink, little alone eat. He begged for water for days and had us all in tears. Then there is the very real possibility of Host vs Graft Disease.
You can at least explain this procedure to a person and help them understand what to expect. You can’t do that for a dog. I don’t think I could put my dog through a bone marrow transplant, I love my animals too much to watch them go through that much pain for such an extended length of time.
This is a procedure that does not happen overnight, it takes weeks. Weeks of your pet being away from home and in terrible pain.
What are the side affects of too much potassium chloride.