Frequently Asked Questions

All consults and chemotherapy treatments take place at our clinics, hosted by Estuary Vets in Topsham and Mount Vets in Wellington.  In emergency situations it may be possible to provide a one-off treatment at other veterinary practices. 

The first step is to speak to your primary care vet.  They can get in touch with Oncovet and either seek advice on your pet's condition, or request a referral.  Once your pet has been referred you will be contacted by Oncovet to arrange an initial consultation.   In some circumstances this could be done by phone, but it is often important for us to examine your pet.

A very common question!  Because we can't ask our pets if they mind having a treatment that will make them feel temporarily unwell, but will help their disease, the veterinary profession uses chemotherapy in a slightly different way to human medicine.  We use lower doses and dose frequencies, to create a fine balance between being as effective as possible but minimising side effects.  This means that over 80% of pets will experience no or almost no side effects, and most of those that do are mild and transient. The aim is for our patients to be well throughout the treatment as well as afterwards. 

This varies depending on the type of cancer and treatment being given.  For injectable treatments it often ranges from weekly to every 3 -4 weeks, and courses can last anything from 6 weeks to ongoing.  All treatment options, frequencies and durations will be discussed during your consultation.