Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2008, about five months before Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. That day Mattie's "girlfriend," Charlotte came over after school for a playdate. As you can see Mattie convinced Charlotte to use his bed as a trampoline. They both had a great time together. But if you look carefully you will see that Mattie not only had a mattress on his bed, but he also had an aero mattress on top of his mattress. Why? Just because! Mattie would go through phases and he thought this would be a great addition to his bed. It never lasted long, but he liked the notion of climbing up into bed and being high off the floor.
Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.
- Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 28,525,254
- Number of people who died from the virus: 511,335
Did you know dogs get cancer? According to the Veterinary Cancer Society, cancer is the main cause of death in 47% of dogs (especially dogs over age ten) and 32% of cats. Dogs get cancer at about the same rate as humans, while cats have fewer cancers. There are over 100 types of cancers in dogs.
Dogs are not only our best friends in our everyday lives, but researchers are working with dogs who have cancer to help find better cancer treatments for humans! A major side effect of some cancer treatments is heart disease. Not only for humans, but veterinarians are seeing this happen in dogs. Unfortunately the impact on the heart isn't well understood, and therefore can't currently be prevented. Instead, the way side effects are found is after the cancer treatment and the damage has already been done. We certainly know this was the case with Mattie and his cancer treatments!
While undergoing treatment, Mattie periodically saw a pediatric cardiologist. Who reported that his heart was being impacted by the treatment! Of course as a parent or patient, it is a catch 22! You can't stop the cancer treatment, because that would be a confirmed death sentence. Which is why hearing about studies on our furry friends intrigues me.
Studies underway now are looking into how cancer therapies impact humans and dogs by using echocardiograms of heart function, and by collecting cell and tissue samples. Ironically, so far the data shows the impact on the heart is similar for dogs and humans. Therefore the hope is new therapies tested in dogs, and found effective, can more rapidly be translated to improving human cancer care. I posted a video below of a Channel 5 news story out of Boston, which highlights the professional connection between a veterinary cardiologist and a human cardiologist, working together to help both dogs and humans.
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