I just finished reading a really good article, the first of its kind in the veterinary literature. The article talked about why veterinarians in Ontario Canada referred dogs with either osteosarcoma or lymphoma to a veterinary oncologist. The main findings were that there were multiple factors associated with their decisions. One of the most significant factors was the veterinarian's confidence in the referral center. We at The Veterinary Cancer Center in Norwalk, CT certainly believe this and we try everyday to ensure that our referring veterinarians have confidence in us. Two of the other factors that influenced whether a referral was made were the general health status of the dog and whether the client had a strong bond to their dog. Assessment the health status is certainly important and is generally a very objective measure. On the other hand, the measure of a client's bond to their dog is much more subjective and sometimes quite difficult to measure. Yet despite this, a veterinarian's assessment of the strength of this bond was a very influential factor in determining whether they referred or not.
This article just talks about dogs and only two forms of cancer, it would be very interesting to see if these trends are the same for cats and for all other cancers.
The Veterinary Cancer Center has built its reputation on earning the communities trust and confidence every day. With this article in print, we now have proof of how important this truly is.
