Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a new ground-breaking treatment option, particularly for dogs with cancer. Cancer cells normally grow and spread because the immune system fails to recognize them as abnormal. This allows them to continue to metastasize. K9-ACV is an immunotherapy vaccine that can be used to help the dog’s immune system recognize the cancer cells as detrimental and attack them.
If the patient has a tumor that can be removed, it can be used to develop a vaccine specifically for that patient. First, the tumor is removed and shipped to Medivet labs, where the cancerous cells are used to create a vaccine that alerts the body that those particular cells are harmful. The personalized cancer vaccine is then administered to the dog, which “wakes-up” the immune system and helps it to recognize the dangerous cancer cells within the dog’s body.
The immune system then naturally starts killing the cancer cells and potentially helps prevent them from spreading further. The immunotherapy vaccine is created in the Medivet lab using your dog’s own cancer cells. Veterinary Healing Center is then able to administer the vaccine. Three vaccines are created and administered, four weeks apart.
The following are common cancers that are treatable with the immunotherapy vaccine for dogs:
- Lymphoma
- Mast cell tumor
- Sarcoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Melanoma
- Splenic or hepatic hemangiosarcoma
- Skin tumors
- Mammary tumors
For any additional questions or to book an appointment, please contact our office today: (916) 933-6030
