Owner's perception of carboplatin in conjunction with other palliative treatments for cancer therapy

To determine owner's perception of their pet's quality of life during treatment with carboplatin for a variety of canine and feline neoplasms.

Owners were contacted via a postal questionnaire and asked questions regarding their perception of chemotherapy in pets and their perception of carboplatin treatment in their pet.

Twenty-eight (59%) of owners responded to the questionnaire. Forty-three percent of owners had not considered chemotherapy in pets before treatment; however, after treatment, 89% of owners supported its use. Sixteen (57%) patients had mild to severe side effects. Most patients experienced mild side effects, including lethargy and loss of appetite. Quality of life during treatment was reduced compared with prediagnosis quality of life however at its best was significantly improved compared with pretreatment quality of life. Eighty-nine per cent of respondents did not regret treating their pet.

Carboplatin is well tolerated by both owners and pets. Most patients have either no side effects or experience mild lethargy or inappetence. Carboplatin treatment, either alone or in conjunction with other medications, should be considered as a palliative treatment in both dogs and cats with susceptible neoplasms.