Chemotherapy drugs are potent medications that must be handled with care, particularly if you are pregnant or have small children. We recommend that you wear latex/nitrile gloves if you give chemotherapy at home.

Small quantities of chemotherapy drugs can be found in urine, feces, vomitus, and saliva of patients for up to 1-21 days after treatment, depending on the drug. We strongly recommend that you limit direct contact with bodily fluids/excretions in the 3-5 days directly following chemotherapy treatments. Always wear gloves when cleaning up urine, feces, or vomitus and cleaning litterboxes. Outdoor pet waste is typically safe in the environment 45–72 hours post excretion.

Our primary goal is to maintain a good quality of life for your pet and family for as long as possible. On average, chemotherapy causes side effects such as vomiting or diarrhea in less than 25 percent of pets. Most pets have no visible side effects at all. Nevertheless, all chemotherapy drugs have the potential to cause side effects, including very rarely fatal ones. The information below will help you to manage while your pet is on chemotherapy.

• Lethargy or fever: If your pet seems to feel poorly or be very tired, take their resting temperature with a rectal thermometer. If the temperature is above 103°F when they are at rest, please visit an emergency room.
• Decrease in appetite:
  • If no vomiting, feed small meals 3–4 times a day rather than one or two large meals.
  • To increase the flavor and appeal of dry foods, add warm broth, meat-flavored baby food, or cottage cheese. For canned foods, try warming food or adding lean meat. You can also try our bland diet suggestions (below).
  • Most patients are discharged with an anti-nausea drug; administer the medication as stated on the label.
  • Call us or visit an emergency room if your pet’s appetite remains poor for more than 48 hours or is accompanied by a fever over 103°F.
• Vomiting:
  • Withhold all food and water. If no vomiting has occurred after 4–6 hours, offer small amounts of water (tablespoons) or ice chips every 2–3 hours.
  • If an anti-nausea drug has been prescribed, give this if you can.
  • If no vomiting after receiving water and 12 hours of fasting, the pet can be offered small amounts (1–2 tablespoons to start) of bland food (see below) frequently (every ~2 hours).
  • Please call us or visit an emergency room if the vomiting is persistent and does not respond to the above measures or is accompanied by a fever over 103°F.
• Diarrhea:
  • Withhold food for 12 hours. If no vomiting, keep water available at all times.
  • After 12 hours without food, offer 3–4 small (1–2 tablespoons to start) meals of a bland diet per day (see below).
  • Continue a bland diet until the diarrhea resolves. Gradually change back to regular food over several days. Start by mixing a small amount of the regular food with the bland, and then use progressively more of the regular food and less of the bland diet with each meal.
  • If an anti-diarrheal probiotic or drug has been prescribed, give this if you can.
  • Please call us or visit an emergency room if the diarrhea does not resolve after 48 hours or is accompanied by a fever over 103°F, or if it worsens.

Bland diet options:

Bland diet options include home-cooked or prescription foods (Hill’s i/d or Purina EN are available at the Veterinary Medical Center or at your local veterinary hospital).

Home-cooked diets are often a mixture of protein and carbohydrates. Feed dogs 1 part protein to 2 parts carbohydrates. Cats may prefer all meat or a one-to-one mixture of meat and carbohydrates.

Good protein sources included boiled chicken or turkey (no skin), boiled hamburger, low-fat cottage cheese, water-packed tuna, or low-fat yogurt. Good carbohydrate sources include boiled white rice, potatoes, pasta, or baby food cereal (rice or oatmeal) with water added.

We do not recommend any raw or grain-free diet for patients receiving chemotherapy; this includes freeze-dried or dehydrated food and treats.

If pain, redness, or swelling develops at the injection site within hours or days of chemotherapy, please call us at (517) 353-5420. Please take photos and include them in an email to cvm.oncinfo@msu.edu. The discharge form notes the limb that was used for the most recent chemotherapy administration.