Pet Cancer Fighter – Sampson’s Story

As part of Pet Cancer Awareness month, Veterinary Pet Insurance is highlighting some of our policyholders’ pets that were diagnosed with, treated for, and survived pet cancer. Every year in the United States, millions of pets are diagnosed with cancer, yet many pet owners are unaware of the prevalence and cost of the disease.Our final pet cancer story is about Sampson, a mixed-breed dog owned by Jean Frederick. When we first contacted Jean about spotlighting Sampson as a pet cancer survivor, he was in remission from his cancer, however since then his cancer has returned. Sampson is in the middle of his second round of chemotherapy now and handling it well. According to Jean, Sampson’s experience has taught her that “cancer is not a death sentence, you sometimes have to just live with it, move on, and enjoy every single day!”

Jean first met Sampson nine years ago at the Kentucky Humane Society. She was not looking to get a dog—she was trying to get a friend of hers to support a rescue rather than buying from a puppy mill. “My friend was looking for a small breed puppy,” she said,  “I left with the biggest adult dog in the shelter!”

Earlier this year Jean noticed a “fast-growing mass” on the inside of Sampson’s back leg. The mass appeared suddenly so Jean took him it to have it examined. The mass was removed by the veterinarian and sent in to be biopsied. The news was not good—Sampson had hemangiosarcoma and grade 3 fibrosarcoma

Upon hearing the diagnosis, Jean was heartbroken. She had already lost two family members to cancer in the past and the thought of Sampson also suffering from cancer was terrible.

Sampson’s veterinarian recommended Jean take him to Dr. Karina Valerius, an oncology specialist in Cincinnati. Dr. Valerius felt Sampson was a good candidate for chemotherapy to treat the aggressive cancer. Sampson handled the chemo like a champ. Jean was worried about him being “sickly and lethargic” after his first treatment, but Sampson “came bouncing out of the hospital room wagging his little nub.” He slept a lot the first few days after, and lost a bit of his appetite, but has since battled back. As Jean says, “You’d have no idea that he is fighting cancer if I didn’t tell you. He has really taught me a lesson in strength, hope, and courage.”

When asked what she would say to other pet owners in a similar situation, Jean said, “Don’t give up! If your pet is a good candidate for treatment, follow through and give them a chance. If you don’t like the advice that you are getting from your veterinarian, get a second opinion and/or contact a specialist. There are some amazing pet oncology specialists that do wonderful work and really know what they are doing. Our doctor has made all the difference in the world.”

Sampson’s battle is an example of how having pet insurance can help offer some peace of mind when dealing with a stressful situation such as fighting cancer. Jean was actually surprised to get a call from VPI after one claim had been processed to be told she would be getting an additional reimbursement check.

“Thank you VPI! I have to say it was such a load off to tell people that Sampson was ‘covered’ by VPI after getting a cancer diagnosis. Every time I spoke to someone at VPI they were so courteous and helpful. You all have not let us down and I consider you to be part of Sampson’s team.”

And for pet owners who worry about whether the cancer treatments will be successful, Jean reminds them that, “there is no way to know how treatment will turn out. The only thing you can be certain of is that if more people don’t pursue treatment options, we are not going to make any significant progress in beating this disease.”