Library Journal Praises The Dog Cancer Survival Guide

Library Journal published a review of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide on August 25, 2011. The full text is below, or you can read the original on their website. You can also download a PDF version here.

Library Journal Review

Dressler, Demian, DVM, with Susan Ettinger, DVM. The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments To Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. 2d ed. Maui Media. 2011. 500p. illus. index. ISBN 9780975263150. pap. $34.95. SCI/PETS

With this book, canine cancer—the number one killer of dogs—loses some of its sting. The message that the dreaded diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence will reassure many readers. Dressler, a general practice veterinarian, and Ettinger, a veterinary oncologist, advocate the “full spectrum” approach to treatment, in which conventional tools (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation) and alternative remedies (supplements, botanical nutraceuticals, mind-body medicine) are considered. Their counsel, in short: “Try everything.” The book’s divided structure is somewhat unusual (but nonetheless effective), as Dressler uses the first two-thirds to give a comprehensive overview, while in the last third, Ettinger details 12 common cancers and their conventional treatments. Clever use of sidebars (part of the book’s “Dummies”-style packaging) allows the authors to comment on each other’s ideas, so the reader gets a practical demonstration of the value of second opinions. Anecdotes from appreciative readers of the first (ebook) edition have been sprinkled throughout the text, providing further advice and support.

Verdict Faced with a bewildering set of circumstances, owners of dogs with cancer will welcome this guide, which will help them calm down, think clearly, consider the options, and, ultimately, make more confident decisions.—Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.