Pet Oncologist – Arizona Veterinary Oncology

When looking for a pet oncologist in the southwestern United States, Arizona Veterinary Oncology is your solution. We are the largest provider of dog oncology and cat oncology services in Arizona and regularly serve New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah and even Mexico.

We recognize that your family is facing some difficult times. Our goal is to provide you with the best understanding possible of all your options, the prognosis, and the risks associated with treatment.

We hear time and time again that Quality of Life is the most important factor when making treatment decisions. We will inform you of the likely impact on your friend’s life, both short term and long term. With treatment advances available today, if there is a negative impact on quality, the change is short term. Often, there is no change at all (many of our patients seem to actually enjoy coming to chemo “camp”, meeting new people and getting lots of treats).

Please take some time to learn more about what we offer by exploring our website. If you are looking for information on why we are the best choice for your pet with cancer, visit the Our Difference page. Knowing the team members that will help you decide what is best for your beloved friend is important and you can start that process on our Team page. Our oncologists have decades of veterinary medicine behind them and many of our technicians have been doing nothing but oncology for many years as well. This experience is unmatched anywhere in the Southwestern United States.

There are many types of cancers that have been identified that affect dogs and cats. We have many pages of information to help you make heads or tails of the different Cancer Types that exist. Some types of cancers are very similar in pets and in people. Osteosarcoma, for example, directly mimics the disease in people. Because of this, a great deal of research has been done in the past and treatment options are well defined. Mast cell tumors, however, are a disease that is mostly unique to the dog and cat. Because of this, less information is known about the disease and data is harder to come by. We are here to sort all of that out for you and provide the most up to date information available for whatever cancer is ailing your pet.

Arizona Veterinary Oncology is proud to be the only facility in the Phoenix valley to offer all the most common Pet Cancer Treatment Options for your pet including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy (including stereotactic radiosurgery), radioactive iodine (I-131), Strontium-90 plesiotherapy and cryotherapy. Chemotherapy is generally used for cancer types that are likely to spread around the body. Radiation is more often used for localized tumors. Many cats become hyperthyroid and require treatment to prevent the potentially life-threatening effects of that disease. Immunotherapy is probably the “hottest” topic in cancer treatment today. When we can use the body to help us fight cancer, it becomes a very powerful ally. For very shallow tumors such as mast cell tumors in cats or solar-induced squamous cell carcinoma, a single radiation treatment with Strontium-90 may be possible. Some smaller tumors can be controlled by freezing them with liquid nitrogen. There are many, many options for treatment and we can help decide what is best for you and your pet.

Being the best and largest oncology treatment center in the Southwest also means we have the most complete array of Diagnostic Tools available for your furry friend. As has been said before, "knowing is half the battle." As with all centers, we have multiple nationally recognized laboratories at our disposal. Unlike some centers though, we have a large laboratory in our hospital where we can perform many tests the same day. On site, we have the most advanced CT scanner available for animals in Arizona. This 64-slice Toshiba CT scanner allows us to scan your pet very quickly, sometimes without anesthesia, with amazing detail. In Phoenix, our ability to use low levels of radiation to perform bone scans, thyroid scans and studies of the kidneys is unique to Arizona Veterinary Oncology (nuclear scintigraphy available on-site). We have three digital X-ray suites. We have fluoroscopy (moving X-rays) as well. We have a board-certified radiologist supervising our CT scans, X-rays, fluoroscopy and performing ultrasounds. We also have a board-certified cardiologist who can perform echocardiograms (ultrasound of the heart). You and your pet will rarely need to be sent anywhere else for diagnostic testing if you come to our hospital.

We know that finding a pet oncologist is a big decision and we are happy that you have taken the time to consider Arizona Veterinary Oncology. If you don’t find the answer you are looking for in these pages, please feel free to Contact us. While local and federal laws require us to have a client-patient relationship prior to giving medical advice, we can often answer the most common questions you will have.

Again, thank you for visiting our website. Should the need arise, we are here and available to help your furry friend and make them part of the Arizona Veterinary Oncology family.

Client Recommendation

Dr. Venable and her staff were mentioned in a local magazine, Troon Living, when a client's dogs were selected as Troon's Pet of the Month .

Congratulations to AVO for Winning Mid-Size Business of the Year

The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday the recipients of the 2019 Annual Business Awards and recognized Chamber leaders at a luncheon.

Individual nominees were eligible for categories including Chamber Volunteer of the Year, Foundation Volunteer of the Year, Gilbert Leadership Award, and Businessman or Businesswoman of the Year. Business nominees were eligible for categories including Employer of Choice and Large, Mid-Size, or Small Business of the Year.

COVID-19

As we continue to live with COVID-19, we have an obligation to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
At each of our hospitals we have implemented additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures that meets or exceeds CDC recommendations, to include disinfecting all surfaces more frequently, especially surfaces touched by the public, such as door handles, pens, clip boards, etc. Our staff are frequently washing hands, using gloves and face masks and are avoiding touching our faces, and we encourage you to do the same. We will also not be shaking hands or hugging to prevent viral transmission.

Please do not personally come to our hospital with your pet if you or a member of your family have a fever, cough, or cold-like symptoms. Please stay home, tend to yourself and send your pet with another person who does not live in the same house to be treated. If you are ill and cannot find another person to bring in your pet, please inform us so that we can take special precautions.

To limit exposure, call us to inform us you are here. You can also text us at that same number (480.327.6690). You can remain in your vehicle or you can exit your vehicle but stay at least 6 feet from any other persons. A technician will call you to complete the admission questions in regards to your pet and once complete, will come out to get your pet. After the doctor completes the exam, you will get another call to discuss findings or you may be asked to join via Zoom. You will need to upload that app onto your phone. We realize that this is not ideal, but we are following recommendation from the CDC.

Our hope is to allow clients back into the facility starting June 1 at a limited compacity. And, clients will only be allowed in if wearing a face mask. If you do not have a mask, you will need to remain outside.

We may ask you to remove the pet’s collar and leash and we will use one of ours. You will need to bring your cat in a carrier and we may ask you to transfer to a temporary one. We will not accept toys, bedding, or other personal items for your pet.

These and other protocols are in place for the safety of you, your family, and our veterinary colleagues.

Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.

Featured Reviews

I can't recommend Dr. Boshoven and his wonderful staff highly enough. I am extremely grateful for the outstanding care my skittish ten year old cat Sandy received throughout the process of curing his hyperthyroidism via administration of radioactive iodine. Dr. Boshoven's credentials, training, and expertise are impressive. He is a good communicator and he explained Sandy's treatment plan in a clear, concise manner. His veterinary clinic is the only one in the Phoenix area that features a technetium scan which enables Dr. Boshoven to calculate a custom-tailored dosage of I-131 for each patient, ensuring optimal outcomes. I was particularly happy that Dr. Boshoven and his team were able to manage Sandy gently and very well even though he suffers from fear-based aggression related to the significant hardships he'd encountered before I adopted him. Dr. Boshoven's staff, notably Rudy and Allie, reflect the same high level of patience, professionalism, and compassion which he demonstrates. It was difficult for me to be separated from Sandy for five days, but I was comforted by the knowledge that I had left him in very good, kind hands. He came home cheerful and well, not in any way traumatized by his experiences at Arizona Vet Oncology. I am so happy that I can look forward to many more good and happy years with Sandy now that his hyperthyroidism has been cured. Dr. Boshoven and his staff are my heroes!

- Gayle A.

- Dan C.

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