Oncology Guidelines Contributors
Guidelines Task Force
Jaci Christensen, BAS, LVT, VTS (Oncology)†
Texas A&M University, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, College Station, Texas
Kim Johnson, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)†
Mission Pet Health, Clinical Consultation Specialist, Memphis, Tennessee
Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Dr Sue Cancer Vet PLLC and Guardian Veterinary Specialists, Brewster, New York
Laura Garrett, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois
Ira Gordon, DVM, DACVR-RO
Veterinary Referral Associates, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Shadi Ireifej, DVM, DACVS
VetTriage, Las Vegas, Nevada
Ashley Love, BVMS, DABVP (Feline Practice)
Las Vegas Cat Hospital, Las Vegas, Nevada
Michelle Wisecup, DVM, MBA
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Contributing Reviewers
Danielle DeCormier, LVT, VTS (Oncology)
MedVet, Whitmore Lake, Michigan
Michael Henson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology)
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
Douglas Thamm, VMD, DACVIM (Oncology)
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
† Jaci Christensen and Kim Johnson are the cochairs of the AAHA Oncology Guidelines task force.
These guidelines were prepared by a task force of experts convened by the American Animal Hospital Association. This document is intended as a guideline only, not an AAHA Standard of Care. These guidelines and recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the needs of the individual patient, resources, and limitations unique to each individual practice setting. Evidence-guided support for specific recommendations has been cited whenever possible and appropriate. Other recommendations are based on practical clinical experience and a consensus of expert opinion. Further research is needed to document some of these recommendations. Drug approvals and labeling are current at the time of writing but may change over time. Because each case is different, veterinarians must base their decisions on the best available scientific evidence in conjunction with their own knowledge and experience.
Conflict of interest statement: Dr. Johnson is a key opinion leader for Hill’s Pet Nutrition and was on a Zoetis Advisory Board. Dr. Ettinger has received speaking and consultation fees and honoraria from Antech, Dechra, Hills Jaguar Animal Health, Nutramax Laboratories, QBiotics Group, Virbac, Volition Veterinary, and Zoetis. Dr. Gordon is a scientific advisor for Jenga Biosciences.
AAHA gratefully acknowledges our task force facilitator, Mia Cary, DVM (she/her), of Cary Consulting, and Theresa Entriken, DVM, for developmental editing assistance.
The 2026 AAHA Oncology Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are generously supported by CareCredit, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Merck Animal Health, and Zoetis.
