CSU Animal Cancer Center

02/11/2026

Feelin' the Love! ❤️

Our team recently had the opportunity to visit the KONG headquarters in Golden. It's an amazing place where so much magic is created.

They gave us a whole boxful of toys for our patients. Mort was thrilled to pick this rope toy, and we know it will bring him so much joy while he fights cancer.

We're sending a big thank you to KONG for their unwavering generosity!

02/10/2026

Happy Clinical Trials Tuesday! We are still recruiting dogs that have been diagnosed with bone cancer of the leg for a clinical trial. The goal of this trial is to evaluate the effect of the chemotherapy agent carboplatin on lameness, activity, and sleep quality. You can read more about this study here: https://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/the-effect-of-intravenous-carboplatin-on-pain-control/

To determine the effect on lameness, activity and sleep quality in dogs with long bone osteosarcomaafter a dose of intravenous carboplatin

02/09/2026

PODCAST Alert 🎤

Our very own, Dr. Maureen Griffin, was featured on a recent episode of Tripawds' podcast. Dr. Griffin shares her exciting work in advances in minimally invasive surgery and “sentinel lymph node mapping”. This work is aimed at detecting cancer earlier and treating it with minimally invasive efforts.

Listen to the episode here: https://tripawds.com/2026/01/26/pet-cancer-staging-treatment/

02/08/2026

Milestone Birthday ✨ 🎂

Our Medical Oncologist, Dr. Kate Vickery, has a milestone birthday today (we won't share the number, though)!

To celebrate this momentous occasion, our team of techs dressed up like Dr. Vickery – complete with tea, clipboards, and curly hair.

We love you, Dr. Vickery! Happy Birthday!

02/07/2026

Award-Winning Education! 🏆️

Dr. Rodney Clement Straw, a former trainee at the Flint Animal Cancer Center, was recently recognised in the 2026 Australia Day Honours for his significant service to veterinary surgical oncology and to tertiary education.

Dr. Straw was the inaugural Surgical Oncology Fellow at the FACC, training under Dr. Withrow. He completed his training in 1988 and then became a member of the CSU faculty. He is one of the ACVS Founding Fellows in Surgical Oncology.

After working at CSU, Dr. Straw returned to Australia, where he founded and developed one of the first oncology specialty practices in the country. He helped establish the first medical oncology residency in Australia.

We're proud of all that Dr. Straw has done over the course of his career. Read more: https://www.ava.com.au/news/veterinarians-recognised-with-australia-day-honours/

02/06/2026

BIG NEWS: The Future of Oncology Surgery 🐾 ⚕️

Thanks to a very generous donor, we have a new training tool that will allow us to step into the future of oncology surgeries at the FACC.

This robotic surgery simulator will serve as a foundational training tool for the development of a comprehensive robotic surgery program at CSU by providing a safe, standardized environment for clinicians and trainees to acquire and refine core robotic skills without risk to patients.

Simulator-based training supports deliberate practice in instrument control, suturing, dissection, and team workflows, allowing surgeons, fellows, and residents to progress along defined learning curves prior to live clinical cases. This approach enhances patient safety, improves operative efficiency, and facilitates the safe adoption of minimally invasive robotic procedures as we work to develop a robotic surgery program at CSU.

Ultimately, the development of a robotic surgery program represents the next frontier of minimally invasive surgical veterinary care that will expand the precision, dexterity, and applicability of minimally invasive techniques to more complex procedures, with the goal of improving patient outcomes through reduced morbidity and enhanced surgical accuracy.

02/05/2026

Thanks to national nonprofit Petco Love for a $100,000 lifesaving investment in the Flint Animal Cancer Center to provide care for pets facing cancer. Tio recently received help thanks to this investment, and it has made all the difference.

Tio is a 5-year-old guard dog who came to The Good Life Refuge when his former owner shut down their farm operations. As a sanctuary, rescued pets stay at the Good Life Refuge until they pass away.

In August, Tio started to limp and had swelling on his leg that didn’t respond to traditional care. An X-ray, unfortunately, found bone cancer.

After talking with several vets, the Refuge decided that a clinical trial might be the best option for Tio. It would allow him to avoid amputation – a procedure that can be hard on big dogs – while reducing pain.

“The Petco Love investment allowed Tio to receive two palliative radiation treatments and a Bisphosphonate infusion. We are super happy to report that Tio started bearing weight again on his leg, which seems a lot less painful, and is enjoying his outdoor and newly adopted indoor life. He seems very happy and almost back to his old self, and we are hoping that we can keep his quality of life at this level for as long as possible.”

“We are extremely grateful for the generous investment from Petco Love and for keeping our big boy happy and with us. Tio is an exceptional dog and very loved by all of us here at Good Life Refuge, and being able to have him with us for a bit longer and with a good quality of life is a tremendous gift. Thank you for giving him and us this extra time.” - Nicole B., President/Founder of Good Life Refuge.

02/04/2026

Today is World Cancer Day! 🌍️ 🎗️

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4th to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment – for all species.

On , we’re proud of the role that the Flint Animal Cancer Center team at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital plays in advancing cancer research for the benefit of both animals and humans.

Through science, collaboration, and compassionate care, we’re working toward a world without cancer. With your support, our mission feels within reach.

02/03/2026

Stay Golden ✨

Today is National Golden Retriever Day! We're celebrating with cake and this sweet patient named Noah.

We love all our cancer warriors, but Goldens are pretty cute! Show us a picture of your Golden in the comments below.

💛