Electrochemotherapy in dogs is a modern local tumor therapy that is gaining increasing attention in small animal medicine. From a veterinary perspective, electrochemotherapy in dogs is particularly interesting when a tumor is located in a difficult-to-access area, when tumor cells are suspected at the margins after surgery, or when the most targeted local treatment is desired for a dog. It is important to note that electrochemotherapy in dogs is not an alternative electrical treatment, but rather an oncological procedure in which short electrical impulses are combined with a chemotherapeutic agent.
As a veterinarian with many years of experience in small animal medicine, surgery, and tumor care, I don't consider electrochemotherapy for dogs in isolation, but always in the context of the diagnosis, tumor type, general health, age, comorbidities, quality of life, and the owner's expectations. The treatment can be very beneficial for certain tumors, but it doesn't automatically replace surgery, conventional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or palliative pain management. The crucial factor is whether electrochemotherapy is medically appropriate and technically feasible for the individual dog.
In electrochemotherapy for dogs, an active ingredient, often bleomycin or, in certain protocols, cisplatin, is combined with electrical pulses. These pulses temporarily open the cell membrane of the tumor cells. This allows the drug to penetrate the tumor cells more effectively and exert a stronger effect. The Royal Veterinary College describes electrochemotherapy as a procedure in which electrical pulses improve the uptake of intravenous chemotherapy into the tumor; additionally, local effects such as electroporation and an influence on tumor blood supply are described.