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is training to become a veterinary oncologist. Erik Teske is the head of Oncology and her Trainer. ‘It doesn’t feel like work to me,’ Feenstra says. ‘I just find it incredibly interesting.’ Teske is proud to see Feenstra’s enthusiasm for the European-accredited programme he founded. 

What made you choose oncology?

‘Oncology is a dynamic field,’ Feenstra explains. ‘Scientists are constantly making new discoveries that help improve existing treatments. We apply those treatments in a clinical setting and then submit our follow-up questions to the researchers.’

Teske became interested in oncology when training to become a specialist in internal medicine: ‘I came into contact with a clinical pathologist from California. He was introducing new treatments for canine cancer, which we were not yet using in the Netherlands. When I finished my internal medicine training, I wanted to further specialise in oncology – but there was no programme for that. Ultimately, I did a fellowship with the Dutch Cancer Society, which gave me a good idea of what a training programme should look like. I went on to establish the oncology training programme, which has been completed by fifty specialists in Europe so far.’

I went on to establish the oncology training programme, which has been completed by fifty specialists in Europe so far.

What’s your opinion of the programme?

‘It doesn’t feel like work to me,’ Feenstra says. ‘It’s so incredibly interesting. Unlike other disciplines, I get to monitor patients over a long period of time. That enables me to establish a good rapport with the owners and the animals. I also enjoy the cross-pollination you get from working with patients in the clinic, conducting research and teaching, all at the same time.
’Teske: ‘As a Trainer, I teach specialists to think critically and share with them my knowledge on evidence-based research. When they come to me with a new therapy they’ve learned about, I ask critical questions. Where did you read about it? Has it been proven effective?’

Name an experience that has stayed with you.

‘My own dog, Duco, developed a malignant form of lymphoma,’ says Teske. ‘I had treated over thirty dogs belonging to other people, and then the treatment failed to take effect on my own dog. We almost never see side effects, but Duco had side effects from everything. After nine months, I had no choice but to put him down. That was a real blow.’ 

As vets, we have all the knowledge, we know what drugs are available – and yet when your own pet is ill, you feel quite powerless.

Feenstra nods empathetically. ‘Most of us have pets of our own. Experiencing the other side of things, as the patient’s owner, is a good learning experience, too. As vets, we have all the knowledge, we know what drugs are available – and yet when your own pet is ill, you feel quite powerless.’

How does such an experience affect you?

Teske: ‘We rank side effects according to severity. The side effect “refusal to eat” is in a lower category than “nausea”, as if it were less serious. But when Duco wouldn’t eat, I felt real desperation. That was an eye-opener for me. When an owner tells me their animal isn’t eating, I take that seriously and immediately look for a way to stimulate their eating behaviour.’ 
Feenstra herself administers euthanasia on occasion. ‘That never fails to make an impression on me. When it happens, people appreciate that my colleagues and I are familiar faces, due to the long-term nature of treatment. Sometimes I cry right along with them.’
Teske: ‘Now it sounds like our profession is always negative.’
Feenstra: ‘It’s definitely not. Most dogs come in wagging their tails, they don’t dislike being here at all. We work with owners to find a way for them and their animals to have as much time as they can together, as happily and comfortably as possible.’

This is an article from Vetscience no. 9