### Precautionary Note on Trace Exposure to Anticancer Drugs During Pet Cancer Treatment

Unknown Risks of Chemotherapy Drugs

Did you know that when you give your pet chemotherapy treatment, you and your family might also be exposed to potential dangers?

This page addresses the issue of “minor exposure” to chemotherapy drugs. This problem occurs when the chemotherapy drugs excreted by your pet lead to the pet owner being exposed.

Minor exposure to chemotherapy drugs can result in physical discomfort and, in some cases, severe problems.


Despite being a significant issue, most pet owners are not sufficiently informed about to chemotherapy drugs.

Unlike common side effects, minor exposure does not cause immediate major harm.


Symptoms may appear years or even decades later.

Given such a long timeframe, pursuing the facts is extremely challenging.

The full extent of the damage is mostly unknown.

Most people may not experience actual harm from minor amounts of chemotherapy drugs, measured in micrograms, but it is possible that some may have already been affected.

When your beloved dog or cat receives chemotherapy treatment, you and your family living with the pet are potentially subject to minor exposure.
Currently, it seems difficult to obtain sufficient information from animal hospitals.

Therefore, we urge you to carefully review this page and consider protective measures for yourself.

Ways Chemotherapy Drugs Enter Your Body

How do chemotherapy drugs administered to animals affect our bodies?

Chemotherapy drugs given to animals are excreted through various pathways.


Almost 100% of the administered dosage is eventually expelled from the body.

Most are excreted through feces and urine, but chemotherapy drugs can also be found in saliva, breath, sweat, and shedding hair.


Chemotherapy drugs secreted through sebaceous glands volatilize from the body surface.

When living with a pet undergoing chemotherapy treatment, almost invariably, you will come into contact with these substances if you do not take precautions.

At the very least, you will breathe the air exhaled by your pet.

You may be absorbing chemotherapy drugs through your skin and lungs.
Chemotherapeutic agents are compounds that decompose poorly in the natural environment, so even there is a risk of minor exposure to these agents from aged excreta.

While some chemotherapeutic agents are broken down and detoxified within the animal’s body, the majority are excreted either unchanged or as even more toxic active metabolites.

It may be hard to believe that chemotherapeutic agents can volatilize, but it is known that some are highly volatile. Others can become aerosolized and disperse into the air. Naturally, in a closed room, the concentration of chemotherapeutic agents will increase.

Behavior of Chemotherapeutic Agents in the Body

Typical chemotherapeutic agents (cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents) cause severe impacts on chromosomes within cells.

They bind strongly with DNA in chromosomes or cut the DNA. As a result, cell division fails, leading to cell death.

Even if you are exposed to small amounts of chemotherapeutic agents, you might not immediately feel any abnormalities. Any issues that do arise are often mild, like headaches or dizziness, making it hard to identify the cause as exposure.

The real damage may be felt years or even decades later.

Some cells may survive despite DNA damage due to insufficient attack by the chemotherapeutic agents.

From these cells, “undying cells” akin to zombies, meaning cancer cells, may emerge. If the immune system fails to function, these cancerous cells may proliferate and eventually form a large cancerous mass.

People Susceptible to Impact

As mentioned above, there is a possibility that healthy cells could become cancerous due to minor exposure to chemotherapeutic agents.

Chemotherapeutic agents particularly affect cells that are actively dividing.
For example, because reproductive cells are susceptible to damage, I think that couples who wish to conceive and families with infants and toddlers in their growth stages should take special care.

Additionally, if you are raising multiple dogs or cats, take caution as these pets tend to lie on the floor or lick surfaces.

About Safe Amounts

No safe amount exists for chemotherapy drugs.

Side effects can occur even at amounts too low to be effective.

Please also refer to this: Reasons Why 90% of Chemotherapy Patients Experience Side Effects (with Illustration)

Of course, the less the amount of chemotherapy drugs, the lower the danger. However, such tests cannot be conducted on the human body.

Even at extremely low microgram levels, it is possible that future health issues may occur.

You have to protect yourselves.

“Not in past literatures” or “No comment from the veterinarian” are not very helpful when it comes to the issue of minimal exposure to chemotherapy drugs.

On Detoxification

There is no antidote for chemotherapy drugs. Procedures aiming to promote excretion through fluid therapy or diuretics are unlikely to be effective for minimal exposure.

There are drugs that neutralize spilled chemotherapy drugs, but they are not for use on the human body.

Although not a detoxification method, I recommend activities such as improving your diet to boost immunity as a future cancer prevention measure.