About Us
Pet Cancer Care Consulting provides oncology consultation services to pet owners through the family veterinarian
There are approximately 450 boarded veterinary oncologists in the USA and Canada, but there are an estimated 6 million dogs diagnosed with cancer each year according to the National Cancer Institute, which means there are not enough boarded oncologists to meet the demand. This leads to extensive wait times for pets to be seen, delays in treatment, and sometimes no treatment being provided, especially when pets are geographically distant from oncology locations. There is a huge need for oncology services today.
Pet Cancer Care Consulting will bridge the gap and provide accessibility to board certified oncologists from the convenience of the family vet’s office by live video consultations to the family vet and pet owners, which provide personalized responses, and additional information to make critical decisions for pet family members. There is also strong continuity of care as the family vet and oncologist speak directly, so no lost tests or records occur. Treatment plans and ongoing care can be requested
Our Team
It broke my heart to hear about pets who could not see an oncologist even though their owners wanted to because they lived too far away or they could not be seen for several months because of limited access to veterinary oncologists. I knew there had to be a better solution, and that is why I developed Pet Cancer Care Consulting to help those pet owners who want to consult with a veterinary oncologist but cannot access one in their area.”
– Dr. Rachel Venable, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)
Rachel Venable, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)
Founder of Pet Cancer Care Consulting
Dr. Venable is Board Certified as a medical oncologist from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Venable has always been surrounded by animals growing up on a farm in the Midwest. She obtained her veterinary degree from the University of Missouri and graduated cum laude. After veterinary school, Dr. Venable pursued further training as a small animal intern at the University of Georgia. She then completed her 3-year medical oncology residency at the world-renowned Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center. During her residency, she achieved a master’s degree and studied new cancer therapies and clinical trials. She continues to seek and learn about new clinical trials and offer new cutting-edge therapies to her patients. Dr. Venable has authored numerous publications and has been a speaker on local and national levels. She is a VIN consultant and has been an adjunct professor of veterinary oncology at Midwestern University and a member of numerous veterinary associations. Her oncology philosophy is one of a team-based approach with the local veterinarian and pet family to provide compassionate, individualized care, and optimal quality of life for pets and their families.
Dr. Venable enjoys the outdoors and being on the trail with her husband and their young children. Service opportunities are important to them and they volunteer in their local community, church, and abroad as her husband works for a non-profit building schools in the developing world. Together they go on projects all over the globe with Be The Change Volunteers.
Dr. Gustafson
Board Certified Veterinary Oncologist
Dr. Gustafson is also a board certified veterinary oncologist and does consultations for Pet Cancer Care Consulting on Mondays. She is originally from Dallas, Texas. She attended Tufts University for her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry. She later completed her veterinary degree at Texas A&M University. She also received a Ph.D. in cancer research there concurrently. After graduation, she continued her training with a one-year general internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York, and a one-year oncology internship at Animal Cancer Care Clinic in Fort Lauderdale. Dr. Gustafson then did a residency at Michigan State University and completed at Colorado State University. She then returned to South Florida to practice oncology. She has an interest in feline lymphoma and transitional cell carcinoma.
When not at the clinic, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children visiting parks and museums. They also share their home with Neo, a playful Corgi mix. When possible, they love to go “glamping” at the beautiful Florida state parks.