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PHOENIX — Debra Prather sunk her fingers into the soft fur of her 7-year-old golden retriever and leaned down to steal a kiss. Jasmine looked up and nudged Prather with her nose to keep up the attention.

Prather doesn't just savor such moments; she's fighting hard to keep them coming. After learning 18 months ago that Jasmine has a deadly form of cancer, Prather and her husband, John, began a financial and emotional battle to keep their beloved dog alive.

Their decision on whether to try to prolong Jasmine's life or make her as comfortable as possible until the inevitable end put the Prathers at a crossroad that countless pet owners face every day.

"She was so loving and smart, so much a part of our life. We couldn't just let her go," John Prather said. "We had to see what could happen."

The couple figure they've spent about $7,000 on medical costs so far. But they expect to be reimbursed up to 80 percent because they have a pet-insurance policy that includes a cancer rider. Others have spent more than $30,000 to save a pet.

The Prathers' ordeal coincides with an explosion in the number of veterinary oncologists; many of them are taking a holistic approach to treatment, adding acupuncture and other Eastern-medicine methods. A decade ago, because a cancer diagnosis often came too late, owners had few options and often had their animals euthanized. But now, with promising results, more owners opt for regimens of chemotherapy and/or radiation. They sometimes pay tens of thousands of dollars for extensive X-rays, CAT scans and magnetic-resonance imaging.

During the past 10 years, more veterinarians are becoming board-certified in oncology, and advances in science have resulted in improved treatments and better diagnoses. Clinical-trial opportunities are expanding as animal-cancer centers open nationwide.

More pet owners are taking advantage of the medical advancements, part of the $10.1 billion that U.S. pet owners spent last year for veterinary care.

"Owners are willing to go the distance, specialists are more willing, and the treatments are so much better than even five years ago," said Betsy Hershey, Jasmine's oncologist, who practices at Integrative Veterinary Oncology in Phoenix. Hershey sees as many as 16 animals a day for chemotherapy — usually cats and dogs.

"Animals today have many of the same options that people consider for themselves in treating cancer," said Hershey, one of only about 10 board-certified veterinary oncologists in the Phoenix area. Kimberly May, assistant director of professional and public affairs for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said: "It's that human-animal bond. People are expecting and pursing more extensive treatment now more than ever."

While there have been great strides in treatment, no one knows just how long Jasmine will live. The average golden retriever lives to be 12 or 14.

"We're happy she made it to her seventh birthday," Debra Prather said. Jasmine is in her second remission, a condition the Prathers are trying to extend with chemotherapy.

"She probably would have died without this," John Prather said.