Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives

This is an update on Shadow's progress and some information to pass along. Shadow has been doing very well since my last post. He is doing his daily 1 mile walk without any need to stop and rest. His attitude and attentivness is good as is his appetite. He is still getting his daily dosage of K-9 Immunity along with Transfer Factor, I also give him several different vit's and minerals. He was taking Fortiflora on a daily basis while he was undergoing Chemo., but I have cut it down to a couple of times a week since he is no longer on Chemo. and his digestive tract has returned to normal. For those giving Fortiflora on a more frequent basis, it will turn the dog's tongue a chocolate brown over a period of time. I don't know if it is from excess bacteria or staining from coloring in the Fortiflora. The strange part is it also seems to stain the teeth, but not the gums. On another note there is a website I would like to recommend for a wealth of information on osteosarcoma, it is a 60 page PDF whitepaper titled "Symposium on Canine Osteosarcoma", March 5-8, 2006. I will also send a note to admin to see if they would/have included it in any links.

http://www.akcc.....arcoma.pdf

This post is an update on Shadow's condition at this time. After reading about Metronomic Chemo Therapy treatment on this site I approached the Vet. at MSU about the possibility of trying it on Shadow. With more tests run he was cleared for the treatment. He started on the treatment with Leukeran, Zubrin, and Actos. Leukeran is a Chemo med and the other two drugs are primarily for the treatment of inflamation and blood sugar. While this may seem strange, it is the side affects of the other two drugs that we are looking for and not the primary purpose. The theory is that by giving a low dose chemo to weaken any mets and the other two drugs to keep any cancer cells from forming a blood supply, any mets that may have escaped the original high dose Chemo will be killed. Shadow has now been on this treatment for a month and just had his one month blood test to see if he is able to continue the treatment. He passed the test with good readings, so we are good for another month, at which time he is scheduled for another series of Xrays and ultrasound at MSU. Shadow is also doing very well physicially especially for a dog that is near 13 years old and on three legs.

For any of you that are interested in how Metronomic Chemo works, here is a site that explains it very well. It is a site designed for human patients, but the theory is the same. Unless you have a medical background you will likely need a good medical dictionary. You may need to register with the site to see the entire article or to print it.

medscape.com/viewarticle/480745

Actos (pioglitazone) is an oral diabetes medicine used to treat type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. The combination of the three drugs is Metronomic chemotherapy, but using some different drugs that were chosen by the Oncologist at MSU because they are somewhat easier on the patient. The window of dosage for Leukeran is wider than some of the other low dosage oral chemotherapy drugs commonly used in Metronomic chemotherapy. This gives a better chance of balance between treatment and harm. I don't have any links that I can supply for this specific treatment, but it is similar to the treatmant described on the University of North Carolina veterinary site. They describe using (cyclophosphamide) in conjunction with (carprofen or deramaxx and doxycycline)

http://www.cvm......edu/vth/cl.....osteo.html

It has been a busy summer and it is time to update Shadows record. As those of you who have followed this thread know, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September of 2008 and had his left rear leg amputated in October 2008. He went through mainline chemo for 7 sessions before having to miss the last one because of pneumonia. He was also being given K-9 Immunity from the beginning of this disease and is still getting it today on a daily basis. Following his chemo he has been on a low dose chemo called Metronomic Therapy with chest X-rays and ultrasound every 2 months, which have remained clear through his last checkup which was September 29 2009. He is still able to do his one mile walk every day, which is great not just because he does it with three legs, but will be 13 years old this December. Is Shadow an exception to the rule or is it a combination of the treatments he has received? For those of you who are just starting into treatment or have been involved with it for a while, there is hope!

In answer to Susan and Tazzie2. I have been giving Shadow the Transfer Factor along with the K-9 Immunity . I am not aware of the "power mushrooms", but according to the pharmacology report on the Aloha Medicinals website the basis for both the K-9 Immunity and the Transfer Factor are mushrooms. For those of you that are giving a lot of normal sized pills and capsules to your dogs, there is a device I found at Petsmart called a "Pillgun" that works very well. If you don't have a Petsmart nearby I would guess that it can be ordered online from Petsmart or the manufacturer/distributor (Creative Pet Products) http://www.petf.....idkits.com

Amazing. Shadow is doing GREAT!