Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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gtplady said:
Hi Christina,
Thanks for getting back to me. See I read the same thing also and that was why I wanted to do the chemo. I did not see an oncologist. Maybe I should. The difference between months and years would definitely make a difference for me.
Yes she has had diarrhea issues on and off thru her life and is now on sensitive stomach food. I did read somewhere also that most of the time the side effects do not effect some dogs.
I am so happy to hear that Crystal is doing well aside from some diarrhea. That is great news how she walked so far! I do see how quickly they wear down, poor things, it takes alot out of them. Roxy had her back leg amputated, her other "good" leg had ACL surgery on it last year and she is arthritic and in the beginning stages of dyplasia. I always said if worse comes to worse we can always get a wheel chair for her.
I am concerned about the life span with no chemo though. I think I may contact an oncologist for a second opinion. Thanks for your information, always good to hear what others are doing with the same kind of results/information that we received.
Thanks again Christine!
Linda
Anytime :). I definitely recommend seeing an oncologist or at least getting a second opinion from a different vet about the chemo. I'm certainly not trying to push you in one direction or another but getting more information can only be beneficial. As far as the potential GI side effects, they did send me home with some medication for diarrhea and medication for vomiting just in case I needed it and I think that is fairly standard practice. Let me know if you have any more questions and keep us updated on how Roxy is doing!
I agree, a second opinion is always helpful and can put your mind at ease. Also, remember that even with chemo there are no guarantees. Some osteosarcoma dogs who don't have it, like me and many others I know, make those statistics look awfully silly when we outlive the prognosis. I lived two years without chemo and my friend Eisen is on his fourth year without chemo. So you just never know. While I would certainly look into chemo, remember that it's not mandatory nor is it the right decision for every pack.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My standby line is: knowledge is power! I think a second opinion with an oncologist is a good idea. I really like our onc vet. She was with me for two cancers in tri-pug Maggie, and now in quad pug Tani. She doesn't push or advocate for any particular path, just lays out the options as she knows them. She will give a recommendation, but supports me if I decide on something else.
I've made different choices depending on all the circumstances- I did chemo with Maggie after her amp, but chose no chemo with the second cancer. Tani has mast cell cancer like Maggie did (why she lost her leg) but we are not doing any chemo treatment, at least for now.
Maggie did fine on her chemo- it was long, 6 months, but again for mast cell cancer. If the circumstances were the same I would make the same choice. Just like I would make the no treatment choices I have made again. My local tripawd friend Cemil is 3 years past his amp for OSA- he did no chemo and is doing great!
There are no guarantees with chemo. You decide what is best for you and Roxy and go forward from there. And one other thing to keep in mind- if you do decide to try chemo, and Roxy doesn't tolerate it well you could always stop.
Karen and the pugapalooza
I want to welcome you aboard and wish you the best success with Roxy. Our boy is a front amp, 9 years old so we don't have the same type of issues you do.
We did chemo and other than the last couple being a bit harder on him we would recommend it to anyone. We are getting ready to celebrate 17 months cancer free together.
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
Hi Linda and welcome to Tripawds! I can't speak to the age or hip issues but I did opt for chemo with Tai (also a Lab). She was xrayed clear and her blood work was perfect but with OSA the cancer is considered to have spread microscopically regardless. We did 5 rounds of Doxyrubicin with very few side effects. As was pointed out, you can always stop the chemo mid protocol if you want to. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Chemo doesn't offer any guarantees and is quite expensive. Many dogs seem to do quite well without it but...at the time, I felt the need to fight this horrible disease with guns a'blazin' so I just knew I had to try absolutely everything. As with most things, information is key. It's always good to weigh the pro's and con's. There have also been some new positive results with metronomic chemo which I think is the route I would take if, Heaven forbid, I have to take this journey again.
Whatever route you take will be the right choice for your beautiful Roxy.
Laura and Angel Tai
P.S. What a sweet face Roxy has! Adorable!
Tai – 9 yr old lab. Diagnosed Osteosarcoma Dec 18/09. Front right leg amputated Dec 21/09. Started chemo Jan 7/10. Lung mets discovered Sept 16/10. Valiant to the end on Oct 26/10 when cancer reappeared in a leg and we made the decision to set her free. Forever in my heart where not even cancer can take her from me.
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