Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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oops.. I was replying to 'hstanek' original post.. just in case it was confusing.. I forgot to put that in on top.. I am pro-chemo based on my experience.
OS is so aggressive that I think it needs to be tackled 'guns a blazin'.. (as long as the dog can handle it that is)
Jenna & Zak
Hi, I can only speak from my experience in choosing not to pursue chemo treatments for Fortis. I was scheduled to but after consulting with our team in regards to the injury of Fortis' remaining rear leg back in February it was determined chemo would not be the best option. That was six months ago and I just did not see how his remaining leg would make it to this point. Well it did and now I find myself wanting Fortis to give me another six months. I know now this is not likely and I feel selfish in asking it of him. The statistics speak for themselves.
I know its different for everybody and there is no right or wrong choice. So many variables and of course money is a huge obstacle not to mention the time needed to care properly for our pups. But for me these weren't obstacles and I regret terribly not opting to pursue chemo. I remember the day I made the decision not to and it seemed so sound at that time but that soundness has faded now I am afraid.
Do not get me wrong my love for Fortis is certain and more than most can imagine, but as we approach this point in the road regret weighs very very heavy on my heart. Please know that this is just my feelings in regards to my individual situation and not meant to in anyway influence anyone else. Just having a bit of a grey day I suppose.
All The Best,
Fortis'Dad
To Fortis's Dad - I love my dog so much that it hurts terribly to think of life without him just like I feel it coming thru on your post..
Does Fortis have mets? I ask because it might not be too late to pursue chemo.. I know of several dogs that have had chemo later.. typically after the cancer has resurfaced & they'd had their initial rounds. It may still be an option for you if so inclined.
Wishing all the best!
Offline
Brett, don't beat yourself up for making a decision based on facts available at the point where you made it. We all want more time, and none of us know what tomorrow brings. Some deciions are just a guess - we weigh the odds and flip a coin almost.
I'm with Jenna, if you are having second thoughts, ask about doing it now. Is there something that has changed that makes you feel it is a more viable option now?
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
I wanted to be counted as one who decided against chemo for my Boomie. I do love him very much. He's my baby, but the whole idea of chemo for him seemed like too much of a crapshoot to me. And an expensive one at that. I decided that I didn't want to gamble. And I keep coming back to the idea that the chemo would be more for us humans than for Boomie. He doesn't know or care about his life expectancy. He just cares about Today, and every day he lives is Today.
We are also dealing now with the fact that Boomer has "outlived" his remaining back leg, but as long as he is happy and still able to get around, Today has been a good day.
Cindy and Boomie
Boomie's leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on May 15, 2008. He enjoyed over two and a half years of life after that, one day at a time. He died on Feb. 21, 2011.
Fortis and Dad
Funny timing for I was just reading your blog for the first time. Whatever you have been doing is the right thing. I remember the troubles Fortis had after injuring his other leg. I admit that, after being away for a few months, I was pleasantly stunned that Fortis is so active now. What an achievement!
As for chemo, well you are already at 6 months. That deserves congratulations right there and is more than many of our chemo dogs, my own included, achieved post-amp. Typically, on average, someone said that mets show at 7 months for the chemo dogs and then there are 4-5 months more following that. But look how many (non-chemo and chemo) have gone longer. Lots.
You definitely caught the cancer early at the first sign of a limp, so you will very well be one of those.
Chemo can affect quality of life. It sounds like you navigated what was an extremely fragile balance to the plus side since the 2nd injury occurred. Keep it up.
Susan
http://www.yout.....FYXMpNmZ-c
Speaking of a star who opted for no chemo, I just went to check for Samwise's videos. Fortis might like this one set to the music "hound dog". Most of you probably know Samwise, who made a great video showing his recovery, which you can also find on that website. Certainly that video made a difference in me opting for amputation. Samwise was rather young, something like four years old, which also lowered expectations for his longevity.
Last I saw, Samwise checked in at his 1 year ampuversary when he was busy making snow angels with his young friend Juno last winter. A little frustrating to those of us who went the chemo route and failed, but good news nevertheless. And it does not seem that Samwise is an isolated case.
First let me say how kind all of you are. I truly appreciate each and everyone of you. I was having a low moment and it just happened to coincide with me reading this thread on "confused about chemo".
Jenna, Fortis seems stronger, more muscular, and in many ways more youthful than in years. That said, I don't know if he has lung mets but I have my suspicions. I appreciate you taking the time to post Zak's treatment routine and giving me a different perspective.
As it seems to be the case with the Buglady's Boomer, I feared Fortis would outlive his remaining back leg. This is why I opted not to pursue chemo any further. I guess today when I started reading this thread I just focused on that decision and forgot the true reasons why I made it. I let the emotions of the moment cloud my senses if you will.
After receiving a very kind response from Karen, and reading Shanna's and the rest of your post I felt much better, almost ashamed if you will. Shanna, no nothing has changed that would make chemo a more viable option now. It's just that time has a way of making you question yourself.
Susan, I really appreciate the link to Samwise's video. I love success stories and regardless of what the future holds I can't express enough how grateful I am for the time I have been given with my friend, Fortis. I know not all have been as fortunate as me. What you said was very kind and it meant a lot. I was stunned as well Susan, and so was our vet. I work from home and with the help of family Fortis has never been without physical support. As I told Karen it has been a balancing act to make Fortis' life exciting but keep the injuries to the remaining leg to a minimum. We have had our fare share of scares but Fortis is a very strong and driven pup and has always bounced back. To a degree I never would have thought possible.
This is a beautiful community of kind and caring individuals and I am honored to be part of it. Sorry for being so negative today with my post. It's not needed. I'm all happy thanks to ya'll and I'm going to give Fortis a big hug and a special treat to celebrate Caties's 7 month
Ampuversary
.
Fortis'Dad, Brett
Its so hard - the whole journey with OS is & there's no wrong decisions ever when fighting it! I have a friend who's dog made it to 4 yrs with no chemo at all & others who did a full course but it did not help them get past 4 months. OS does what it wants in many cases.
That said.. the best odds are to pursue chemo & amputation. Its still the gold standard of care from vets & oncologists. The serious complications are rare (only 5%) & on avg, it doubles the life expectancy of the dog.
A few days of picky or not eating was worth that to me. I never thought when I started that I'd do as much chemo as I did. My approach was to take it from one round to the next & see how Zak handled it.
My reason for saying my view point here is to help others who may be scared away from chemo but in the big picture when they take a step back & look at it, its a solid option.
All the best ~
Jenna, I couldn't agree with you more. Your view point is very important to me and is needed by this community and others like it for the very reasons that you point out. Feedback from individuals such as yourself is very important as well as helpful to individuals such as myself. I appreciate it very much. It's what makes a community like this one so special. Zak is a superstar in my book and I hope he continues to kick OS in the you know what for a long long time!
Fortis'Dad
Brett.. thank you for the kind words on Zak!! He is my superstar so that warmed my heart. My wishes are the same for you & Fortis! 🙂
Enjoy your weekend~
Jerry's Mom speaking…
I feel compelled to chime in here, just to share our experience with those who haven't been around very long.
When Jerry was diagnosed, we opted not to do chemo for a lot of reasons, mostly because of the 6 hour drive to get there. Not that we couldn't do those drives, but it was that we knew Jerry would not want to spend his last days making those long nauseating trips (the road to get there was terrible). Jerry would rather live life to the fullest, doing what he loved most. We knew so little about cancer and chemo and survival rates at that time; all we knew was that his prognosis was poor, and we were going to make the most of our time together.
We took a huge gamble, and Jerry beat the odds for a long, long time. But when the mets did make their appearance, we opted for metronomics , which did help give him 7 more great months with us (in the 17 months between diagnosis and mets, information about OS just grew so much and metronomics became more well-known). When we knew about the mets, part of me felt terribly guilty for not going all out which IV chemo way back when he was diagnosed. I beat myself up a lot for that and shed many tears.
But Jerry hated regret and sadness, and he helped me realize that if we had done chemo, our lives would have turned out very, very different. There is no way we could have done what we did (sold our stuff and hit the road) if we did chemo at diagnosis. We would have been to focused on those drives instead of getting ready to hit the road and change our lives for the better. Ultimately, we were so glad with our decision. It's a safe bet that Tripawds might not be here had we opted to do chemo as well. We would have been to wrapped up in our life the way it was. Imagine that!
What I'm saying with all this is that it's so important to follow your heart and your instinct. Do what you think is right for YOUR dog and you, and not because someone or some abstract says you "should" do something. The Universe has a plan for all of us; listen to your heart, that's the plan speaking to you.
And whatever path you take, we are here to support you one hundred pawcent.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Zaks mom said:
My reason for saying my view point here is to help others who may be scared away from chemo but in the big picture when they take a step back & look at it, its a solid option.
Thank you Jenna, it's so great to see your experience shared here!
Give Zack a big smooch from us. What a rock star!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Fortis said:
After receiving a very kind response from Karen, and reading Shanna's and the rest of your post I felt much better, almost ashamed if you will. Shanna, no nothing has changed that would make chemo a more viable option now. It's just that time has a way of making you question yourself.
Very well said Brett. And there is never ever a need to be ashamed here. This place is all about talking through things. We're here to listen OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey Rene –
Your totally right.. its very personal & there's no wrong choices. Look how many people you've helped as a result of tripawds. Zak & myself included!!
I remember seeing you on the PBS video footage when you started the cytoxan (oral chemo) for Jerry. I remember you being torn up about not starting it sooner with Jerry. You bring up an excellent point - People can start their dogs on low dose oral chemo as an option if they weren't going to do IV chemo. It provides some way to combat the OS & is not overly expensive.
Thanks for all you've done for us with you support & advice over the last year & a half.. Yep.. we made it to 18 months! Yippee!! & yahoo too! 🙂
xo..
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