Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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So I just was brought up to date on what Miller's protocol will be for treatment. His leg was amputated exactly one week ago today - and the biopsy came back as Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma - short back round is that Miller was diagnosed at 3 years old and is now six years old.... and we just amped his leg now and he's doing great - I just wanted to see if anyone has experience with using BOTH Carboplatin and Palladia? They want to do six rounds of Carboplatin and then possibly keep him on Palladia indefinitely? I'm a veterinary technician I just don't have experience with these drugs....
"No footprint is too small to leave an imprint on this earth..."
Miller & his Mommy (Heather)
DOB 3/17/2006-Severe hip displasia, Luxating patella, panosteitis.. NOW THIS!
Diagnosed: 11/11/2009 at 3yrs old with Osteosarcoma ~ Became Tripawd: 7/10/2012 - Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma
I don't have any experience with doing both carboplatin and palladia but just wanted to say that with palladia watch out for GI issues. Maybe consider asking for meds to protect the tummy.
Karen and Spirit Magnum
Magnum: 30th May 2002 to 5th May 2012. Lost her back left leg to osteosarcoma on 5th Sep 2011. Lung mets found on 20th Mar 2012 but it was bone mets in the hip that ended her brave battle. Magnum's motto - "Dream as if you'll live for ever, live as if you'll die today" (James Dean). Loyal, loving, courageous and spirited to the end. My beloved heart dog, see her memoirs from Rainbow Bridge ...... http://princess.....pawds.com/
We did 6 rounds of carbo w/ Abby and she did great on it. She was very tired by the 5th round though as it's cumulative. We also did Palladia after, but she didn't do so well on that. She was off and on it for 3 months, then we had to stop it for good to due GI issues getting worse. After that she was on Cytoxan and Piroxicam every day. Later on we tried Masitinib - similar to Palladia, but again she had GI issues.
I'm not sure I would do the Palladia again. She had 2 mets when we started it. One got slightly smaller, one got a hair bigger - but also there were no new mets. So, w/ the one met getting bigger while one got smaller, the results were a mixed bag and confusing. I don't know if I would say it helped or not. Maybe it did, since there were no new mets.
I would ask them to not give you a whole lot of it at first until you make sure his stomach can handle it. With both the Palladia and Masitinib we had a lot left over - and they are expensive pills to have leftovers of!
All the best,
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
AngelAbbysMom said
We did 6 rounds of carbo w/ Abby and she did great on it. She was very tired by the 5th round though as it's cumulative. We also did Palladia after, but she didn't do so well on that. She was off and on it for 3 months, then we had to stop it for good to due GI issues getting worse. After that she was on Cytoxan and Piroxicam every day. Later on we tried Masitinib - similar to Palladia, but again she had GI issues.I'm not sure I would do the Palladia again. She had 2 mets when we started it. One got slightly smaller, one got a hair bigger - but also there were no new mets. So, w/ the one met getting bigger while one got smaller, the results were a mixed bag and confusing. I don't know if I would say it helped or not. Maybe it did, since there were no new mets.
I would ask them to not give you a whole lot of it at first until you make sure his stomach can handle it. With both the Palladia and Masitinib we had a lot left over - and they are expensive pills to have leftovers of!
All the best,
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Thanks for the advice - I'll talk to the vets about something to protect his tummy... (maybe carafate and pepcid....) He has no visible mets right now, but that's why they wanted to be so aggressive - they explained to me that you're best best is to start (if possible) when nothing is visible. I'm a vet tech - just haven't done tons of work with chemo drugs in my many years...
"No footprint is too small to leave an imprint on this earth..."
Miller & his Mommy (Heather)
DOB 3/17/2006-Severe hip displasia, Luxating patella, panosteitis.. NOW THIS!
Diagnosed: 11/11/2009 at 3yrs old with Osteosarcoma ~ Became Tripawd: 7/10/2012 - Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma
I would do carboplatin. It is fairly easy to administer and has few side effects. Palladia could potentially help but I think you can only get it from an oncologist and it seems to have a fair number of GI side effects. There are other options such as Cytoxan combined with an NSAID which might be better tolerated (see metronomic chemotherapy ). You and your vet know your dog best so I would see how he handles the carboplatin first.
Pam
Our onco has recommended carbo and l-asparginase because my girl was Dx'd initially with telangiectatic osteosarcoma, but it wasn't definitive. They came back with a revised Dx after additional stains of femoral hemangiosarcoma. A biopsy on her lip revealed lymphoma. Our onco with thirty years of experience feels it's more likely OSA. The original Dx's were made at UC Davis, now the slides are going to CSU.
Prior to the lymphoma Dx, carboplatin+palladia+metronomic was recommended, but just carbo to start then making decisions to add at each step depending on her progress was what was recommended. But he didn't recommend starting all those options at once.
I think these protocols are so customized to the patient. Seems like trusting the instinct of an experienced onco makes sense.
I think I feel comfortable with this decision - I'm starting carboplatin - I'm going to be waiting on palladia (we CAN use it if absolutely necessary... but I'd rather him be happy for now.. and he's already not had a great appetite.) I am looking into artimisinin.... but won't start that until after the carbo - I also want to look into any other herbs he should be on after the carbo is completed.
"No footprint is too small to leave an imprint on this earth..."
Miller & his Mommy (Heather)
DOB 3/17/2006-Severe hip displasia, Luxating patella, panosteitis.. NOW THIS!
Diagnosed: 11/11/2009 at 3yrs old with Osteosarcoma ~ Became Tripawd: 7/10/2012 - Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma
From what we learned from Dr. Barb Biller, a MP researcher at CSU, the choices a doc makes when it comes to MP often depends on what levels of success they have had in the past with specific meds and supplements, and of course what the patient can handle (read about Zeus' story in the Forums for an example). MP research is changing all the time, and new success stories are popping up all over the place with certain drugs.
There is an interesting discussion in our Tripawd Talk Radio downloads about advances in metronomic protocol that you might want to listen to:
Metronomic Chemotherapy News Podcast on Tripawd Talk Radio
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sorry I didn't see this topic until now.
My dog was also diagnosed with chondroblastic osteosarcoma and had his right hind limb amputated on July 3. We started his chemotherapy On July 14... alternating doses of Carboplatin and Adriamycin (8 rounds) and we're also giving him Palladia orally every other day. Because of the potential side effects of the Palladia, he is on Prilosec twice a day, every day. We skip a week of Palladia after the Adriamycin treatments because that has the potential to be much more toxic to him.
So far (knock on wood), he's had no side effects from the Palladia and almost no side effects from the chemotherapy (a little soft stool for a few days after the Adriamycin, but that's it).
I'm sure him being only 2 yrs old certainly works in his favor. He's just a big goof ball.
The Palladia is fairly expensive, though. We get it at Costco and it's a $550/month for the meds.
Anyway, how is Miller doing???
Right hind limb amputated 7/3/12 for OSA, started on alternating cycles of Carboplatin and Doxorubicin and oral Palladia. Single lung met 9/1. Met in the neck muscle removed 9/30. Large mass in sublumbar lymph node 10/2. Rescue chemo with ifosfamide 10/6. Mets to the rib and axillary lymph node 10/21. Started Leukeran and Pred 10/25. Wookie left this Earth for a far better place on 12/4/12. I miss you, Boo, you were my heart.
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