Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Kiki Update:
She had her cardio consult + an echo done yesterday (she was able to make a cancellation list at the vca here in sd) & unfortunately we were told that switching to the Doxorubicin Chemotherapy would not be the best route of treatment for her because she has a leaky heart valve, she would be at risk for cardiomyopathy. Her cardiologist is going to contact her oncologist to go over other possible options for a new treatment plan. All of this sounds so horrible and scary, but then I look at Kiara's face & still see so much hope & light in her. She's such a gift to our family. I'll never give up this fight for her. She saved me, I just wanna save her.❣️🐾
Ugh I'm so sorry. But honestly, what I have heard about Doxorubicin is that it is harsh when compared with newer therapies.
This is so strange that there is a shortage of carboplatin. Another member is sailing right through treatment in another state. Ugh!
While you wait, if it's any comfort at all know that with or without chemo, there are no guarantees. Sure, statistically she has a better chance of longevity by having the treatments. But honestly we've seen things go either way with dogs who did or did not have chemo. So try not to let the delay get you down. You will find a way, and right now the best medicine for her is your devotion and love 
How is she doing otherwise?
This is not what you wanted to hear. Cannot stress enough thpugh what Jerry said. The. Doxorubicin can often I've a harsh a treatment and has to be stoppeanuway sometimes. It's good that your Onco wouldn't proceed until you had the go...or no go...from the Cardiologist.
As Jerry said, no guarantees one way or another with chemo. Regretably today a member just discovered going in for the third Carboplatin her pup has mets .
I did some "googling" about the shortage and couldn't quite determine if it was "Regional' as opposed to across the country. Where do you live? I'm sure your Onco is checking out all possivle sources for the number of treatments Kiki needs.
Seems like it would be a possibility to get the Carboplatin from an Onco where there is not a shortage and where a dog could take the Doxorubicin in lieu of the Carbo because that dog didn't have heart issues. Maybe your regular Veterinarian could help facilitate that process. Just throwing oit some thought FWIW.
Nope, no need to give up at all! And your Warrior Kiki sure isn't giving up!! Nor are we!!! Keep is updated, okay?
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hi friends!! Her Oncologist called us today to discuss what the cardio reported to her & we decided that Kiki will try Eperubicin (it’s in the family of the Dox. but is more heart friendly/still likely to cause GI discomfort) so Kiki will take meds for that day of chemo too & the following days for about 5 days just to be safe and keep her tummy comfy. Fingers crossed she’ll take it like a champ as she’s done with every other hurdle that’s come our way. In the meantime, they’re still asking around to other vets and clinics in San Diego & no one has Carbo. Her Dr. feels good knowing that Kiki at least had her first dose of chemo w. The carbo. I have high hopes for her. We won’t know the number of treatment rounds of the new chemo she’ll have or if they’ll be 3-4 weeks apart yet. We’ll know more after she has this next round. Besides that she is doing soooo incredible, we finally let her older cousin come visit & they’ve been cuddling & napping together like crazy. She’s been playing with her toys a lot & we just got her a 5tier staircase so that she can finally come up and down my bed and she is getting her bearings down but she can go up and down pretty well! We’ve just been giving her all the lovins & she soaks it alllll up. Lol. Thank you guys so much for your kindhearted and honest responses. My husband & I are forever greatful for our new pawent friends. We’ll keep you guys updated. 🐾❣️❣️❣️
Thanks for the update and sharing the path forward....and it sounds like a good one👍 Onward and upward!.
It made me smile to know Kiki had a good playdate with her cousin. And I know shenos thrilled to be able to reclaim her space on the bed. Getting back to normal routines is healing for her Soul.
Glad you are feeling better about having a plan now. Keep is posted and let us know how she's doing once the treatment is started. Sounds like the Onco is covering all bases to keep side effects, of any, to a minimum.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
You sound really upbeat, I'm glad you and your vet could work out a plan to keep the momentum going. It's so weird how fast that shortage happened. I'm sorry you guys are going through this but what a relief to find something you can try.
I've never heard of that drug so it will be a learning experience for us all. Who knows, maybe this will be THE protocol that really knocks cancer to the moon and works for other dogs too!
What a smart girl for using those stairs. If you get a chance, post a pic/video so we can see her KICKING BUTT!
LOTS of pawsitivity and joy coming your way for smooth sailing. Keep us posted!
Hi,
Jerry pointed me towards this post. I'm an old-time member. I resurfaced because two weeks ago I joined the oncology department of a veterinary hospital here in the mid-west. We are also dealing with a carbo shortage. I know the doctors at my hospital are scrambling trying to prioritize and figure things out. I feel bad you and Kiki are impacted by this. I do know that there are lots of options and things to try and it sounds like Kiki has a strong spirit.
Hello, lovely to meet you! So sorry to hear your circumstances over there too, but some good news hopefully that means it’ll be headed your way soon- the carboplatin is back in stock around San Diego area! I am going to post a Kiki update on here that her Onco. just emailed me as well. Sending prayers and good vibes your way. (:
Hi Tripawd Fam! Here’s the most recent update I have on Kiki straight from her onco.report!(: Great news!!! Thank you again to all our pawents that helped us stay sane as possible through all these ups and downs! You guys are truly angels <3
“ASSESSMENT INFORMATION:
Kiara was in great spirits for us today. It does appear that the Trazadone was just enough to take the edge off for her visit, but still leave her alert. On physical examination, she appears to continue to navigate well on three legs. (She also looks great in her harness!)
We were SO happy that we were able to secure some more carboplatin for Kiara despite the previous shortages. This is particularly wonderful given that we were thinking of making adjustments from our secondary option of doxorubicin given the changes diagnosed with her heart. We have secured enough carboplatin to at least administer a total of four doses for Kiara. Originally we were planning on six, though there are reports of a total of four treatments in the literature. If we can secure more drug than we can go beyond four, but will plan on that for the time being.
Kiara appeared to have done quite well with her first treatment, and we hope that will continue to be the case this second time around. As a reminder, the main side effects of this drug are gastrointestinal upset, a decreased white blood cell count, and a decreased platelet count.
We will plan on seeing Kiara back in three weeks from today, and consider rechecking chest X-rays at that time. As we discussed, today's treatment was four weeks from the last dose, meaning we did not check her blood work at week three. We hope that she will be ready to treat at that time, but there is always a risk that if her blood work is not appropriate that we will just have to see her the following week. was our pleasure to take care of Kiara today, and thank you for trusting us with her care. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you!”
Such great news all the way around!!! So glad she is back on Carboplatin. I knew the doxorubicin was not an ideal second choice. given Kiara's heart issues, so now you can take that worry off your plate.
FWIW it does appear the four treatments of Carboplatin is an acceptable norm nowadays.
Now go celebrate with extra treats for Kiki and a good night's sleep for you!-
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Wow that is such. hoppy upbeat review of her status! 3 paws up to Team Kiara! Thanks for sharing this really great report. Cheers to many more!
Hey all! Kiara had her 3rd round of Carboplatin Chemotherapy & her re-check chest x-rays & we got great news! Here’s what her Onco. Sent from her report. Just wanted to give an update to her new friends & shed some hope to the new members of the tripawd pack. 🫶🐾👍🏽💕
ASSESSMENT:
Kiara was in great spirits for us today. She looks great on physical examination and continues to get around so well on her three legs!
We were also so happy to report that her recheck chest X-rays were unremarkable with no evidence of metastatic disease seen. This is wonderful news. We will continue to monitor her disease with future chest X-rays. We can plan on the next set a month after we administer the last scheduled dose of carboplatin.
Kiara received her carboplatin without complication. As a reminder, the main side effects of this drug are gastrointestinal upset, a decreased white blood cell count, and a decreased platelet count.
We will plan on seeing Kiara back three weeks from today for her next scheduled dose of carboplatin. As we discussed, there is a chance that she may not be quite ready at three weeks and we need to push the treatment to four weeks, but we will make that determination on blood work at that visit.”
"Unremarkable" is such a wonderful word arpund here!
Made our day to know how well Kiara is doing. Thanks so much for sharing as it does, indeed, give hope to new members.
Keep on keepin' on sweet Kiara
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
YAY Kiara! Cheers to being unremarkable! 
Thank you so much for sharing. This absolutely gives hope to everyone going through this same tough situation.
I love how the vet included all those little reminders and important information about the treatment, like " there is a chance that she may not be quite ready at three weeks and we need to push the treatment to four weeks, but we will make that determination on blood work at that visit.” They seem really good at preparing clients to hope for the best but prepare for detours.
Really happy to see this news. Thanks for sharing.
Hello friends!! I am so happy to report that Kiara has finished her 4th & final chemotherapy treatment, my baby is now graduated! 🎓 🥹🥰 I am trying to figure out how I can post her little grad pics that they took of her at the oncology center. This journey we’ve been on has not been an easy one, but it honestly was not as hard as I thought it would be. That’s because of all of you on this website who posted your experiences, it truly helped us be present every day for Kiki. We’ll forever be grateful to all of you who helped us get to where we’re at now. ❤️🫶
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