Hi Linda.  I'm pretty new to Tripawds and still haven't gotten to telling our story, but my Roxie had a rear leg amputation on 3/7 immediately following a consult with an oncologist encouraged by our primary care vet.  Surgery was done at the practice with the onco; they specialize in cancer care so have a lot of firsthand information.  There was some discussion with the surgeon about taking the leg or going further into the pelvic bone b/c the tumor was so high in the leg.  We all agreed to stop with the leg, but they were clear that chemo would be the difference between a few months and a year-or-more.  Her chest x-rays were clear and all test results are excellent but we decided to go with the big guns - she's 11 1/2 and we want every day we can get.  She's just had her 2nd chemo out of 6 planned and is doing just great.  The onco sent us home with an RX for vomiting with the drug she got yesterday; put her on it prospectively and she lost her appetite for exactly one meal; bounced right back by noon today.  It's been scary-smooth so far for our old girl.  We're taking her to the primary care vet for the blood work the week after each treatment, so I feel it's a real team approach.  

Supplement decisions have been a bit less clear; our onco talked about study results but said she's not that familiar with the options.  She had a couple suggestions on internet research.  Primary care vet blessed one product but it's still all pretty confusing!

All of us in this situation have to make decisions that no one wants to make, and we each do the best we can.  It's worked really well so far for us, and our vets make sure we know the worst/best outcomes/risks, etc., and having that information is helping to decide our path.  I just wanted to let you know a newbie's experience.  Best wishes and many warm thoughts coming your way!   

- Liz

This thread has the longest starts and stops...when I posted 3 months ago it didn't register that the last comment was Feb of 2012...NOT 2013...duh.  So today I've been tooling around for hours (my brains/eyes are glazing over) on Tripawds and other links, looking for our next step.  Now that Roxie's done with the stinkin' chemo and LOVES food again, I need to have a plan for going forward.  So was back here and read Sally's comments, and now I'm going to order K9 Immunity Plus tonight.  Still need to read more on Apocaps and will then email our holistic vet and get some thoughts from him, since our onco told us early on that alternative meds aren't her thing.  Our holistic guy does acupuncture and chiropractic and Chinese herbs, so I don't doubt he'll come up with something.  We've been using CAS Options, another mushroom-based immune and antiox supplement, right thru chemo, based on advice from our primary care vet.  Also giving her high-dose omega-3 fish oil, based on onco's advice, but if the K9 Immunity has it that's one less horse pill I have to hide in a slice of turkey!  So thanks yet again for helping educate me and help point me in a direction!!!  We love direction.

Now back to looking for building plans to make agility equipment for Smokey the GSD puppy-brain.

-Liz and Princess Roxie Roo 

Michelle said
I tried the wafers that was a no go for sassy (she is kinda picky).  I wish she would have taken them.  I heard really good things about it.

Sam detests them as well There is no way on earth he sees them as a treat. I have FINALLY gotten him to take them on his own by microwaving them so they get soft and mixing them in with something heinously smelly in his food. For awhile, i'd cut them up to mix them in...but then it was like there was MORE of them, and he wouldn't touch his food or would eat around all the pieces. Now, I just drop them whole in his rice/hotdog/water/wet food slop mix, give it all a 60-second zap, and mix in with his dry food and Perkilac. That seems to work okay, unless he's feeling contrary, in which case I have to take the discarded ones (he will spit them on the floor or leave them in the bowl), wrap them in buddig, and try and get him to eat them.