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AT-014 Live Listeria Vector Osteosarcoma vaccine- any experienced pawrents out there?
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Member Since:
11 January 2019
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18 March 2019 - 12:40 pm
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Hello, 

Our boxer girl Bailey is scheduled for her consultation at SEVO for the AT-014 vaccine this Wednesday. She has had four rounds of chemo every 3 weeks, and now it's vax time. 

Does anyone here have a dog who has gone through the vaccine regimen? Looking for info on side effects, etc. as well as your personal thoughts, if any. 

The vaccine is going to cost $800-$900 for the initial consult, $3,000 for the vaccine (3 doses @$1,000 per dose every three weeks), and then $75 dollars for the final follow-up visit. They did not talk about boosters. The tech said that we would probably end up spending total about $4,500 dollars worst case scenario.

We've already spent $3,600 on the surgery, and around $2,900 on chemo. Plus all the special food, supplements, etc. All out of pocket- no insurance.

I think we are just so weary of watching her go up and down with chemo, and we are really wondering if this vaccine is worth the $$ and the side effects, or if it's just gravy that maybe might sorta kinda work possibly. 

I heard there was a much cheaper option that can be sent through the mail from CT? 

On The Road


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18 March 2019 - 2:25 pm
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Hi Jena, 

First, congrats on getting through chemotherapy! That's wonderful news! clapHow is Bailey doing otherwise? Hope things are good now that she's got treatment behind her.

We've had quite a few members go through this particular vaccine. One of the most successful so far is Dexter. See:

AT-014 Canine Osteosarcoma Vaccine Helps Dogs Like Dexter Beat the Odds

And another example was Bowie:

Bowie’s Canine Osteosarcoma Vaccine Experience

Here are Forums search results where members discussed the AT-014 vaccine.

I'm not sure what the cheaper option is that you are referring to.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Member Since:
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19 March 2019 - 1:20 pm
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Ok, thanks for the links. So, it looks like people can't talk about the trial. Sigh. 

It seems like some people are seeing mets almost immediately post-vaccine. But then there's Dexter. So I wonder if maybe there's a better outcome based on the dog breed, tumor grade, etc.? It's hard to figure out what to do when you don't have the data you need. 

Chemo was ruff. Real ruff. At one point last week, our girl could barely walk. Staying on this aggressive regimen really beat her down. However, she is improving quite a bit, and I even caught her in the flowerbed trying to figure out how to dig on three legs today. I couldn't get mad at that. 🙂 

Virginia







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19 March 2019 - 2:32 pm
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Isn't it funny how a tripod can get away with doing anything! Things that were a No-No before, have us laughing and singing their praises now! As far as whether to proceed with a vaccine or not, that is such a personal decision that you and your sweet pup will have to make together. So many factors have to be taking into consideration based on Bailey. As you already noted, Bailey had a really rough time with her rounds of chemo. And, as you already know, all Bailey cares about is quality. No dogs count days on a calendar and no dogs care about the number of years in their life.  They only care about the life in their years. And right now Bailey appears to be living her life to the fullest!  Whatever decision you make for Bailey will be made out of love. We are here cheering for Bailey and supporting any  decision you make.

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!

On The Road


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19 March 2019 - 2:49 pm
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Correct, there are still non-disclosure agreements in place. Participants may not share it publicly, but offline they can.

Jena I have been told by Dexter's Dad that he would be happy to talk about the vaccine. If you would like to get in touch please let me know.

I'm so sorry chemo was difficult. That is brutal for the whole pack. Ugh. But yay for digging holes with three legs! Sounds like her sparkle is back?

From what vets have told us about the vaccine, the side effects are limited to minor GI distress.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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20 March 2019 - 6:54 pm
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So, we decided that the trial was too much of a risk for our girl right now. 

There were several reasons for this- 

1. She is on a maintenance antibiotic after being temporarily paralyzed due to a nasty episode of osteomyelitis on her spine in late 2017. IF we were to do the trial, they would most likely require her to go off of the antibiotics to do the trial-since the whole point is to make the immune system go nuts fighting this bacteria. 

2. During that same episode of osteomyelitis, her immune system responded so strongly, it made her whole body swell and stiffen up, so much so that to control it the doc at the hospital had to put her on steroids in addition to the antibiotics he was using to stop the infection in order to keep her own immune system from killing her. Her fever was around 104.7 for a while and they had to keep fans on her to cool her. She was in the hospital for a week before they found an antibiotic that would fight the infection. Last week when she got sick after chemo, her body began stiffening again, but this time as soon as we caught it, we gave her steroids and it stopped that in its' tracks. If we subject her body to a bacteria like listeria, there's a good chance her immune system could go off the rails again. 

3. Dogs have died in this trial. The trial is to establish safety. Every dog reacts differently. Vomiting, diarrhea, spiked fevers, etc. are fairly normal reactions. The vet did not feel it would be a good idea to possibly risk her life on a drug that we did not know was 100% safe, and that we did not have any power over in terms of allowing her to stay on her medications. 

4. She turns 12 on May 7th. She's a boxer. She's already outlived the average lifespan. Her tumor was distal and had clean margins. She is receiving the best care we can give her. So, we will give her another few rounds of carboplatin and then she will have around 18 months on average. By that time she'll be looking down the barrel of 14 years old. Today at the vet she was so terrified she couldn't stop shaking. It broke my heart. 

So- all that said, our goal is quality of life and to fight this with things we know she can handle. We'll do medicinal mushrooms and melatonin and turmeric and goat's milk and lots of hugs and long pulls in the wagon so she can smell her favorite flower bush down the road and get lots of good pets from strange people she thinks are also on walks just to see her. And our prayer is that hopefully she has the privilege of being able to pass at home surrounded by people who love her and are more than thankful for every bit of love and trust she has given to us the last 14 years. She's our girl.   

On The Road


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20 March 2019 - 8:42 pm
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Bailey is so fortunate to have such smart people. She has been through so much and you have taken all this into consideration. You have totally followed your heart and that is all your girl ever wants for her pack. Big 3-paws up to all of you for thinking this through and coming up with an answer that everyone can be comfortable with. We look forward to following along on those wagon rides and happier times ahead!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia







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20 March 2019 - 10:08 pm
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A very, very well thought out rationale of how to proceed with Bailey's care in a way that keeps her quality  intact.  Your devotion  to her well being is such a beautiful tribute  to the depth of your loving bond.

I went back and revisited some of the challenges  she has had during recovery and chemo, etc.  For whatever  it's  worth (and I don't  usually  express my personal opinion  on decisions like this), I would  not have continued  down that path either. 

Curious on how many carboplatin  treatments you are doing.   My Happy Hannah had four (osteosarcoma).  I know some Oncos do four, some five, and some even six.  Anyway, since she hates going to the Bet and seems to have a rough time with the chemo, ask about just doing four rounds,

jenaleigh1 said

So-.......our goal is quality of life and to fight this with things we know she can handle. We'll do medicinal mushrooms and melatonin and turmeric and goat's milk and lots of hugs and long pulls in the wagon so she can smell her favorite flower bush down the road and get lots of good pets from strange people she thinks are also on walks just to see her. And our prayer is that hopefully she has the privilege of being able to pass at home surrounded by people who love her and are more than thankful for every bit of love and trust she has given to us the last 14 years. She's our girl.   

  

EXACTLY!!!   Well said!!  Bailey can get on with being Bailey!  It just warms my heart to know Bailey  has the most exquisite  care any dog could have.  You definitely  are focused on  what's best for Bailey.  That kind of selfless love is the best "treatment plan" available!

Higs

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!

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21 March 2019 - 3:01 pm
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Thanks for the support. It is greatly appreciated. Bailey has had four rounds of chemo three weeks apart. Last week her oncologist told us that he likes to do 5 just to be on the safe side. He said there are two different universities who really focus on this and one indicates four, while another indicates 5. So, he goes with 5. Next Tuesday will be her last chemo session. I think over the last few months we've added something each time to help her handle things, so we are going into this last one with some strategies to keep her on her feet afterwards. 

So now it's time to really dig into the supplements and see what we can come up with to help her. We'll talk with the oncologist Tuesday about what combo of "stuff" to give post-chemo. 

It's 5 pm and that darn dog diva is singing the song of her people in anticipation of dinner! Here we go! 

Virginia







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22 March 2019 - 9:11 am
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You know we need a video of Bailey singing the song of her people, right??

We'll be looking for it!😎

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!

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1 April 2019 - 11:44 pm
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I heard someone mention that this particular vaccine was being stopped at the VCA clinics? I’m not sure why. You know there is an alternative vaccine EGFR  H.E.R.2 that consists of two injections and cost $500  mailed to  your vet. There are few  limitations on this. This is what Simon had in February

On The Road


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2 April 2019 - 9:43 am
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I hadn't heard that about the vaccine. If you can find a link with more information please share it with us. Thanks.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Una
13
15 May 2019 - 2:24 pm
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Our dog, Molly has osteosarcoma in her right hip and she just underwent stereotactic radiation and will start chemo tomorrow. No amputation. I am very interested in immunotherapy after the chemo. I have been told, Molly cannot be part of the trials of the listeria without an amputation. (is this correct?)

I am very interested in the  EGFR  H.E.R.2 vaccine mentioned above and will research it, but if anyone does have a link or info I would really appreciate it!! Thank you! - Una 

On The Road


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15 May 2019 - 3:36 pm
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Una said
Our dog, Molly has osteosarcoma in her right hip and she just underwent stereotactic radiation and will start chemo tomorrow. No amputation. I am very interested in immunotherapy after the chemo. I have been told, Molly cannot be part of the trials of the listeria without an amputation. (is this correct?)

I am very interested in the  EGFR  H.E.R.2 vaccine mentioned above and will research it, but if anyone does have a link or info I would really appreciate it!! Thank you! - Una 

  

Hi Una and Molly, I'm sorry to hear about the diagnosis but glad you found us.  Please considering starting an all new topic so we can follow along with your journey OK?

I have been told, Molly cannot be part of the trials of the listeria without an amputation. (is this correct?)

Yes I believe so.

What we are learning is that the new vaccines all have different criteria. The EGFR/HER2 Tumor Vaccine clinical trial is being conducted by the Veterinary Cancer Center in Norwalk, CT. Information can be found here:

https://vcchope.....r-vaccine/

Your best bet is to ask your oncologist about different vaccine options when you go in tomorrow. Let us know what you find out. We look forward to hearing from you!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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