Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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So we got our call this morning on the biopsy and it was Osteosarcoma. That
didn't really shock me because I figured it was and wasn't really expecting
anything else. But now I am just not sure about chemo. Up until today, I was
leaning towards not doing chemo. I mean Brendol is 12 years old and it doesn't
sound like it's going to give us much. And it is very expensive. But on the
other hand Brendol is a young 12. And she is reminding me of that every day now
that she is feeling better. Yesterday she managed to get her t-shirt off twice
while still having the e-collar on. (I have the t-shirt on her to keep her from
scratching her stitches). Still wondering how she managed to pull that houdini
stunt off. We get the stitches out on Monday and I've scheduled a consult with
the internist to discuss the chemo and get an estimate, but I just don't know. Any feedback is appreciated.
Karma and Brendol
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
Hi Karma and Brendol,
I'm sorry about the biopsy results, I know it's tough to deal with.
Chemo is such a personal decision and there is no right answer that applies to every dog. Each situation is so unique, and nobody here will tell you that you should or shouldn't do it. Every one of us who has dealt with cancer has battled this big question, so here are some previous forum posts that should help (within them, I discuss why me and my people decided against chemo). I hope they help you in your decision. Whatever you choose, know that we will support you all the way.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi,
I think Rene says it best, it is really a personal decision. Making an appointment for a consult is at least a good first step - it can never hurt to have as much information as possible! We all have different experiences with chemo and our pets, so we're all here for questions!
Erica
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Hi Karma and Brendol!
The decision to do chemo or not is a big one. We had this same choice with Polly just a few weeks ago. Honestly, We got out some paper and wrote our the pros and cons for us and then dicussed it. We decided not to go for the cons seemed to outweigh the pros in our situation. But I can tell you, I keep looking at that list everyday to remind myself why we chose to go with a metronomic protocol instead.
Only you know what is best for you guys and once you make that decision, dont second guess youself. My Vet reminded me that no matter what we chose to do, its still more than 99% of other people choose to do and I'm a wonderful pet parent either way.
And if your interested, Polly is doing fantastic on her metronmoics. She outruns the rest of my pack, 3 legs and all!
Hi! It is such a personal decision that only with deep conversations with yourself and Brendol can you figure it out. Jackson is only 8, so we're doing IV chemo and is handling it like a pro! NO side effects and his appt takes less than an hour. I could explain more as to why we did it, but those are the most important details. We're also considering adding in metronomics . Polly, above, is handing it well and many others have. It can be much cheaper! It can also empower you on a daily basis, handing out her pills. Feel free to try IV chemo and stop if needed. Feel free to try metronomics and stop if needed. Feel free to skip IV chemo and do just metronomics . Feel free to juice her up with loads of love (like you wouldn't anyway?!) and supplements. The point is, there are lots of ways to go and as Erica says, the best first stop is with a specialist. Come back and report what was recommended and where you're leaning and we'll provide our experiences. Best wishes and lots of HUGS! We know that whatever you decide, it will be best for your entire pack!
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Hi Karma & Brendol! We are going through the same decision making process for our Libby. We meet with the vet tomorrow to discuss our options. I too am leaning towards not doing IV chemo but going straight to metronomics . However, I'm keeping an open mind about all the options and am doing a lot of reading, mostly in these forums. First hand experience from other pet owners has been the best education for me.
Good luck with whatever you decide. It's a blessing to have all the encouragement from the Tripawd family with no judgement. Everyone is so supportive, no matter what the decision.
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Thank you everyone for the support.
And good luck to you too Amya. I'll be sure to ask the specialist about all my options and get his opinion on some of the holistic options as well. I have also reached out to a local holistic veterinarian hospital and am just waiting to hear back from them.
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
Such a bid decision. We did chemo with Abby, but she was young and she loved going to the vet's office (they treated her like the rock star she was) and she tolerated it very well. Our previous dog was 12 when she got cancer. We opted to not pursue a lot of the treatment things we could have done with her because she was terrified of vet visits (after having some bad experiences early on). We couldn't put her through that.
How does Brendol do with vet visits? It's definitely something to weigh when making your decision. Remember - there are no right and wrong answers here. Whatever decision you make will be the right one, becuase you make it knowing & loving your dog the way you do.
keep us posted!
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!
Good morning everyone. Here is our update. I took Miss Brendol in this morning to get her stitches out and we met with the internist to talk about chemo. He recommended a protocol of 4 to 6 treatments with Carboplatin. We discussed metronomics , but he favored the carbo. I went on my gut, and we are doing the chemo. She is there right now getting it. I still have no idea what the right decisions are and there just aren't any guarantees. For now, we are going to give it a shot. I also got the name of another holistic vet to talk with her too about other things we can do. The positives are that Brendol is an otherwise healthy girl and she is a young 12 years old. She's getting around great as a tripawd, although all of a sudden she has gotten skittish about going up the stairs. Wish us luck that she takes well to the chemo.
Karma and Brendol
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
Hi Karma,
Best of luck coming your way from me and Jill! Jill is doing chemo as well right now, 2 rounds of carbo, 2 rounds of doxorubicin. she has 1 round of each so far and had no side effects so far. Let us know how round one goes!
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
It's great to have a plan as scary and uncertain as it is. Carbo has been found to be successful in so many dogs, you're in good paws. Plus, remember you can always stop if it causes more problems than you think it's benefiting Brendol. Thankfully most dogs don't have any real issues with it other than some nausea and lack of appetite for a day or two.
Oh one thing I wanted to say is that did you know we have quite a few members in the Atlanta Area? Put a call-out in Tripawds Parties so when Brendol is all healed up you can have a pawty to celebrate with other Tripawds.
Glad that things went well today. I take it her incision was looking good? Give her a hug from us!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Trust your gut! If it feels right then it is the right decision for you and Brendol. As much as we like to second guess ourselves the truth is we will never know what would have happened if we chose a different path.
I would suggest you write down why you made this decision, we humans tend to play the 'what if' game, especially when things don't go right. I found it helpful with Maggie, when I would wonder....I could look back and be confident in my decisions.
I hope Brendol handles the chemo like a champ!
Karen
We went through similar thoughts about treatments for Cassie since she is already 10 and decided to do the same thing - 4 treatments of Carbo then likely starting metronomics after 3rd treatment. We discussed with Cassie's onco other chemo options like combo treatment with Carbo/Duxo, and here are a few things she said that led us to go with this plan:
- Carbo treatment has enough study to back up its effectiveness;
- There is not enough study to conclusively prove that combo treatment is more effective than Carbo only treatment;
- Duxo is stronger (more toxic) than Carbo, so it is always an option to switch to Duxo if Carbo does not have desired effect;
- There is also not enough study to support effectiveness of metronomics yet, but since it is usually such low dose and dogs tolerate very well that there is no harm in trying metronomics .
It's been 1.5 weeks since her first treatment, and it did not seem to have affected Cassie negatively. She did not lose appetite or get loose stool, and her 1-week blood work came out spot on normal. We did start giving Cassie after 48 hours 10 mg of metoclopramide (anti-nausea medicine) every 12 hours for about 5 days as a preemptive measure.
Best of luck to you and Brendol - I bet she will pull through this like a champ!
Awwright! Having a plan is so wonderful, isn't it? Something to hold on to, to sink your teeth and emotions into. Horay!
Jackson handles his carbo excellently, so well in fact some here wonder if they just play poker with him in the back. I hope your pup handles it as well as Jackson. Kill that cancer!!
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Thanks everyone. Brendol had a good day getting lots of attention. Now she's laying on the couch with her head on my foot snoring. I'm trying to chill out and we'll wait and see about the chemo reaction. I did get an anti-nausea pill for her just in case.
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
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