Hi Amy & Sally.  My dog Max had his left front let amputated due to osteosarcoma in November, 2008.  We chose to do chemo.  Max had 6 rounds of carboplatin.  The first 4 treatments were a breeze for him.  He was a little tired and not too interested in food about 24 hours after the treatment; this lasted for about 24 hours, then he'd be back to normal.  Treatments 5 & 6 were a little different.  Chemo is cumulative, so after 5 & 6, he suffered some diarrhea and was tired a bit longer.  Other than that, he really had no side effects from the chemo.  

Having said that, everyone here has a different story, because every dog is different.  This is just my experience with chemo.  Max was cancer free for just under a year.  We discovered lung mets in October 2009; Max passed from complications from those lung mets in January 2010.  You will see other dogs here on the forums who lived much shorter than Max's 14 months, and others who lived much longer than 14 months.  Some of those dogs did chemo, some didn't.

What you need to remember about chemo is that if you do choose to start chemo, you don't have to continue with it.  You can stop the treatments at any time.  That was one of our major deciding factors when we decided to go forward with chemo for Max.  We thought if it affected him very badly, we would stop and it would work its way out of his system in a few weeks.  

As for your oncologist saying that some dogs make it a long time and others don't, I'm not sure that was a fair statement to make to a patient.  If there was a guaranteed cure for osteosarcoma, there would be no question as to whether or not chemo would or would not be necessary.  Since a cure is still being searched for, chemo is just one of the options available to stave off metastasis.

Chemo is a very personal choice, and whatever choice you make, it will be the right one for your pup.  You know your dog best, and you know what works best for them.  I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences with/without chemo.  

Trouble had 5 rounds of carboplatin.  I was the resistant one.  Our vet and my husband both wanted to do the chemo, I was afraid of the side effects. And Maximutt is absolutely correct, you do not have to continue once you start the treatment.

Trouble and Max had their surgery and treatment during the same timeframe.  Trouble lived 27 1/2 months and died cancer free.  She lost her battle to age and arthritis. Chemo is not a guarantee, it is gamble. It is expensive, and some folks just can't work it into their budget.

Cancer treatment for a pet is such a personal decision.  In the end, there is no right or wrong.  Each person makes an individual decision based on what is right for their circumstance and what they feel in their heart.

Given the same circumstance, I would choose to do the chemo. Trouble had minimal side effects and was back to being herself within 12 - 24 hours. In her case, I think it helped, though I have no proof her longevity can be attributed to chemo.

Some good info on this vet's website:

http://www.bath.....rticleID=3

I don't know them; just came across their site while googling my dog's treatment protocol, but I thought it provided some valuable info.

I can't add much more than the well informed posters have already.  I can tell you our experience with Libby. She is a right front leg amp due to OSA.  We chose not to do IV chemo and started the metronomics about 2 weeks after her amp.  We also changed her diet (grain free kibble + home cooking + supplements) which makes us feel like we are doing something on the home front to fight this crappy diagnosis.

I will just echo a couple of points the others have mentioned.  This cancer is different for each dog/cat.   Nobody here will judge you no matter your decision. Read all you can and be well informed.

It's unfortunate you have to join this club we all belong to, but there is a wealth of information here along with wonderful people you can turn to for venting, comfort and support.  

Amy

I agree!  Before we started I asked 2 vets about side effects because I was extremely concerned about Kermit's quality of life... both told me that dogs for the most part tolerate chemo very well and people shouldn't make the assumption that because humans suffer from a lot of side effects that it means your dog will.  The levels of drugs administered to pets are far lower than in humans.

But as stated above, there are many considerations that come into play when you make the decision.

I lost a cat to osteosarcoma several years ago when no one had even told me there WERE other options besides amputating the affected toe.  Just be informed and you'll make the decision that's right for you.

No, we amputated the toe and my poor baby kitty was in agony for days before we finally had to euthanize him.  He was 15 & blind so I'm not sure we would have done any other treatments but it sure would have been nice to have had a lot more information to go on before subjecting him to that.  It was brutal.

To answer the chemo question (sorry I've veared off topic here........)

It's a very personal decision as many have said.  It's hard to go by "the stats".  So many dogs have proven the stats wrong (and right), so I think you just really have to go with your gut.  Something my onco said to me when we were making the decision that really stuck with me was, you have to ask yourself if you'll be able to sleep at night with the decision you made (either way). 

It's so true that you can stop the chemo AT ANY TIME.  If your dog is not reacting well to it, STOP!  I can tell you from our experience, and take it for what it's worth because I'm dealin' with a kitty here, Jill has done marvelously like Jackson, on the chemo.  She had one time when her White Blood Cell count dropped drastically, but showed no signs of it, we only knew from the blood tests.  We put her on penicillin and back up they went! 

So again, it's really a decision you have to make for yourself, your family and your pup.  I hope this was somewhat helpful...........

All the best,

Erica & Kitty Jill