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Chemo Side Effects
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Member Since:
27 September 2021
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29 October 2021 - 12:46 pm
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Atticus had his first round of chemo on Wednesday. I know chemo isn’t a contest, but if it was, Atticus would have won! I was so concerned about the administration of the chemo.  Atticus gets really stressed out going to the vet, and struggled recovering from surgery to the point they sent him home before he was walking because he was too upset to stay. We worried that chemo would be too stressful and disrupt the limited amount of time he has left.

We all went in with a battle plan- he got some trazadone, I dropped him off at 8am, and then I got ready to keep him in my car a few hours as they ran they bloodwork and got ready to do the infusion. It turns out after his blood draw he just relaxed and went to sleep, so we decided to just let him sleep. I picked him back up at 11, and our vet told me he was the best behaved dog getting chemo that day! Our visit note even said he was friendly and easy to examine.  Never before in the history of dogs has any vet ever said “best-behaved” or “east to examine” about Atticus. icon_razz

We are two days out from chemotherapy. Atticus’ first round was doxorubicin. It two weeks he will get a round of carboplatin. No vomiting or diarrhea yet, but he was not interested in food yesterday (even chicky nuggies!) so I’m sure he’s nauseous. I gave him some Cerenia yesterday at around 11am, and managed to get him to eat some steak and left over chicken pad Thai at 9pm. Today he happily ate his steak and a little kibble, but he’s still not eating like usual so he got more Cerenia. This is a dog who LOVES to eat.

Some questions for you all who have gone through chemo- at what point do you think the side effects peak, then taper off? And did you ever give anything beyond Cerenia for nausea?

Virginia







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29 October 2021 - 9:14 pm
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Atticus continues to astound us all with how quickly he overcomes any hurdles and adapts so positively to any challenge.  

So happy to hear he has won the Easiest to Examine and Best Behaved Dog Award👏👏👏   Good boy Atticus!!!

Yeah, chemo can mess with the appetite  sometimes.  I k ow we say thisnsomoften, but every dog IS different.  Aome have no appetite  issues, some have appetite  issues for maybe three or four days, some have issues longer.  And, just to keep us on our toes, some dogs may have a bit of nausea  the first course, but not afterwards.

Now, all that said, Atticus is eating some and that's  good!!  Hopefully he'll be back to "normal" after another dose or some Cerenia. 

Keep your Vet in the loop.  Some Vets give a Cerenia injection at the time of chemo.  If it gets really bad appe wise, they can some reduce the 2nd dose of need be.  But it does sound like Atticus  is having side effects bad enough to warrant that at this point.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.

Hugs

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too za

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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30 October 2021 - 1:53 pm
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YEAH! It sure sounds like you found the right place to help Atticus get through treatment with as little stress as possible. That's such a great report, you have every right to be a proud parent and tell the world he's a WINNER! We are proud of him too! That's huge.

Some questions for you all who have gone through chemo- at what point do you think the side effects peak, then taper off? And did you ever give anything beyond Cerenia for nausea?

What we've been told by oncologists is that side effects will usually hit immediately after coming home, or later about 5 days past the chemo treatment. Sounds like Atticus got it right away, but better to get it over with I suppose. 

I'm glad that your vet has you well prepared for his upset tummy. There are a few other things you can do to perk up his appetite. Check the Tripawds Nutrition blog for these articles;

https://nutriti.....g/appetite

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

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14 November 2021 - 5:17 pm
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It’s been a hot minute, and Atticus is done with Chemo round 2!

Doxorubicin was a little rough. We had about 4 days of diarrhea and struggling to eat anything, even steak and cheeseburgers. Cerenia didn’t seem to do much. This is tough to see, considering how food motivated he is. I know if he’s not eating, he’s really not feeling good. We took Atticus to a nearby pet store the Saturday after and let him pick out anything he wanted. We found a dehydrated lamb food that he liked. Fortunately I could get him to eat little amounts of that. By Monday, his appetite was slowly coming back. We got a CBC a week out and his white cell count and plates were only a little low. I think our oncologist will lower the dose next round. 

Carboplatin was waaaay easier than doxorubicin. The evening of the infusion he seemed to feel pretty crummy. He went to bed, refused to eat anything, and slept through the night. The next morning he was back to normal- no loss of appetite, no diarrhea. I have no concerns about our future carboplatin doses, we just might do a Cerenia injection the day of.

In other Atticus news, we had our first rehab appointment! I’m just waiting for my husband to come home and help take some pictures and I’ll be submitting our rehab reimbursement application. Rehab was soooo valuable, and I already seen an increase in Atticus’ quality of life. Rehab is great- it’s the one vet office I’ve ever been to where all the dogs are happy and want to go in.

Virginia







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14 November 2021 - 6:19 pm
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Thanks for the update.

Yeah, the Doxorubicin is often not well tolerated. and can have some pretty rough side effects.  Glad Atticus  has moved beyond all the side effects now.  Is he just having Carbo from here on out??

I love that you can see the benefits of Rehab already.  And what a great "doggy customer review " to see all dogs enter happy👏😊

Give that sweet Atticus a big smooch for us♥️

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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15 November 2021 - 9:21 am
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LOVE your pupdate! Well, other than the doxorubicin side effects Atticus endured, poor guy. So glad that is over! You might want to ask your vet about Ondansetron, a powerful anti-nausea med for people and off-label in pets. Also, don't know if you've seen our appetite tips but check those out for some ideas like how it really helps to feed off paper plates when a dog or cat doesn't want to eat (so they don't smell food residue). 

That's so cool you guys had a good rehab experience! Yes, submit the application. We can't wait to read it and share it with the community! 

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

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14 December 2021 - 10:29 pm
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Round #2 of doxorubicin was muuuch easier. After hearing about the Ruff time Atticus had on the first doe, our oncologist lowered the dose slightly. She also gave him a Cerenia injection. In addition to the cerenia and metronidazole, we also got some ondansetron (anti-nausea) and mirtazapine (appetite stimulant). We were more than ready to manage any side effects! I planned to start the cerenia and metronidazole the next day, since we needed it last time.

Fortunately, all Atticus had was a few days of slightly lower appetite. He wasn't super interested in breakfast, I think because his cerenia had worn off. I added in the ondansetron only twice, and never even needed the mirtazapine! All in all a much easier go than the first time. I have no concerns about the next doxorubicin round. 

Dose number four is this Thursday. It is also time to restage, so Atticus is getting chest x-rays, and an abdominal ultrasound. I am extremely nervous, and I figure I will be such a wreck on Thursday that I'm just taking the entire day off. He is doing so good. He's kicking butt at rehab, and he's full of energy and happiness. Yesterday and today he even grabbed toys and played tug-tug, which I don't think we've done since his diagnosis. I know objectively if his cancer is metastasizing, it doesn't change anything about how happy we are in this moment. But I just really hope we get a reprieve and nothing shows up. 

I had to go a few rounds with our vet practice. Our treatment plan had a deliberate schedule with carboplatin 2 weeks after doxorubicin, and doxorubicin three weeks after carboplatin. When we got home from our last appointment, I realized we had scheduled the next dose of carboplatin for three weeks, not two. I called the office, and they told me the notes said to schedule at three weeks. I insisted they doublecheck, because when I read the discharge summery, it read recheck CBC/carboplatin/xrays/ultrasound at 2 weeks. Two days later I got a callback, saying they had checked with another oncologist (not our doctor, and three weeks was correct.smiley13

That was a hard no. I'm an analyst with an eye for detail. I KNEW either 1) they were wrong, or 2) they had changed the schedule and didn't tell me. I got unreasonably upset (to myself of course!). I have no control over this whole process, or Atticus' cancer. The only thing I can control is getting him the treatment he needs- ON SCHEDULE.

I didn't give up- I emailed our vet directly with the original plan, and the dates for doses 1-3 (which were on that plan), and asked if three weeks was correct. I got a very apologetic phone call the next day- I was right, and the appointment got rescheduled. I don't fault my vet's office at all. It was a simple typo that started this. But it cemented to me that even thought the vet and the vet's office has all the knowledge, I am the ultimate advocate for my dog. No one knows him better than me, and no one is more invested in the details of his treatment. 

Virginia







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14 December 2021 - 10:42 pm
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You are definately  the best advocate  for sweet Attocus!   So glad you stayed determined  and focused to get the original plan back on schedule!

To m ow how well Attocus is doing so well.  Love that you said he is "full of energy and happiness and "kicking butt at  Rehab".  And on stopmof all that, he's starting to play with his toys again.  YAY!!!  And make no mistake about it, his outward behavior is definitely  a huge part of the equation as to how he is doing from a "clinical" perspective.

Stay strong and determined..............just like Atticus!

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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15 December 2021 - 11:17 am
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Megan you are a ROCK STAR! Atticus inherited that trait from you! smiley_clapsmiley10

Wow I just love how you caught that error in the schedule and didn't give up advocating for what you knew in your gut was the correct interval. BRAVO!

And I love that your vet fine-tuned the dosages to make sure he responded well and without any issues. That's what's so cool about veterinary chemotherapy. Quality of life is always #1 in this situation, no matter what. Chemo can be tweaked for each individual animal patient, nothing is set in stone. Your vet is pawesome.

Now, on to Atticus. That's pretty cool he's rockin' every aspect of the chemo, rehab, and life in general. We are sooooo happy for him! You're right, no matter what those scans say tomorrow, that won't change his attitude one bit. He's still going to carry on like he is today! So we all have our paws crossed that everything's gonna come back fine tomorrow. Keep us posted OK? 

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

Member Since:
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16 December 2021 - 1:33 pm
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I just got the news I didn't want to hear. The cancer has spread, all over his abdomen. Chemotherapy is not working, and the cancer is extremely aggressive. We have the option of Palladia, but our doctor isn't hopeful. I am leaning against it, because it means frequent blood work/vet visits, and possible GI side effects. I don't know if that's fair to him. 

Ugh. I knew this was possible, but I was so hoping to be one of the stories where we got a year.

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16 December 2021 - 2:16 pm
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So very sorry to hear this news icon_cry

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16 December 2021 - 6:27 pm
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Hi,

I am so sorry you are going through this. Not sure if you are into holistic medicine. But yunnan baiyao may be able to help Atticus. Look it up on pet oncologist or any alternative veterinary medicine site. Im not a vet but I do know of others it has helped in a similar situation. It is a traditional Chinese medicine used to control bleeding tumors and help kill cancer cells. Never give up hope you have come such a long way!

Virginia







Member Since:
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16 December 2021 - 8:42 pm
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Talk about a shock....never saw this coming.  Nope, not for a second.  Based out how happy he is and how well he has been, and is doing, hard to believe what the scans showed versus hisnoutward behavior.

When you have a second to catch your breath and get centered, first thing you need to do is look at Atticus, give him a treat and watch his tail wag.  Remember,  as far as Attocus is concerned, all is well in his world.  And that means Atticus  isn't  about to give up and neither are we.

And I abso second the mushroom therapy found in Yunan Baiyao  mentioned by "koko".  Also, talk to your Bet about Piroxicam.  Neither of these are "invasive" or require poking and prodding  from frequent  Vet visits.

So about the mi9shroom therapy (also known in part as Turkey Tail)  A friend of mine has a four legger who has developed  stomach/spleen tumor.  The Vet actually recommended Yunan  Baiyao and, so far, the slight downward spiral has stopped and everything  has remained stable.  Appetite  isn't  perfect, but feeding multiple smaller meals a day is working.

Now, a little closer to home.  My four legger had a bladder tumor.  Xrays painted a horrible picture.  24 hrs of fluids among other things and the Vet felt like Bob would not turn around and go down hill quickly.  Looong story short, some at home fluids, some Piroxicam and eight months went by with a good quality  life and a Happy Bob  Outwardly, Bob was doing great!  Xrays showed he probably  wouldn't  make it another week.

Others can chime in on Palladia.  I think it jist comes to a point where we draw the line in the sand when it comes to continuous  Vet visits, poking, prodding, etc.

Nope, Atticus isn't  going anywhere anytime soon. 

((((((((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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16 December 2021 - 9:49 pm
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Oh my gosh my heart just dropped to the floor. And my jaw. I can't believe this, I am so very, very sorry. Cancer can be so mean! smiley7AGGH!

Whatever decision you make, it will be made with pure love and Atticus' best interest in mind. He is so fortunate to have you looking out for him, and putting his needs first even when heartbreaking news happens. It was not what you or anyone here was expecting, and it sucks. But Atticus is still Atticus, and he's a rock star today, tomorrow, and always. He will continue living life to the fullest as much as he can, and that here-and-now attitude is the best way to cope with this sucky news. Watch him, he is the best teacher you will ever have. 

Meanwhile, we do have some info on Yunan Baiyao if you're interested.

Give Atticus a big big smooch from us, and know that we are surrounding you with hugs and sp_hearticon2sp_hearticon2sp_hearticon2

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

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28 December 2021 - 3:47 pm
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Hi everyone. First off, thank you for the kind words. I have been having a tough time with this news, and struggling to write anything. I struggled to even get out of bed on Christmas. I knew this was possible, even likely, but I so hoped the chemo would buy us a little more time. I wanted him to enjoy one more summer. 

I will look into yunnan baiyao, and try it if I can find a reputable source. Atticus has already been getting turkey tail mushroom since his diagnosis.

We decided not to do Palladia. Like Sally says, sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand. Palladia means regular vet visits, blood tests, and other stuff Atticus finds unpleasant. If I thought Palladia would work, I would consider it, but it's so unlikely, considering how aggressive this cancer is and how spectacularly doxorubicin/carboplatin failed. It's time to let Atticus enjoy the time he has left, and not stress him out with more vet visits and interventions.

Our oncologist was surprised Atticus is symptom free considering how bad the ultrasound looked. It's really spread everywhere (except his lungs, interestingly enough) Her estimate was that he had a few weeks before he starts showing symptoms- not eating, being lethargic, vomiting, and diarrhea. She thought maybe a month before we'd need to let him go.

We're at almost two weeks and he still is acting normal, happy, and eating well. Maybe a little lethargic, but he's always a bit lazy. The weekend after we got the news we went to the beach and let him run around off leash. Atticus is getting spoiled now with all kinds of bones, people food, and trips around town to the pet store and to see friends. I'm trying to soak in these moments while I can, and not dwell on it being the last beach trip, or his last Christmas, etc.

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