You are so welcome. I'm so glad she was able to get some therapy. As for timeframe and wheels use/time, that's something that your physio can answer since she knows Emma better. I do know that when it comes to acupuncture, you can expect to see results after 3-4 sessions in most dogs.

When it comes to walks, therapists tell us shorter and more frequent walks are best. 20 minutes per walk is on the high end for even the most fit dogs, and those with wheels. Try to give her lots of breaks within that 20 minutes.

Underwater therapy is nice but it's not the only tool as you know. In fact we've had physios tell us that it's far better to do a combination of therapies. Treadmills are more of a thing for the pet parent than the dog, in that the pet parent gets more enjoyment out of it than the dog gets benefits!

Hoppy New Year to you as well! What a great way to start the year with Emma getting some mojo back!

That mistletoe therapy ... I could swear my sister in law (a stage 4 breast cancer survivor for the last EIGHT years!) has participated in some kind of treatment like that. Got any links to share?

Regarding the biopsy: there is some evidence that messing with a primary tumor can spread metastasis, but it's not 100% conclusive.

Is your vet the oncologist too? Sounds like your vet offered a fine needle aspirate? If so, the risk of spread is probably pretty minimal. But it's a good question for an oncologist.

I guess the question is, if you found out that it is cancer, would you be willing to treat it with chemo, radiation, whatever the recommendation is from the oncologist? If not, and you would just manage palliatively with pain control and comfort care (no shame in that choice) there is probably no point in the biopsy. But definitely worth discussing with the onco. What did your vet say?

susi35 said
Emma received her 2nd mistletoe injection on Tuesday and the vet there said her popliteal lymph node looks like a lymphoma. Since last week it has turned harder and it is like a small round ball, which can be moved around a little.

So I phoned up the oncologist immediatetely and got an appointment for today. They did a chest x-ray first and it is clear! 

They took a biopsy at and sent it to university for evaluation.  I then got the phonecall at 16.30 with the shocking result. Emma has a lymphoma!!  I am just speechless.........

She said we can do chemo for this type of cancer, ohterwise Emma will only have 6-8 weeks. I just cant believe I am writing this!! 

  

Oh no! I'm sorry, this has got to knock the wind out of you. 

First, remember that Emma is still Emma. She is the same dog, but with a serious health condition of course. But her personality, her needs, her emotions, they are still 100% her. Nothing will ever change that.

Second, you are working with an oncologist now. Whether or not you decide to treat the cancer, at least you know what you are dealing with. There is some comfort in knowing what the enemy is, right? 

I am not an expert on that cancer, but I do believe it is one of the more manageable conditions. If treating it is an option for you both, then she can go on to have a good quality of life into her golden years. And if it's not an option to do the treatment, that is OK too. Cancer therapy is not inexpensive. And if you have to opt out, there is no shame there. We understand, completely. And so does Emma. Because all she wants is for her favorite people to be happy and relaxed about life. Of course easier said then done when you're not dealing with this diagnosis.

How do you feel about treating it? Is it an option? If not, did the vet give you any instructions for managing it palliatively? 

It's AWESOME that Emma is doing so well! A strong body makes it so much easier to bounce back from illness. She has a LOT on her side.

The thing about doing any kind of chemo is that you can always stop if you don't like the side effects. If it's in your ability to cover the costs, there's no harm in trying. Vet oncologists always keep quality of life as the #1 priority, they would never guilt you into continuing with therapy if a dog was miserable. We've never seen that happen here.

Yes, lymphoma is pretty manageable. In fact we've had one vet tell us once that cancer in general is like any kind of chronic illness that just needs management. If you can get a grasp on what it needs to behave itself, the patient can have a good quality of life. My own sister in law was diagnosed eight years ago with metastatic stage 4 breast cancer. She has managed her illness like nobody's business, and continues thriving and doing so well. She proves to me that yes, managing cancer and having a good quality of life are doable in some cases.

As for dealing with a secondary cancer, unfortunately that's not too uncommon around here.

Always remember that a prognosis is an average based on other dogs, not Emma. There is no crystal ball to say she will pass on in 6-8 weeks. You just never know in this crazy game of cancer. We've seen dogs survive incredible odds, so stay hopeful.

Drats that link to the mistletoe therapy is bad. 

I'm so glad she is tolerating the therapy! And VERY cool that the vet let you stay with her during treatments, a lot won't do that which is a total bummer.

I didn't realize that treating lymphoma involves such a complicated "recipe" of chemo medications. Thanks for educating us.

It sounds like a ton of chemo, but remember that animals get a very low dose compared to humans. The vets' goal is to put quality of life as the first priority, so they keep the dosages pretty low in order to manage the cancer and make it behave, without overtaxing the patient's body.

Hope things keep going well. Give Emma extra smooches from us!