Venting is totally allowed here!  This is an emotional journey like no other.  We all need to vent at times.  So vent to your hearts content.  Our Max always got very lethargic for the first few days after chemo.  We were lucky with his appetite though he never missed a meal.  Many here seem to breeze through chemo with little or no side effects.  But there are some also here that have stopped the chemo because the side effects impacted the quality of their lives too dramatically. And of course some who have totally opted out of chemo going with holistic treatment and some who chose to do nothing more at all after amp.  That is the one good thing of getting to this point.  You don't have to be locked in to anything.  If you think Muji's quality of life won't be where you want it to be you may want to re-evaluate your treatment plan.  There are no right or wrong choices to make here we make the best choices we can with the love we carry for our furfaces to give them the best quality of life we can.  There are no guarantees no matter what we chose to do. No matter what you choose to do if it's a choice made out of love it will be the right one.  Hopefully tomorrow will bring a better day for Muji.  We know how hard this all is and we're right here for you whenever you need us.  Hugs to you and the beautiful Muji.

Linda & Spirit Mighty Max

Hi Karsha and Muji,

I absolutely know what you are going through, I posted on your other forum post about my Polly having a difficult time with chemo, specifically doxorubicin...... Yes, it is true that most dogs have minimal effects from chemo, and then there are the few others that have much more difficulty. It took two chemo sessions, and repeated trips to the vet E.R. to finally get my Polly to tolerate her chemo very well. Like Denise said, sometimes supportive care makes all the difference, and I can say from experience, that fighting hemangiosarcoma and it's awful and quick symtoms, you need all the fighting power you can have. Talk to your vet about using anti-nausea meds such as Cerenia and or metaclopramide, appetite stimulants like Mirtazapine, pepcid to help for the tummy, and yes, fluids are good, but my Polly needed fluids because of her continual vomiting and diarrhea. Metronidazole is good for diarrhea, and yep, Polly was on a concoction of ALL these meds to combat her side effects, but it was worth it. Hopefully you won't have to deal with all these meds, but they are certainly there to use if you need them.

I do believe both Linda and Denise made very good points in their posts, so I just want to add a bit more from my point of view and experience.

As I have also learned after the fact, combining holistic avenues in combination with chemo, can also be very valuable against fighting ugly hemangiosarcoma. Perhaps finding a holistic vet in combination with your vet oncologist, will give your sweet Muji the best chance possible to fight this particular ugly cancer. I know it seems overwhelming at times, and like Linda said, you definitely have to decide how you want to tackle this unwanted journey, no decision is wrong and you have to truly consider Muji's quality of life. I went full on with my Polly because I just wanted to fight this terrible cancer after losing my Maggie very quickly to it before Polly, and I regret not doing more, like the holistic options available, but my Polly still beat hemangiosarcoma for almost 14 months. Most vet oncologists are more than willing to discuss all treatments possible including holistic so I just want to throw it out there for you.

Remember that we are all here for you, and will help you through this journey, you are definitely not alone here. 😊

Sending supportive {{{Hugs}}}
Bonnie, Angel Polly, Pearl, and Zuzu

Hi Karsha,

My little Canaan had three rounds of chemo and the third was the worst in terms of her not feeling well.  We switched her to Palladia because the chemo wasn't actually shrinking the lung mets, they grew a little.  I added cannabis oil (CBD) to her regimen because I saw a show called "The Miracle Cure" and I felt it was worth a try.  We go back for reevaluation on February 1st but let me tell you.......this dog feels SO good.  She is happy, getting around, no effects from the Palladia and man can this dog eat.  I didn't like the IV chemo as it stressed her out and made her feel sick.  My vet recommended the Palladia and approved the CBD oil.  Maybe talk to your vet about both?  We do give Patches a daily pepcid as a precaution but overall she's done so well.

There was a time where I questioned my decisions but now five months post amputation I know with 1000% certainty we did the right thing.  No matter what you do you will do in Muji's best interested so you can't go wrong.  

I hope this helps.  

xoxo

Debbie and Patches