Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Quincy is 11 days post amp and doing quite well. He moves around without major issues (the hop is pretty cute actually) and despite our efforts to build and get him to use the ramp to go up and down the deck stairs to get to the yard he looked at us like we had 3 heads and proceeded to use the stairs (5 steps to the yard). There have been some ups and downs over these last 2 weeks but a lot of that had to do with getting the right combo of meds (that Tramadol is brutal) and a bit a reminder/dose of patience for all of us (especially me and Quincy). We talked to the vet today and she said a lot of his sleepiness is likely due to his meds so we phased out on her direction the Tramadol today and the Gabapentin tomorrow. Already this evening he is much more himself with that Tramadol done. He will stay on Rimadyl until current RX runs out and possibly renew for duration of chemo (she said NSAIDS have been shown to block certain proteins given off by the cancer).
And that brings us to the not surprising but still disappointing news that the biopsy finally came back confirming the osteosarcoma (boo!). We are scheduled on Thur (day 13 post amp) to have Quincy evaluated for suture removal and assuming all the blood work and physical exam goes as expected he will get his first dose of chemo (carboplatin 4x, 3 weeks apart).
I am really, really nervous about chemo. I feel bad that just when he is getting back to himself we will potentially make him feel crap again. We will come home with anti nausea and anti diarrheal meds in case he needs them. He has the typical shepherd stomach sensitivity issues (although his appetite has always been good, including throughout this recovery) so that is contributing to my nervousness. Vet swears most dogs do well and reading on this site I see that is the case. I really hope that he sails right through. I just don't want to put him through more than he needs for whatever time he has left - of course we are hoping for meeting and possibly exceeding the median expectancy.
Fingers crossed for Thur and this weekend!
I am so sorry about the dreaded diagnosis. I can tell you - chemo is usually not as hard on dogs as humans. They don't lose extra fur or anything like that. They do have meds for nausea which you said you would be getting. Some dogs feel a little more tired but that is normal. Shelby usually had a day or two of more lethargy but then she would bounce back and be her happy tripawd self! Each dog is different.
I will keep fingers crossed that it is smooth sailing for you and look for more happy updates!
Alison with Spirit SHelby in her heart (and little jasper too)
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Well yay for Quincy!
It's nice to hear your vet is working with you so closely and offering fantastic guidance. You are well-prepared for whatever is ahead but like Alison said, most dogs don't take chemo nearly as bad as we imagine they will so stay strong and pawsitive, you and Quincy will rock this chemo thing!
P.S. Yes, NSAIDs are one of the key ingredients of metronomics , the at-home chemo regimen.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So happy to jear how well Quincy is doing! He'll continue to get better too!
Try not to worry about the chemo (yeah, right)! If, for some rare reason, he has a really horrible reaction, you can stop and he would return to normal. Every now and then a dog does stop. I jave a feeling though that Qui cy will do just fi e!
As weird as it sounds, my Happy Hannah seemed to feel extra good when she got her first chemo treatment!! She had four rou ds and sailed through each one!
Remember, Quincy doesn't give a rip about any ole "report"! Nothing has changed in Quincy's world! He's feeling better and better and that's all that matters! That's the only "report" that means anything!
Looking forward to more great updates!
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!
Good Luck Quincey!
Stay strong and happy! You'll do well!
XO
Deb, Belle and Angel Zeus
Great to hear how well Quincy is doing! On the days our boy was getting chemo we were told to give him an anti nausea pill ahead of the chemo hopefully to prevent any nausea. It worked like a charm so maybe ask your vet ahead of time if you could do that? I guess they figured it was better to be preventative than try to fix it later if it happened. Maxs only reaction to chemo was being tired a day or two after and sleeping more. Hopefully Quincy will sail through this flying colors!
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
Good boy, Quincy! I'm glad you're showing everyone how strong and resilient you are.
Like others who've posted, we found chemo to be pretty easy. Just a little post-chemo dip in energy and appetite. A couple of things to keep in mind though. First, if Quincy doesn't do well, you can always stop! Each time we had a chemo date, we thought about how Ellie was tolerating it and decided to go ahead. Her quality of life was most important, and if she had worse side-effects then we could always have stopped. Secondly, the onc will probably adjust the dose if chemo does hit Quincy hard. For example, a lot of dogs have a low white blood cell count after chemo and if it is too low, they'll typically postpone the next chemo by a week and lower the next dose.
I'm glad you'll be prepared w/ anti-nausea and anti-diarrheal meds. We used Cerenia each time but just as a precaution. Ellie had such a hard time recovering her appetite after her amp that we didn't want to risk it again.
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Thanks everyone for all the encouragement and well wishes. Very helpful, as usual. For those that gave the anti nausea prophylacticly (either day of or day after) - how long did you have to give it? A few days? A week? The whole time between sessions? I am leaning towards that but want to be sure I have a good sense of what others did before I talk to the vet tomorrow.
Also pleased to share that Quincy is now off Tramadol and Gabapentin and so far so good. And he is much more like himself. So that's positive too.
Max got the Cerenia pill the morning of chemo and then we waited to see if he needed any more. He never got sick after so he only received 4 pills during his whole chemo treatment, one each time he got his chemo. We fed him smaller amounts more often the first few days after each chemo so he always had something coating his stomach. He never lost his appetite or got sick. We felt fortunate but most dogs do pretty well. We'll be thinking of you and Quincy on Thursday keep us posted. Hugs,
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
skqpd said
Thanks everyone for all the encouragement and well wishes. Very helpful, as usual. For those that gave the anti nausea prophylacticly (either day of or day after) - how long did you have to give it? A few days? A week? The whole time between sessions? I am leaning towards that but want to be sure I have a good sense of what others did before I talk to the vet tomorrow.Also pleased to share that Quincy is now off Tramadol and Gabapentin and so far so good. And he is much more like himself. So that's positive too.
We were extra, extra cautious w/ Ellie because of her post-amp eating issues. Ellie lost a total of 20lbs post-amp, or about 20% of her body weight, and half of that was failure to eat. In addition, she had mild kidney disease. So each at each chemo she got IV fluids (to protect her kidneys) with an injectable dose of Cerenia on the side. We'd follow up w/ 4 days of Cerenia at home. She always continued to eat through the whole experience, but we did see a drop in appetite for a few days---nothing serious---for example, she wouldn't eat her whole meal. But she never got nauseous the way she did after the amp.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Thanks again. We are back from the first chemo session. On vet direction, we gave the anti nausea (Ondansetron) when we got home and will again tomorrow morning and then see if he needs more. We also have metronidazole if he gets diarrhea. Most of the sutures/staples were removed but one end of the incision is a little inflamed so they kept those staples in and will remove next week when he goes back for his blood test recheck. As far as physical recovery she said he looked great and moving "as one of the best she has ever seen". So far so good. Fingers crossed for the next few days/weekend.
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I love that your vet gave you such awesome anti-nausea and diarrhea medication, you are well prepared. Hopefully he won't need them.
Here's a post about adding images in the forums. If you'd like help let me know. I can't wait to see the photo you were trying to post.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Murphy had a different chemo, CCNU, since he had a different type of cancer (histiocytic sarcoma). He only had some very mild loss of appetite on the day of his chemo, but it also could have been due to the drive - it's 1.5 hour each way, and he's spend half the day there before coming back home. His chemo was just a pill, so no IV.
Odansetron is the good stuff! lol Prescription is pricey, and some insurances limit how many tablets patient's can get.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
You've got all the bases covered!
Im glad the Vet reassured you how well Quincy was doing! Good news!
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!
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