Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Well I have set up Sassy's first chemo appointment and it will start December 12. I will be meeting with the vet next Saturday at noon to go over everything and all the paperwork since I won't be able to take her because of my work schedule my mom will take her in for me. Kinda nervous about this. I feel this is the right thing to do to give her the longest chance to survive.
Any helpful hints would be good thanks everyone.
She is doing great getting around on Day 17. Seems like she has been doing this a lot longer than she has been. Decided to try to run a little last night in the kennel yard although it wasn't very far she did pretty good on 3 legs 
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Hey Michelle, this is great progress for you and Sassy. OK, so like we talked about in the chat, I would ask:
- who is administering the chemo and how much training do they have to do it?
- what safety precautions are in place to prevent chemo accidents with Sassy?
- what side effects should you look out for, what can you expect, and when?
- who can you call after hours if she starts experiencing side effects?
I hope this helps but I know others with more chemo experience can also provide even better questions and things to think about. Good luck to you both!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Michelle. Zeus did six rounds of carboplatin. I would suggest asking for nausea/diarrhea meds to have on hand in case you need them. The meds are pretty inexpensive and if Sassy gets sick on a weekend you will be glad to have them. Zeus had one incidence of diarrhea on a Sunday and by the time I was able to get meds on Monday morning he was better. He did throw up once each time after his 1st and his 2nd treatment, but rather than oral meds our vet just gave him an injection of Cerenia with each subsequent treatment and that did the trick.
Also, be sure you understand the precautions you need to take with her waste products. If I recall correctly, you are supposed to wear gloves to clean up if she vomits w/in a couple of days of chemo. You should also bag her poop to make sure no other animal is exposed to it as well as wash down wherever she pees if there is any chance of a child or another pet getting into it before it dries. I'm not certain about those time frames, so be sure to talk to the vet about it!
The chemo is cumulative, so Sassy will likely show a bit more lethargy as the treatments progress. I'm sure she will do just fine with the treatments. Good luck!!
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
Trouble also had the Cerenia injection prior to her Carboplatin after the first treatment. Her nausea was not bad, but we wanted to keep her as comfortable as possible. I also had the pills in case I needed them.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Abby did six rounds of Carbo. She mostly did really well with it. One thing was that she only wanted to eat very plain food after each treatment. At first we tried tempting her with tasty things, but all she wanted was plain pasta. Then we actually read through everything the onc sent home and realized it suggested plain pasta or rice. (Abby obviously read the paperwork!)
The only other side effect with her was that she was VERY tired after the 5th treatment. I didn't realize the effects are cumulative, so it gave me a big scare!
All the best to Sassy. Hope she breezes through!
Jackie, angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Thanks everyone. I did ask a few of the questions Jerry told me to ask when I talked to the vet on Saturday. The vet will be administering. She will have a cather everytime she has the chemo. I asked about how the dosage was figured and she said something about meter sq2 (think if I remember correctly it was weight but will double check) She is planning on sending her home with meds for nauseau and i asked about green clay but she didn't know anything about that. so will ask about diarreah meds too. I have a consultation on Saturday because my mom will be dropping her off on the 12th because of my hours then I will pick her up.
It is good to know this stuff from those with experience thank you
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
You done good Michelle! Sounds like the vet has a good handle on things, you don't have any reason to worry.
FYI, the Green Clay Information is here:
http://nutritio.....ting-clay/
In this post there is a link to a scientific study performed by a vet, who Wookie actually knows personally. That's what convinced her to give it a try and she was so glad it worked. Get the nausea meds and if you have a chance to get some of this stuff it's always good to have on hand.
Have a great week. I know this will be a long one for you both!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Magnum did 6 rounds of Carboplatin. She happily ate her raw food as normal but was a bit more picky at eating her dry food for a few days each treatment. Magnum never vomited or had diarrhea but we did give her Cerenia tablets a few times when she seemed a bit queasy. It certainly perked up her up again. Because Magnum didn't vomit or have diarrhea we were sometimes a bit slow at realising she was feeling nauseous so look out for subtle changes in Sassy's behaviour / eating. I didn't know about the injections. That sounds like a great idea. Since the treatment is cumulative we certainly noticed that Magnum was a lot more lethargic by the 5th and 6th treatments.
Good luck!
Karen and Spirit Magnum
Magnum: 30th May 2002 to 5th May 2012. Lost her back left leg to osteosarcoma on 5th Sep 2011. Lung mets found on 20th Mar 2012 but it was bone mets in the hip that ended her brave battle. Magnum's motto - "Dream as if you'll live for ever, live as if you'll die today" (James Dean). Loyal, loving, courageous and spirited to the end. My beloved heart dog, see her memoirs from Rainbow Bridge ...... http://princess.....pawds.com/
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