Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all, just a quick update (and a question) on Summer.
Her incision looks great. She had her first chemo (Carboplatin) yesterday. They said she did great, went to sleep on her little orthopedic hospital bed and slept through the whole thing. We got to pick her up a little early since she did so well. She’s definitely a laid-back gal. Summer was doing very well with her walking, eating, and attitude prior to chemo. She ate a good dinner when she got back home yesterday. Today she’s a little lethargic, droopy, and doesn’t want to eat. I ‘know’ all those things are normal and to be expected. Hopefully it won’t last more than a day or two. Still, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hate the slight setback, though I know in the long run, it’s worth it.
My question is: the oncologist sent us home with an antibiotic (Cipro) for her to take twice daily over the next 10 days. I questioned it because I didn’t anticipate that. Is this a normal thing for her to take? She has to go back in 1 week, then again in 2 weeks, to have her WBC checked. Then she gets another WBC test in 3 weeks, just prior to receiving her 2nd chemo dose. But the oncologist said the antibiotic is something they give proactively to help prevent any infection. Thoughts?
Robin & Summer
Yay!! Glad to hear things are going so well! OMD - that’s amazing she slept through the whole thing. Talk about low stress!
Did they give you any anti-nausea/anti-diahrreal meds just in case? I wonder if the not eating could be a touch of nausea? (Just my non-professional guess.) My Juno is on carboplatin right now and we give her 3-4 days of cerenia (anti-nausea) in the days following chemo since her stomach upsets pretty easily. We do also notice that June’s a bit slower and tires more easily the day after chemo.
As far as the antibiotic, we weren’t given anything like that. Did they have concerns that her white blood cell count could be a particular concern? Maybe it’s a greyhound thing? ?
Natalie & Juno (aka June)
Thank you, Natalie. Greyhounds do tend to have lower overall WBC counts than other breeds, so perhaps that’s why.
They did not give us anything for nausea or diarrhea, even though I asked about it. They said to call if I felt she was having any problems and they would be happy to give us an rx. Summer has not (as of yet) had any diarrhea, and no vomiting - though it’s hard to tell if she’s nauseous. She did eat her dinner tonight after her walk down the block, so that made me happy. Hoping tomorrow will be more ‘normal’, but I’ll take that for now.
It’s been a very difficult day here today on another front. We had to have our beloved 16-year old cat (Puck) put down. Turned out that what we thought was a skin condition of some sort, turned out to be cancer. Turns out he had a large tumor under his tongue and it likely spread throughout his body. It’s a wicked thing, this cancer. I’m so heartbroken. Puck was a great little guy and I will miss him greatly.
I’m glad your Juno is doing well. May both she and Summer continue to thrive.
Robin & Summer
Robin oh my gosh I'm sorry about poor Puck! Poor guy. Poor you! You have my sincere condolences. What a ride you've been on lately.
How is Summer doing today?
Honestly I don't recall anyone getting an antibiotic after chemo, but it could be that people just don't mention it. And it could be related to the Greyhound physiology. I dunno.
I hope she's doing well.
Thank you all for your kind words about our cat, Puck. It was a bit of a shock. Even though he was almost 16, he was perfectly healthy up until the past 3 months. The house (and the pack) just isn’t the same without him. When it rains, it pours, I guess. Cancer sucks.
@jerry, Summer is being her stubborn little self. Physically she’s doing okay, getting around a bit better each day. But eating very little despite what we try to entice her with, and refusing her Cipro. I spoke with her oncology vet today. He said they like to give the antibiotic as a precaution against infection because Carboplatin can decrease WBC count, and greyhounds already have a lower count than other breeds. He gave us Cernia for nausea, but getting that into her is just as difficult as getting the antibiotic into her. She’s no longer fooled by the bacon, cheese, gravy, hot dog, trreat, ‘whatever' we try to wrap it in. And she’s getting pissed when we try to force feed her the pills and hubby is getting worried she’s going to snap at us. I’m about ready to just not give her the antibiotic and let her get her appetite back. She was starting to eat well again before the chemo. It’s a struggle. Trust me, when Summer doesn’t want to take a pill or eat, nothing we do is going to make her do it. SO frustrating. I might try skipping a day and see what happens. The nurse in me hates that approach, but the mama in me is tired.
Robin & Summer
I'm just a stranger on the internet with no medical credentials. I think I'd probably lean towards stopping the antibiotics in favor of trying to get my dog to eat more. We know chemo takes it out of them. Food is fuel for her body to function and fight the cancer. Infection is a risk, not a guarantee. Just my two cents.
Awwww..so sorry to hear about sweet Puck. Not what you needed to have to deal with right now. .
One thing I know though, she had a well-loved life with you. And just as you watched over her while she was in her Earth clothes, she is now watching over you, your husband and Summer from the Rainbow Bridge as your Guardian Angel.
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!
Thank you for the kind words about Puck. It’s a heartbreaking loss for us; he was the best boy ever and his absence is felt very deeply.
Summer is doing great. I didn’t give her the remaining antibiotic (post chemo #1) and her appetite picked right up. She’s back to eating normally and seems much happier. She walks down the block like she owns it and struts her new ‘look’ like a diva. She goes into the vet for a WBC check tomorrow, one week post chemo. They check it at one week, two weeks, then for the third time at 3 weeks, just prior to her 2nd chemo.
Robin & Summer
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