Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Holly's had 2 chemo treatments, and did well after the first one. But she was nauseous for days after the 2nd one. It lasted about a week. This week (2 weeks after chemo) she seems back to herself again. Both times she was given an injection of cerenia prior to the chemo. We weren't given any additional meds for use at home. We used some pepcid ac after it was clear she was nauseous - but I'm thinking that I should be more proactive with her next chemo treatment and ask the vet for something to use at home in the first few days. When I called the vet on the 3rd day, the tech gave me information about rice and ground beef, which we'd already done... and I understand that will help. But I told her I'd like to relieve the nausea if possible... not only feed her a diet that she will tolerate through the nausea. I asked if there was a pill form of cerenia and she said they didn't have it. She didn't offer any other suggestions, so I asked about pepcid ac and she gave me the dosage for Holly for that.
What have others found helpful to combat nausea after chemo? DId your vet prescribe meds, and if so what were they?
Thanks, as always, for any advice you can share!
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
http://anyemery.....ipawds.com
One of our favorite vets (other than Tripawd member Tazziedog!), Dr. Demian Dressler (aka "the Dog Cancer Vet") suggests:
Ginger to Help Dogs with Cancer (yep, the stuff you get at the grocery store! cheap and easy!)
Mirtazapine for Dog Cancer (a new prescription drug)
Dr. Dressler has more suggestions in his awesome e-book, "The Dog Cancer Survial Guide."
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Holly's Mom,
Mackenzie had some real issues with nausea too after her chemo treatments (she was more extreme than most dogs.) In fact, her 2nd treatment seemed to be the worst so far (it took a week before she was back to normal too.) So we did a few things. The oncologist ended up lowering her chemo dosage a little bit from the norm. She also gave her an injection of Ondansetron before her treatment as a preventive. Then prescribed this in pill form to be taken for the first 5 days or so or as needed. Then when that didn't seem to work as well by her 2nd treatment, the oncologist put her on Cerrenia in addition to the Ondansetron (for up to 5 days.) And then on top of that, I also gave her a vitamin supplement (recommended by the vet) that contained ginger for added relief for about 5 days or so (called Rx Vitamins - Nutrigest). It's tough to see your puppy go through this side effect. Mackenzie ends up losing her appetite so I end up feeding her only the foods that I know she'll eat and sometimes have to hand feed her for the first few days. She seems to turn off completely to any kind of kibble or dog food or food she eats on a regular basis during the first few days so I end up feeding her other stuff like boiled cut up turkey breasts and chicken. She also seems to turn off to rice and hamburger which happen to be her favorite food when she's not feeling nauseated. It's a lot of experimentation.
Mackenzie went in for her 5th treatment today and I'm bracing myself but now feel I have a better handle on it. I noticed that other pawrents are being prescribed the Cerrenia vs. the Ondansetron so I asked my doctor today about that - she said that some dogs respond better to Ondansetron vs. Cerrenia (and vice versa). Ondansetron is prescribed to humans who are on chemo. So I guess it depends on your doctor. Since Mackenzie is more vunerable to these side effects, our doctor decided to pull out all the stops and prescribe both. So hope this helps and good luck! I'm sure you'll figure some things out that will work best for Holly by the time you get to her 3rd treatment. Keep us posted!
My sweet golden Mackenzie. She became my angel on Dec 29, 2010 at the age of 8 1/2 although she was always my angel from the time we brought her home. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Sept 2009 and officially became a tripawd (front leg) on Nov 5, 2009. She will be forever in my heart and now she's running free with all of our other tripawd heroes. I love you Mackenzie!
Wow, I can't believe they don't have the pill form of Cerenia. I thought that was a staple for chemo dogs, at least those taking Doxy (Adriamycin) or drugs that tend to cause nausea. The first time around, they just sent us home with pills and advised to delay starting them for a few days. That was a mistake. Tazzie never threw up, but you could tell he was nauseas. Mostly just salivating and then lost his appetite (very peculiar for him to say the least). Rice and baby food type things did not help. Straight up meat from a hunter (although it was cooked) was the only thing he would eat when he did start to eat
The next time around, the vet gave the shot of Cerenia before chemo and I went home with the pills. The early shot seems to have been sufficient in his case. I think I continued the pills a few days (not sure now). Although he was not his usually famished self, he did eat
From what I have seen on this site as well as my own experience, make sure to get the early shot (Cerenia or equivalent) and follow-it up with the pills. The vets said you can use Cerenia for 5 days straight (one shot, 4 days of pills), then need to break for one day before starting again. But I never needed to start again. Main signs of nausea were the salivating and his desire to eat grass, which we prevented because we did not want him vomiting when on chemo.
Tazzie's Susan
Trouble also had a Cerenia injection prior to chemo and I had pills to give as needed afterward. We were lucky, she really didn't need them more than the first 24 hours.
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.
Hi Susan. Our onco's would give Max a shot of cerenia also, as preventative care. One thing we also added in (as did many people on this forum) is canned pumpkin. Not pumpkin pie filling, but actual pumpkin. It's supposed to help relieve nausea also. Max did well with the first four chemo treatments (carboplatin), but he got sick within hours on the last two (also carbopltin). So, I guess everyone's different. Anyway, try a tablespoon of pumpkin with Holly's next meal, and see if that helps a bit.
Di
As is so often the case, the extensive experience base of this community is outstanding. In addition to the Cerenia injection, Miss Cherry also came home with a three day supply of tablet Cerenia, and some Mirtazapine. I know that it may sound a little strange but Miss Cherry's problem with the chemo was the total loss of appetite and not nausea. Trust me, I know when she has nausea, and it was simply the taste of the chemicals in her mouth that made her go off food for the duration of the chemotherapy. I would also agree with Jerry that Ginger has long been known for helping nausea. Just because they do not have the pill form of Cerenia does not mean that you should not insist. Miss Cherry had a number of prescriptions at our local COSTCO pharmacy.
Hope that this wil help. - Paws Crossed and Pawsitive Thoughts headed your way,
Spirit Cherry's Dad
Hope your tummy gets better Holly!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Just a reminder that we provide links to numerous online pet pharmacies in the Tripawds Nutrition blog for comparison shopping!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions! I will call the vet tomorrow. If he doesn't have any of the pills you've all recommended, I think I can call the oncologist he consults with and am pretty sure her office will have them. And I don't know why I didn't think of ginger - it's the first thing I turn to when my tummy's upset. And I have some pumpkin in the pantry (not pie filling - just plain old pumpkin), so will try mixing that into her food. It's so hard when our pups don't feel good. Of course this week you'd never know that anything is wrong - she's just licked her bowl clean for dinner, and her spirit has been great! It makes my heart sing to see the old Holly back... especially since she'll get chemo again next week so I know what we may be in for. But hopefully with the meds and some ginger and pumpkin things will look up.
I appreciate everyone's advice. You're all great!
Holly and Susan
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
http://anyemery.....ipawds.com
And good luck to Mackenzie on her 5th chemo - we wish her well, and wish her a happy tummy this time around! How many treatments will she end up having? Holly's oncologist recommended 6, as long as she's tolerating it.
Holly and Holly's mom
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
http://anyemery.....ipawds.com
Thanks Holly's Mom! She had her 5th treatment yesterday and she's actually doing the best she's ever done so far. She had a lot of energy throughout the day today and ate her food without any problems (she even ate her kibble.) The only anti-nausea pills I've given her today is the Ondansetron. I haven't given her the Cerrenia yet and want to hold off and see if she will need it.
I did notice on other postings that Cerrenia seems to be the primary anti-nausea pill (and injection) being prescribed whereas in my case, it's the Ondansetron that's our primary anti-nausea med with Cerrenia being the additional med if needed. So I find that interesting. Our oncologist also recommended 6 treatments if Mackenzie can tolerate it. I'm still on the fence on that one 🙂 Will keep you posted and you keep us posted on how Holly's doing too. Good luck with your next treatment!
Mackenzie's Mom
My sweet golden Mackenzie. She became my angel on Dec 29, 2010 at the age of 8 1/2 although she was always my angel from the time we brought her home. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Sept 2009 and officially became a tripawd (front leg) on Nov 5, 2009. She will be forever in my heart and now she's running free with all of our other tripawd heroes. I love you Mackenzie!
and don't forget to look at supportive homeopathic remedies. Nux vomica and Arsenicum are great for nausea caused by drugs. Also, the herbal Lemon Balm is another good choice like Ginger is…..
and don't forget to look at supportive homeopathic remedies.
Hey Gina, you seem really knowledgable about this kind of stuff. How did you learn about these remedies? Any links we can go to for more info?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey, thanks Jerry! I have been personally using it and studying it for about 15 years. I really got a huge boost of knowledge after attending a conference given by Dr.Loops himself!
There are so many sources out there and homeopathics is a very complex subject to treat with constitutionally ( http://www.answ.....om/topic/h.....rescribing )and best left to the experts like professional homeopaths (human or animal). But, for little things in everyday life (headache, flu, nausea, sunburn, sprains etc), there are so many useful kits and books.
An absolute must to me is this kit: tag=agredacommunicat&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00023ZZMI
This is a materia medica and reporatory online. Very valuable to someone that knows how to use it.
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