Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi,
Scout's mom here. Scout is resting in the kitchen four days post amp, so I have some time on my hands. One thing that I wanted to write about is chemo. while I know human experience doesn't correlate to dog experience, I think some our decisions about chemo for our pets is based on what we "know" about chemo in humans.
I had chemo in 06. I had a looooong course of chemo for breast cancer. this meant six month of the big gun drugs(hair loss etc) and another 10 months of another drug infused bi weekly.
I think we all think chemo is "grueling" and horrendous, mainly because it is what we know of it in the past and it is what we imagine it to be. Today's chemo is "not your momma's chemo"
I will say that while it wasn't a picnic, it wasn't that bad. I mean of course losing hair was hard, but there are so many meds out there to help with side effects, I really felt okay, not normal mind you, but okay. I only threw up once in over a year of treatment. what i felt like was tired some, and I had a headache like when you have a bad cold or the such. but usually a few days after the dose, i felt okay. I would not call it "grueling" in any stretch of the imagination. I think for me it was the fear and negotiating people's reactions to the hairless me, and dogs don't have that to deal with, just like the three leg thing.
Now it is just one woman's experience, but my firend who just went through chemo felt the same, surpirsingly good. Personally, i think my dad who had cardiac bypass surgery had a much harder time than i did.
So when I was told scout may have cancer, which he didn't, the chemo thing didn't bug me, and I was told it wasn't like in humans...so, if my ick, which I think was mild at best, was the worst he would have, that made it easier to say absolutely i would do that for him.
And too, I know, you can indeed have parts of your body removed, and be just fine, if not better than before as our tripawds remind us.
Anyway, don't know if this helps anyone in deciding, really look how good Jerry has done.
Scout's mom
lauren
Hey Scout ... Tell your mom thanks for starting this thread and sharing her thoughts! Hopefully others will chime in about there own chemotherapy experiences.
I can only speak from experience ... My people opted not to put me through chemo treatments after my surgery because I was only given a prognosis of three to four months, max. And we all wanted to focus on quality of life, not quantity.
About 16 months later, we discovered my cancer had returned in the form of a couple large lung mets – osteosarcoma metastasis in the lungs – OK, tumors, there I said it!
My people then started me on Cytoxan, a low dose chemotherapy pill they could administer themselves at home, since our home is on the open road. They put on a rubber glove and give me one pill every other day as part of my metronomic protocol cancer therapy treatments.
After two months, x-rays showed my tumors reduced in size 10% – what the doctor calls "Stable Disease". Whether we can attribute this to the chemo alone, the K9 Immunity clinical trial I am participating in, or my healthy diet, who knows ... probably all of the above.
I have had no side-effects whatsoever. At least I don't show any. but the doctor did recommend that I drink lots of water and get many pee breaks on my chemo days. After all I am an Atomic Dog now!
But she said not to worry like some people do about my pee or poop being radioactive. Gloves for giving me the pills are a precautionary measure. But by the time they get through my system, they've done their work inside me and there is no need to worry ... it's not like you're going to directly touch any presents your pup leaves in the yard for you anyway!
So, had we known I'd still be around kicking cancer's butt after so long, would my people have chosen the heavy duty IV chemotherapy treatments? They often wonder if they should have. But I keep teling them: do not should all over yourself!
Wondering whether you should have done this or that does not make things any better, and only causes stress. And the sad truth is: no matter what lengths you go to for your canine cancer survivor, it will never be enough.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
First time posting here. My 8 year old Golden had her left front leg amputated 5 weeks ago. We opted to do Chemo and she had her second round on Friday.
The first round went really well. She never vomited but she did have a lack of appetite from around day 4-10 but we had appetite enhancers from the oncologist and they really helped. We had to use things to temp her and we did with success. She was never really sick or lacking energy. She is not able to walk a few blocks and last week she was chasing a rabbit.
So far, we are glad we have chosen this path as it seems to be going smoothly for her. It's still early and time will tell, but she really doesn't seem to be bothered much other that a little bit of her eating be off. She is not a chow hound to begin with so that part did not surprise us and we were prepared for it.
- Diana and Savannah the Tripod
Jerry,
you are so right. it is what it is. That's what my oncologist told me. And you know, my tumor, they missed it several times, and found it 8 months later. But, the point of the story is this, the drug that saved my life was honed in clinical trials and released two months before I got diagnosed. My oncologist said I would have been in with a recurrance had I been treated (when i noticed the lump eight months prior) with what they knew just 8 months prior. So, you must trust that you got chemo when the best thing for you was out, the best reigimin was established or your body was best able to use it.
The whole radioactive poop thing, really it's just probably so no little kids step in etc, and of course, no animals who eat poo get hurt...BUT it is VERY important to pee LOTS and drink. Chemo drugs, especially undiluted with water, just sittin' in your bladder is not a good thing. So all pawrents need to keep up with that especially. My ocncologist even told me to set an alarm to get up during the night to go. Now people get mouth sores, do dogs?
Pawrents all make the best choices for their dog's situation. I just wanted folks to know that the fear of chemo based on what you think it is, well, it's just not so bad.
the world unfolds actually as it should. we all live exactly as long as we are supposed to. we get to love all of our people and pets as much as we choose to with that time, and your pawrents have given you an oh so excellent adventure Jerry dog, you lucky dog.
scout's mom-- certified member of the cancer butt kickin club
lauren
Diana Maberry said:
So far, we are glad we have chosen this path...
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on chemo treatment Diana!
We look forward to hearing more about your Goldie. Feel free to share her story here by clicking on Add a New Topic.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
May I ask what drug Scout did get, the new one?
Also, are these drugs all radioactive, is that what chemo is? (where have I been..under a rock?)
mz
micki z.
hi,
the drugs i was describing were what a human has, and my experience. I'd hope to say that we all think of it as so bad, and wouldn't want that for our dogs...but to tell you as a human who went through it, it isn't so bad.
All chemo drugs are very different, there are so many out there for people and dogs. I don't think "radioactive" as much as just dangerous drugs to handle if they aren't meant for you.
They are made to eat bad cells, but eat good ones too, like why your hair falls out and mouth gets sore, so that is why you have to be careful to pee alot. I think they loke dogs to do that as well.
The poop cleanup, just good practice, who knows what comes out in the end, and better to keep other animals and the environment safe!
Lauren...scouts mom
lauren
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