advice for dog with cancer diagnosis

[japf]

Hi everybody, I'm new to this whole chat group thing but I really need some good diverse opinions and advice so here goes.... My otherwise healthy and happy 9 y.o. sheltie/aussie mix was just diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. Our vet has started him on prednizone and antibiotics and recommended a veterinary oncologist. I love my dog and want the best for him but is spending thousands? of dollars that I dont have on chemotherapy really the way to go? Any help or guidance would be appreciated, thanks.

[PatchO'Pits]

There is a great yahoo canine cancer group you should look into as well as a canine cancer forum section on pit bull talk. I think you will find both very helpful.

Treatment options depend a lot on your overall feelings on what you think is right for your dog.

Chemo is not a cure in dogs from what I have been told but a way to extend life and some may go into remission and get many years while others will not be so lucky. It is a very tough choice. An oncologist consult IMO is your best bet so you can hear all options. There are many different protocols as well as dietary and other holistic options that may help.

I'm so sorry for the DX! What stage is your dog in?

Hugs and prayers. Live everyday to the fullest!

[devastated70]

i'm sorry to hear that.. i do have not had any experience in this subject, will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hope for the best..

keep us updated on what your options are and the progress.

[PeppysMom]

Japf my dog Pepper was also nine years old, she was diagnosed with lymphoma on Mar. 14th of this year. Her neck glands were very enlarged as well as glands in her legs. We were given three options, do nothing, do chemotherapy or try prednisone. Supposedly the prednisone buys a little time for your pet. We couldn't afford the chemo and did not want Pepper to spend much of her remaining time in a strange cage at some new vet's office. We opted for the prednisone but lymphoma moves really fast. We had to end her suffering on April 6th, so she only lived about three weeks after the initial diagnosis.
One other thing that's important, our vet said you can't do the chemo after the course of prednisone. Can't remember exactly why but I'm sure your vet will know.
Whatever course of treatment you decide I wish you the best of luck and hope that your dog has a good outcome.

[japf]

Thank you Peppy's mom. My dog Chaco seems to be progressing exactly the same as yours he is already slowing down and lying down more than normal. Did your dog suffer much before the end? From your experience is there anything I can do to make the dog more comfortable or problems I should watch out for?

[PeppysMom]

Japf I'm sorry you're going through this heartbreak with your dog Chaco. The worst part I think is how fast this disease moves.
From my experience with Pepper she did seem to tire more easily, especially the last week before she died. We took shorter walks with Pep and returned home whenever she seemed like she had enough.
I could never get a clear answer from the vet on whether there was pain or not. I assume there had to be some kind of pain, she never seemed to be able to get really comfortable, constantly changing positions.
We did have one bad night where Pepper couldn't catch her breath, the vet tech said when that happens to get her up and walking so she can clear her lungs.
Otherwise we just made her as comfy as possible which for us was letting her sleep in bed, giving her all of her favorite foods and spending as much time as possible with her.
I don't think Pepper suffered much in the end. We were told what signs to look out for, refusing to go outside or refusing to eat, which signaled that it was time to make a decision for her.

[pipsie71]

Our German Shepherd Paddy (5 yr old) was diagnosed with a bone tumor last year. Our local vets where he was registered said it didn't look good, but advised us to go the a specialist veterinary school for a second opinion, which we did. This cancer is apparently very aggressive and has usually spread before any sign of a bone growth. Paddy had x rays etc and at that time there was no sign of cancer in his lungs or anywhere else. The specialist recommended that we have his leg (front left) amputated, as he said that even big dogs cope incredibly well, and that there was a chance that he could be completely cured. Paddy had the amputation and 3 months of chemo and did really well! Nine months later he started to show signs of being unwell ( not wanting his walk, lethargic etc) and on further investigation we found a large tumor in his lung. It must have been there from the start but too small to see. At this stage we were told that no more could be done for him, other than steroids and drugs to make him more comfortable. We had him for another 6 weeks and then had him put to sleep in March of this year. He had started to lose muscle mass and we ended it before it got really bad. We are glad for those nine months of course, but had we known it had already spread, who knows what we would have done. This cost us roughly 6 thousand pounds in total, luckily we were insured. I'm so sorry for you and your dog and I hope my story has maybe been of some help. Please send me a message if you need to know anything else. I'm thinking of you anyway and I'm sure you'll work out what to do for the best, Pip

[pipsie71]

I need to add that a feww days or so before we lost Paddy, he became lethargic again and his breathing became a bit 'rattly'. He seemed a bit uncomfortable getting in and out of his bed and didn't want to play, be brushed or anything really. Like Peppys Mom we gave him loads of love and fuss and kept him as happy and spoilt as we could. It's so awful, I really feel for you, Pip