Awaiting results as to what type of tumour, but lymphona is probable. Has anyone experience of chemo with their dog. Is well in himself at the moment, and because it has been caught early he is a good candidate. Hideous playing God......still dont know best what to do. Without it 2/3 months left, with 9/12 months...

It's not something I would ever do, for me dogs have the advantage over people in that they never have to suffer. Dogs also don't understand the concept of feeling ill now for a little extra time, they live in the here and now. I am sorry about your boy, my thoughts are with you.

Edited to say I've always (and unfortunately I have been in your position several times) taken them home and spoiled tham while they can enjoy it, with tramadol or similar pain relief as long as it works completely. When their quality of life starts to go I hold them gently in my arms while they sleep away - it's what I'd want for myself.

I don't have personal experience of my dog undergoing chemo as have come to the same conclusion as chaumsong about treating two of my dogs with cancer (not for financial reasons, my dogs are all insured).

However, I do have a friend whose weimaraner had chemo last autumn and winter. Without, prognosis was 4 to 5 months, with was around a year. He tolerated all the treatment so well, no sickness, no moping, he did all his normal walks, in fact he is thriving. Its hard to believe that there is a lurking problem but in his case it has been absolutely worth it and he is still living life to the max.

I really believe its a decision you have to make for each individual dog.

Goodness, its a hard one.  I don't have personal experience with dogs suffering from cancer but tend to share the same viewpoint as Chaumsong.  Luckily I have not had to test the strength of my convictions though. 

However, having seen what my MUM went through whilst undertaking chemo...well....I think I would take a lot of convincing :-(  Unless, I could be 100% sure that their quality of life would be unaffected then I suspect I would be another who would cuddle them quietly to sleep :-(

Big hugs for you both either way.  It must be a horrendous call to make.

We have a dog at work that's undergoing chemo, and so far her quality of life has improved. Dogs don't seem to suffer the horrible side-effects of chemo that humans do, so it's not something I'd rule out automatically, even though I have a 'Quality over Quantity' mindset.

Hi, I asked this question in 2005 for my nanner.
Have put the link below as I got alot of different experiances, and with those my Nanner made the decision to not give Meg Chemo.
But the decision is yours and only you can make it and what ever decision you make is the best for you and your dog xxx
Lea :)
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/80725.html

Two years ago Winnie (then nearly 7) had surgery to remove 3 lumps. 1 turned out to be benign, another was grade 1 and the last was a grade 3 Mast Cell Tumour (the worst it could be), so she had follow-up major surgery and they were able to get clear margins. This was followed by chemotherapy which she tolerated very well, and she's still here and fit and healthy. If she hadn't had the major surgery and chemo the vet guessed she'd have 3-6 months, but with treatment probably 5 years+.

I agree all cases should be treated on an individual basis, but I'd do the same again, without hesitation. Winnie was a young dog and a trooper throughout and really had very little in the way of side effects. The side effects she did have were more from the high dose of steroids given at the same time as the chemo.

Hi Christine1,
My dog Floyd has just started Chemo, its his 5th day so far, he has to have chemo for 6 months.  Floyd is on a relatively new kind of treatment which is called Masivet, which if you look it up on internet it says it is ground breaking stuff in the dog world.  We administer it from home, so its tablet form, and Floyd has to have 3 tablets once a day. 
Probably too early and I don't know really what to expect but he is fine on it at the moment, vet says that we keep doing everything the same with him, he has said that he shouldn't loose his hair, it shouldn't upset his stomach (Floyd also has pancreatitis) and just carry on doing everything as normal, the only time that I have to take him to the vet is next week for a routine check up and a full blood test which they do in-house, then as long as nothing is untoward, its then every 4 weeks for a blood test to check his white blood cell count.
We have to wear rubber gloves while handling the tablets, if he was to be sick, we would have to wear rubber gloves to clean it up and obviously his pooh, you pick up with a pooh bag anyways.
A couple of people have said wait till he has been on it for a while and then he will get everything going and be really poorly before he starts getting better, but I have few more questions for the vet next week when I go.
But if you ever want a chat, then contact me.
Love Jane

Pedlee, this is what Floyd has got, he was classed a grade 3 Mast Cell Tumor.  He had a lump removed from his back leg 7 weeks ago and now has just started chemo.
Jane

Hi Christine. I have had a dog with Lymphoma and I did go down the route of Chemo. She went into full remission after her first treatment and she was fairly well throughout. I did find sometimes that I had to tempt her with something a bit different with her food but in the main she was very well. She was a bit of a wimp and yet would go off with the Vets at the Hospital almost as though she knew that they were trying to help her. Unfortunately her remission did not last above 13 weeks and we could not get her back into remission. If you asked me would I do it again then my answer would be yes as there are other dogs (in America) that I know of that have had remission of years and I would hope for that myself. One dog is now 5 years and he is already an old dog but is still doing well. That could have been my Shola so I had to give her the chance. It is a hard decision to make and only you know your dog and what is the best to do. The only thing that I would have done diffferently would have been to have more of the Chemo sessions done at my own Vet so that she would have spent more time with us (my Vet would always let her home after about 2 hours) whereas at the Hospital she was in all day. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Thank you all for your kind wishes and stories. Phone call last night to say they cant confirm what type of tumour this is even with biopsy, which makes things harder!. Choice of op given, to open and see what they are dealing with, but it is an extremely invasive of with no guarantees that it is removable, although CT scan suggests it might be. Would involve recovery in I T with at least 5 days in hospital as very painful aftermath, (tumour in chest cavity). With him being a giant breed the danger is more. My own vet will speak to oncology later, but dont think I want to put him through that, so hard......Not knowing exactly what it is really does not help, but will see what today brings x

>......Not knowing exactly what it is really does not help, but will see what today

Oh Christine, there isn't a person on here that doesn't feel for you and the decisions ahead.

Sending some of my strength to help you through.    {{{{  HUGS  }}}}

its hard making decisions like this, i have had 2 dogs with cancer, both were young 6 and 7 and both were cancer in the shoulder :(

on both occassions i woke my dogs from the xrays that gave me the diagnosis, took them home on steroids and tramadol, both dogs had 3 months of good quality time, being spoilt day and night and doing whatever they wanted to do, eating whatever they wanted to eat etc,  then they went off their food, i tempted them with all sorts of goodies and when they no longer showed interest we made our final journeys.

spending that time knowing whats coming is hard, but you have to remember they dont know! 

So my own personal choice was to make everyday count and as soon as the meds stopped doing their job of keeping them painfree i let them go and i can say hand on heart i am at ease with this decision on both occasions.

i have put another of my dogs through major surgery (amputation) and regretted it, i wished i had treated her condition the same as my other 2 as she only got the same amount of time as them but went through so much.

it is always a personal thing and you know your own dog, your heart will lead you to what you think is best at the time, sending hugs as i know all too well how hard the times ahead will be for you x

My dog had cutaneous anaplastic lymphoma. It took 3 months to diagnose and then we went for chemo as i could not cope with not doing anything to help. She had the COP protocol with doxorubicin, which was 3 different types of chemo 2 weeks apart. She was very unusual as she had horrible side effects, especially from the first dose of vincristin. I honestly thought she was dying that first week, she wouldn't eat, she was sick and had explosive diarrhoea. SHe jsut lay there all day which is not what she was like nornally despite the cancer. She improved after 5 days and had 2 days of normnal behaviour before starting the next lot. Unfortunately it did very little and she had to be pts exactly a month after starting chemo. My mum wishes we hadn't bothered as she thinks she suffered too much but i had to give her that chance. I think she was unuasual as most people say there are very few side effects but i do know of one that had similar side effects.  It was a terribly traumatic time and is still very raw (she only died in April.) WHat i will say is even if you do go for chemo don't instantly believe you will get another 12 months. THat is what i focused on, and i know for many it is the case, but i was really taken surprise that she died so early on in treatment and hadn't fully prepared myself thinking that we would at least be enjoying the summer together. I hope all goes well for you.

> on both occassions i woke my dogs from the xrays that gave me the diagnosis, took them home on steroids and tramadol, both dogs had 3 months of good quality time, being spoilt day and night

That's what I have done in the past too Mandy, I think it is far kinder to do this than let them suffer with a major op or chemo.

> That's what I have done in the past too Mandy, I think it is far kinder to do this than let them suffer with a major op or chemo.

As I said before Winnie was stoical throughout her treatment (major surgery and chemo) and is still here 2 years later and still going strong. I gave her the chance of a longer life and am so glad I did. I'd do the same again.

At the end of the day all we can do is to do what we feel is right for the individual dog. If one of my older dogs had the same condition I may do things differently, but with any luck they won't and Winnie will be here for a good few years to come.

Just a bit of an update, I have a meeting with my own vet on Monday am and the surgeon on monday pm, (although I have made it clear this is just to discuss the op), want to go over the C T scans with her, my boy is still fine in himself, and need to be clearer in my own mind what to do for the best. Thank you all again xx 

Whatever your decision it will be what you believe is right for your dog.

My boy passed last friday........heartbroken xx

Christine, i am so very sorry to hear this. everyone here feels for you, although nothing we can say will help you over this sad time. we have all probably been where you are right now. i wish i could say time heals. sadly i havent found this. i lost one of mine suddenly just over three months ago and i cry each day i am denied her. thinking of youX

I'm so sorry, my thoughts are with you. x

Really sorry to read your sad news :-(

So very sorry for you, best wishes.

Very sorry to read this. We know your pain

So very sorry for your loss

Sheila.

So my own personal choice was to make everyday count and as soon as the meds stopped doing their job of keeping them painfree i let them go and i can say hand on heart i am at ease with this decision on both occasions.


Same here,  we just cherished every day we had with him, till the  cancer out witted the meds.. he went peaceably at home with those who loved him.

Horrible decision  for anyone to make,  my thoughts are with  you in what  you decide.

My boy passed last friday........heartbroken xx

Missed this, so sorry xxx