MP_the4pack

That's the protocol Dr. Couto recommended for Pearl. She doesn't have incontinence, but her cancer was really hot and grew way too fast in just 2 weeks post splenectomy. Her liver tumors were growing faster than 1 cm a day. She had her chemo on Monday, but is not responding. However her sister Diamond had chemo for OS during Nov and Dec. It was only Doxyrubicin, not the VAC protocol. She had quite a bit of incontinence after the first chemo, but it's abated. She's back to one proin a day. She used to be one every 2-3 days, but after chemo I had her on twice a day. We're back to once a day with a few misses here and there. I'm glad she's feeling fairly well. I hope you are lucky with the chemo.

She's been on centrine since before the chemo because she wasn't eating well.

I'm sorry. I hope his passing is peaceful.

What about Dyne? It's a thickish liquid and packed with calories. Where do you find it?

I've tried all that. Even baby food. If there is anything close to be solid she spits it out. Ensure is pure liquid.

My dearest sympathies and condolences to Darlene and Wanda and their children.. :f_red

Unfortunately she's not doing anything. She's not getting worse, but she's not getting better. But she's already pretty bad, so if she doesn't improve, she's going to the Bridge. She doesn't eat. I syringe'd a bottle of Ensure down her throat yesterday, a little at a time. So she got 300 calories. That's not much to live on. Dr. Couto and I are just waiting/hoping for her to 'turn the corner'.

We need some good news here!

I so feel for you. I always thought I would lose my Pearl to heart disease or a stroke from hypertension. Cancer is taking her too. My vet said on Monday that years ago, kidney failure in old dogs was the prevalent cause of death. Now he says it's cancer.

Poor baby! Isn't Treasure relatively new to you? She may have had this stuff from before you got her.

OSU sends chemo free to any greyhound. But you'll still have to pay your vet to administer it. If you have several vets you used, check all of them. Prices vary. Red Bank, the huge hospital here was going to charge $1200 to $4000 for doing Diamond's chemo. My local vets did it for $500 (that's all the chemos, not individual sessions).

In case someone needs a reminder of what my Pretty Pearl looks like in her better days: And my favorite thing from her....a hug: which she can't give me anymore

Aw cwap.

It sucks when they are at this stage of life. I hope Gryff has a lot more quality time left with you.

Well........I did it. She had chemo. She ended up eating relatively well last night. She took her meds in liverwurst this morning. And...the clincher. A message telling me to go for it....my local vets had not yet sent back the Doxyrubicin yet. I asked them to do it 2 weeks ago. So, they were ready to give Pearl chemo. She handled it well, we'll see what the middle of the week brings. Either she'll stop eating for such a long time or her heart will give out (that's one of the problems she has with chemo)....or we'll start to beat this cancer. I'm thinking either you'll see "yays" here in H&M or she'll be posted in Remembrance.

I think Pearl is trying to tell me something. This morning, she ate nothing. Had very little for lunch, maybe 2 oz of steak. But tonight she had about 1/2 lb of steak, 1/2 donut and almost a cup of ice cream. I think she's trying to tell me she's not ready. Maybe that's a sign to go for the chemo.

Oh I'm so sorry at the sudden loss of Shadow. I can honestly say I know the pain you're going through right now.

Thing is, Dr. Couto came right out and said if she were his dog he'd treat her with chemo. I didn't ask, he volunteered that.

I'm sorry with what you're going thru. My 12 yr old Diamond was diagnosed last Oct and in just a couple of weeks her pain was not being managed by meds. It's a horrible disease. I hope you have some more time with him.

I had put Topaz's memorial on this site back in 2000. WHen I tried to add Brindle 2 yrs later, the site was down. Now it looks like any added before it was down is gone.

This is what I got from Dr. Couto this morning He's been made aware of her poor appetite. That's why he suggested getting another ultrasound. If it were any other vet, I won't put as much weight into this decision. But Dr. Couto is THE greyhound oncologist. I know he has told others that there is no choice before. So I can't see why he would push this unless he truly felt Pearl can rebound.

Dr. COuto says that chemo will shrink those tumors. If she were his he would go forward with the chemo. I'm thinking we're too late. We've been emailing all weekend. Part of me is saying, enough is enough. But.....if she's not in pain, only feeling crappy (like the flu) what do I have to lose? If it doesn't work, she was with me for just a few more days. She's barely eating, but still is none-the-less.

Keep up hope. My 12 yr old had her leg amputated in Oct. She's finished her chemo and is doing great. (her sister with fibro...not so much) But there's always a chance. Good luck.

:f_red