fionasmom

I previously posted that Fiona has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. I do not want to put her through an aggressive chemo treatment and we started her on prednisone and Leukeran. This weekend the nodes under her jaw became enlarged and she is off her food now. I fear that the current protocol is not slowing the cancer much. I have been corresponding with OSU and they recommend the COP protocol which is less aggressive and they indicate that Fi could tolerate it well with hope of some remission. I need input form anyone who has tried this approach rather that the other protocols.

Right now cream cheee is working. Hot dogs worked for a while but Fiona caught on.

Oh My. I am smitten. Please post more photos.

That had been happening with Sammie the mutt over the past few months. Was the urine particularly diluted? In Sammie's case it turned out to ne progressive kidney disease. She is on prescription dog food and doing very well.

Awww nice to hear good news.

Thank you.

Last night Fiona's stitches from the biopsy were removed and the vet discussed drug protocol with me. I choose not to do chemo but asked the vet to consult with an oncologist about less stressful treatment. They recommend combining prednesone and leukeran. We are not expecting a remission but hope to slow the advance of the cancer. Anyone have experience with this combination?

I am struggling with the same issues with Fiona. She was diagnosed with Lymphoma 2 weeks ago and I knew from the beginning that I would not choose chemo. She is too easily stressed and the treatments would only bring a short remission. I know that we can't cure the cancer; best case scenario is that we would only delay it for a few months. Still, I feel guilty about the decision. She is 8 years old and we hope to make to her 9th birthday in August. In the meantime I will spoil her and try to make the right decision at the right time. You are right; even if she had made it to 14 years old the decision would not be easy.

I am so sorry to hear this. Your battle against the cancer is evidence how much you love him.

The results of the biopsy are discouraging. The cancer is high grade which, according to the vet, means that it is very likely to spread if it hasn't already. I choose not to do chemo but the vet will consult with an oncologist to see if there is anything we can do that is more aggressive than just prednisone. Right now she is acting like her usual bossy self; I hope we can keep her as happy and comfortable for as long as possible.

Thanks everyone. Fiona is feeling like her regular self the past few days. She is very good about wearing her muzzle but frustrated that she can't pick up her stuffies while wearing it. We take it off whenever we are around to watch her. No results yet from the biopsy; I am hoping for news today. Sammie is doing really well. She eats the prescrition food no problem and doesn't mind getting green beans as an add in instead of chicken stew. She hasn't peed in the house in several days so I am encouraged that she has much quality time left.

The xrays yesterday morning looked good; the cancer hasn't spread to Fiona's organs yet. The vet removed the lump and will have the test results later in the week. Once they know which type of lymphoma and the stage they can decide on the dose of prednesone, etc. They sent her home in an e collar but it was pathetic. She couldn't figure out how to walk through a doorway or up stairs without catching the collar. I put her kennel muzzle on her instead to keep her away from the stitches. Tonight I am going to try one of Andy's belly bands; I think it will cover the stitches quite well. This morning we played a game of "Hide The Pills in a Hot Dog". She won the first round but I eventually won the game. She did not want her dog food but hadn't eaten at all yesterday because of the surgery so I toasted an English muffin and scrambled two eggs. She ate the entire breakfast while lying on her dog bed. Meanwhile I picked up the first bag of prescription dog food for Sammie the Mutt. A 10 lb bag cost $30! Yup, $3 a pound kibble for the dog that would happily eat her own poop.

Fi had chest xrays this morning before the surgery to have her lump removed. The vet even referred to it as "pre-anesthesia" x rays.

Thank you everyone for the good thoughts. I spoke with Fi's vet this afternoon and we agreed that I will keep the appointment for Monday. They will do the chest xray before I leave their office. If we see evidence that the lymphoma has spread they will not proceed any further. The vet believes that we caught the lymphoma early and it is still localized. She plans to remove the lump and, assuming she is correct that it is localized, we will treat with prednesone. Hopefully we can buy a year or more of quality time without resorting to chemo. I am comfortable with that

I'm second gussing myself about Monday's procedure for Fiona. From everything I see on the internet, all I can hope for from chemo is a remision of maybe six months to a year with a roller coaster ride in between. Last night Fi had a small epsiode of funny breathing and my house mate said that he has heard it a few times recently. I fear that the lungs are involved. I am considering asking the vet to just do a chest xray. If we see something there I don't think I would advance to the biopsy and staging.

Fi's test came back and the lump is Lymphoma. She is going to have surgery again on Monday. The vet wants to remove the lump and have it biopsied so we can determine the type and stage. She will also have a chest xray to see if it has spread to the lungs. From there we will decide on treatment. We also got bad news about Sammie the Mutt. She is in the early stages of chronic renal failure. We will put her on a prescription low protein food and monitor her blood work.

No, the urine analysis ruled out a UTI. The vet said there wasn't any infection, or crystals or diabetes. The diluted nature of the urine leads her to suspect renal failure. We expect the blood results today to confirm that. We are hoping we caught it early, which is why her appetite is still good.

Sammie the Mutt has been urinating in house quite a bit lately and seems to be drinking excessively so I had a urine analysis done. Yesterday the vet called and said that her urine is very diluted so renal failure is suspected. Blood was drawn last night and we expect the results back today. I did some research on the Internet today and see that the BUN and creatine levels are very important. I will ask the vet for those numbers; what else should I ask? Sammie is at least 11 or 12 years old; I adopted her 9 years ago. She is probably part basenji which is listed as one of the breeds susceptible to renal failure. So far her appetite is still voracious and she has the same energy as always. I want her to continue to have a good quality of life and am hoping we caught this relatively early although I know it is a progressive disease.

Fiona (8 years old) had a dental yesterday. The good news is that she only lost two teeth and the vet feels that she came through it very well. Bad news-while she was on the table the vet noticed a "solid" lump on her rear inner thigh. He took a sample and we expect the lab results in a few days. Good news? the vet suspects the lump is an infection because it appears red and quite irritated. She is on anti biotics as follow up from the dental so we are hoping they will help with the lump as well.

Unfortunately Sammie is always ravenous. It would be impossible to tell if her appetite had increased. She was a stray for a while and never got over the idea that every meal could be her last. No other symptoms that I can see other than she has started to snore quite loudly when she is sleeping.

Last week I was at my vacation home and Sammie peed in the family room every day. At first I thought it was just because of the new surroundings and the previous occupants had dogs so I thought she was marking. However, we returned home and she left two large puddles yesterday. Also she seems to be drinking an excessive amount. With all the dogs in the house it is difficult to tell who is emptying the water bowl. I am going to get a urine sample today (hopefully) and have them check for a UTI. I am also concerned about diabetes or kidney failure. I don't know for sure how old she is but figure she is at least 11 years. Will diabetes and kidney problems be discernable with a urine test? I figure if we don't get any answers from that the next step is a blood draw. She is a handful and must be muzzled for vet visits so I try to avoid them except for the truly necessary.

I am so sorry. I know it has been a very rough period for you lately.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry to see this. I always enjoyed seeing his photos.

I'm so sorry to see this. She knew she was loved by you.