Share Chemo Experiences, What Can I Expect

[Guest EmilyAnne]

Hi everyone, I have to keep this brief so as not to hog up the hospital computer I am using. I would like to hear from others whose pets have undergone chemo, what the experience was like and what can I expect, and what was the outcome? I need to decide wether or not to have Riley undergo chemo for his mast cell tumor on his wrist, which is inoperable except by comlete limb amputation. (which we have opted not todo as he has some arthritis and is half blind and has a low pain threshold)

 

 

[Bevd]

Darcy had carboplatin, doxorubicin, carboplatin & doxorubicin at three week intervals, with blood tests in between each treatment. She had no side effects at all until the very last dose and that one made her very poorly (in the vets for 5 days) but then she recovered with gusto

 

If I was in the same position again with a dog, I'd do it again.

[RobinM]

Polli had straight carboplatin 5 x 3 weeks apart starting the day after her amp. She was a bit tired and not very hungry the first 5 days after chemo but was then greyt in between.

 

Her last treatment was Jan 5. Her last day with me was March 8. All in all, not too good.

[Guest EmilyAnne]

One good thing Rileyhas going for him, is he has always had a cast iron stomach. Hardly anything upsets his tummy. He can go from raw to kibble and back to raw and never have a problem. So I'm hoping the naseau/lack of appetite thing wouldn't be as much of a problem for him?

 

I think I may go through with it, and just hope I dont end up regretting the decision later. If I dont do this, I will always wonder if I should have tried. Yet if it doesnt go well, and makes him mega sick, and it doesnt get rid of the cancer, I'll wish I had spared him of the suffering. I guess I will just take it one day at a time and watch how much he is still able to enjoy life. Though he hasnt been able to go with me and Henry on walks, he can still go for drives, which he enjoys very much. He still wags his tail, and still has his appetite.

 

My aunt said her cat went through chemo, and it made her cat very, very sick. So that worries me. But then I read some of the experiences of others here and that makes me more optimistic.

[duncan41]

You know Riley better than anyone, so you can judge his reaction to chemo better than anyone. Follow your heart and your gut and you will make the right decisions. No guarantees, just do the best you can for him. He'll love you for it - no matter what.

 

Sending prayers and comforting hugs.

[MaryJane]

My boy had a series of about 5 or 6 chemo sessions about 3 weeks apart (osteo). The chemo always made him pretty sick and he didn't want to eat for a few days. It was a battle trying to find a food that interested him. He always seemed to like his cheerios and yogurt and I usually saved that for his worst days.

 

They also have to pump in a good amount of fluids to flush out the chemo and this caused a problem because we would be up ALL night with him having to out every 15 minutes. He did have a pre-existing urinary issue which would cause him to stop urinating halfway through, dribble a bit, and then finish up. I haven't heard that anyone else had this issue with their dog going through chemo.

 

In all, he would have a bad few days and then he would be fine until the next session. If I had to do over again, I would do it again without hesitation.

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

The side effects depend on which chemo drug is used. Cytoxan can cause bladder issues so they push fluids for it. Morgan, was a always a poor eater. He had 4 rounds of carboplatin for osteo. He would be lethargic and a poor appetite after each one. He survived 3 years after his diagnosis and it was LS that got him at age 13, not the osteo. Alex was always a good eater. He had alternating doxorubicin and carboplatin. He had no noticable side effects after carboplatin. After the doxorubicin (also called Adriamycin) his appetite was down for a few days. I had 4 rounds of doxorubicin + cytoxan and 4 rounds of taxol. I can give you more specific information once you know which drug.

[Batmom]

If you're not going to do surgery, I would consult with a veterinary oncologist as to what you might expect to get from chemotherapy and weigh your options. Has the tumor been staged? That can make a difference in what benefit you'd be likely to get from chemo.

 

My Batman had a type of cancer that chemo occasionally helps very briefly. On the off chance it would make him more comfortable for a month or two, I gave him one dose (lomustine / CCNU). The drug itself didn't bother him (nor did it help), but it sent his white count so low he had to have antibiotics. For the first time in his cast-iron-stomach life, the antibiotics made him ill. He got past that. I was resentful, though, that I'd given him several bad days that could have been good ones. I wouldn't do it again.

 

Sending hugs and best thoughts for your pupper.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

I've never done chemo with a greyhound but have with a GSD

Willow had Lymphoma. We were on the chemo for about a month and in that time the swelling in the nodes did go down but at the end of the month they swelled back up again and it was actually worse then before.

 

Willow handled it will, never lost her desire for food, acted pretty normal and all around handled it well.

But for me I can say I wouldn't do it again.

 

I really think I had my hopes soooo high that chemo would "cure" my girl and it just doesn't. chemo helps put the cancer in remission but it never really goes away, it's not cured.

On top of that the cost, well I don't even really know what the cost was. I do know I paid the vet $50 a week until he told me not to pay any more and well I paid for a very long time