Amacar - Amino Caproic Acid

[Guest Fasave]

Many of you are aware that my boy, Avalanche was diagnosis with what is likely Hemangiosarcoma of the liver & potentially the spleen too. I've elected not to pursue surgery and we've had a pretty good week. I talked with the vet today because he has, in fact, been very stable tossing stuffies, eatings, engaged in the daily routine so naturally I start thinking that maybe they've got it wrong. After speaking with the vet, it's likely that he just had a small bleed that clotted, absorbed fluid and now he is more comfortable. As we talked further, I told her my big concern is the "big bleed" and I'm afraid to leave him alone as I don't want him to suffer but I'm really having a hard time with the idea of letting him go when he has no other symptoms and greets me with a great show of stuffy tossing.

 

I am working with Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston which is one of the top veterinary hospitals in the country and is pretty current on new trials and research. She mentioned that they have just started a trial of Amacar (Amino Caproic Acid) in dogs with bleeding masses. They know very little at this time and it's not a cure but could remove some of the risk of a major bleed. Of course the flip side is that while it can help with clotting times, it can have the reverse effort and actually cause clots which I would think might be more likely in a greyhound than other breeds of dogs.

 

So I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this drug, especially in a greyhound. Thanks in advance!

[Charlies_Dad]

I believe this was used for Charlie during his amp to help prevent excessive bleeding. It worked very well as he did have bruising and some excessive fluids (blood) under the skin near his stomach but it was not terrible.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Charlies_Dad

[racindog]

Just had 2 fosters spayed and the vet sent them each home with 3 vialsof it and I was supposed to give them 3ml by mouth every 8 hours. It didn't seem to have any noticeable effect on them. My 12 year old Cash nearly dieds when she was spayed from bleeding out and had to have a transfusion-that was the pre-amino... days. That's all I know about it except I think Dr. Cuoto uses it in certain cases too- in fact he may have been the one to "discover" it.

[packmom]

It seems to be used regularly at OSU for post surgical bleeding. Arwen was on it after removal of a liver mass and splenectomy last summer. (It is assumed the mass was hemangiosarcoma but pathologists still haven't comfirmend it) She had no problems but I have heard nothing about the effects of using it for a bleeding tumor or prolonged usage. It is usually given for a short period after surgery.

[Guest K9Cookies]

Dr. Couto swears by Amacar. You may want to shoot him an email about this study and see what he thinks about it. Good luck!

[Guest Fasave]

Thank you everyone! I knew it sounded familiar but I didn't know why. I assumed it was a tv commercial but now I remember Dr. Couto talking about it. Thank you for the quick responses.

 

It seems to be used regularly at OSU for post surgical bleeding. Arwen was on it after removal of a liver mass and splenectomy last summer. (It is assumed the mass was hemangiosarcoma but pathologists still haven't comfirmend it) She had no problems but I have heard nothing about the effects of using it for a bleeding tumor or prolonged usage. It is usually given for a short period after surgery.

 

Thank you Packmon. Can you share more of Arwen's story. It sounds exactly what I'm dealing with in Avalanche and I'm encouraged that you've had some time with Arwen.

[ripley488]

We use it on everyone of our dogs who has surgery.

 

It was given to my Lincoln by Dr. Couto when he had a Total Hip Replacement. I asked Dr. C about it & he said he recommended it because of Greyhounds being "bleeders."

 

It is inexpensive & worth the peace of mind. We lost a foster girl after spay & we want to do everything we can to avoid that happening again.

[Guest 4rooers]

My vet used it on Oswald when he had his tail amputated. He tends to bleed a lot, and we had no problems with the med or bleeding. This particular vet trained at Univ. of Oregon and had some experience with greyhounds. Its used in humans with cardiac surgery.

Hope everything goes well.

Kim

[Guest greytbookert]

I don't have advice or experience but wanted to send a couple of good wishes your way!

[3greytjoys]

Aminocaproic Acid is used for many of our hounds, even for small surgeries. (Also used for human patients.) I echo the other poster's suggestion to contact Dr. Couto, or his organization at Ohio State. I'm not a veterinarian, but from what I've learned thus far, I will not face another of any of my hounds' surgeries without Aminocaproic Acid. It's a cheap bit of insurance that could potentially save a life. I've only given it for limited durations (5 days post-op). I have no information re: long term use for a case like yours. Dr. Couto would be the best source to answer that question. Aminocaproic Acid is mentioned in both articles below:

 

Why Do Greyhounds Bleed (Ohio State University)

https://greyhound.os...eders/index.cfm

Bone Cancer in Greyhounds (Ohio State University)

https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/bonecancer/index.cfm

(If links don't work, copy and paste title to search Internet.)

Aminocaproic Acid in a liquid compounded form is cheapest to purchase, but has a short shelf life. Should be ordered in advance. Some compounding pharmacies take 3-5 days to fill a prescription.

Aminocaproic Acid is available in tablet form, with longer shelf life. Tablet form is much more expensive. (I don't know which works better, in general, liquids usually work more quickly.)

 

I am currently caring for my hound with Hemangiosarcoma. My wonderful broodie girl was diagnosed 16 weeks ago. She is a known excessive bleeder. She bled very heavily during minor surgery to remove 3 tiny masses. The vet was finally able to stop her bleeding. My girl came home to recover, then began internal bleeding about 30 hours post-op without any Aminocaproic Acid available. (Bleeding anytime within 4 days post-op can be common in Greys who are "excessive bleeders.") Bleeding finally stopped without Aminocaproic Acid, but I was a wreck since her internal bleeding started at night, after compounding pharmacies were closed. (This particular time, with much effort, I couldn't get AA before surgery.)

 

I started a thread on August 19, 2010 that you might be interested in skimming through: "Laryngeal Paralysis And Hemangiosarcoma". Since my girl's diagnosis, we've been very fortunate to reach a few special dates together, the next is her 9th birthday (in 9 days). The colder weather has helped her breathing greatly from her laryngeal paralysis (which I've read, happens often in cancer patients). Every moment with our babies is a gift.

Good luck with Avalanche... You're both in our thoughts.

Edited December 9, 2010 by 3greytjoys

[MP_the4pack]

I lost two of my babies to spleenic cancer that went to the liver. The first was hemangio, the second fibro.

 

You have my most sincere sympathies. These are both horrid horrid diseases. I wish I could say something, anything positive. But, I can't. I'm so so sorry.

[Guest Fasave]

Aminocaproic Acid is used for many of our hounds, even for small surgeries. (Also used for human patients.) I echo the other poster's suggestion to contact Dr. Couto, or his organization at Ohio State. I'm not a veterinarian, but from what I've learned thus far, I will not face another of any of my hounds' surgeries without Aminocaproic Acid. It's a cheap bit of insurance that could potentially save a life. I've only given it for limited durations (5 days post-op). I have no information re: long term use for a case like yours. Dr. Couto would be the best source to answer that question. Aminocaproic Acid is mentioned in both articles below:

 

Why Do Greyhounds Bleed (Ohio State University)

https://greyhound.os...eders/index.cfm

Bone Cancer in Greyhounds (Ohio State University)

https://greyhound.osu.edu/resources/freeresources/bonecancer/index.cfm

(If links don't work, copy and paste title to search Internet.)

Aminocaproic Acid in a liquid compounded form is cheapest to purchase, but has a short shelf life. Should be ordered in advance. Some compounding pharmacies take 3-5 days to fill a prescription.

Aminocaproic Acid is available in tablet form, with longer shelf life. Tablet form is much more expensive. (I don't know which works better, in general, liquids usually work more quickly.)

 

I am currently caring for my hound with Hemangiosarcoma. My wonderful broodie girl was diagnosed 16 weeks ago. She is a known excessive bleeder. She bled very heavily during minor surgery to remove 3 tiny masses. The vet was finally able to stop her bleeding. My girl came home to recover, then began internal bleeding about 30 hours post-op without any Aminocaproic Acid available. (Bleeding anytime within 4 days post-op can be common in Greys who are "excessive bleeders.") Bleeding finally stopped without Aminocaproic Acid, but I was a wreck since her internal bleeding started at night, after compounding pharmacies were closed. (This particular time, with much effort, I couldn't get AA before surgery.)

 

I started a thread on August 19, 2010 that you might be interested in skimming through: "Laryngeal Paralysis And Hemangiosarcoma". Since my girl's diagnosis, we've been very fortunate to reach a few special dates together, the next is her 9th birthday (in 9 days). The colder weather has helped her breathing greatly from her laryngeal paralysis (which I've read, happens often in cancer patients). Every moment with our babies is a gift.

Good luck with Avalanche... You're both in our thoughts.

 

 

Thank you for all the information. I am currently trying to get in touch with Dr. Couto. You mentioned that your girl was diagnosed 16 weeks ago with hemangio. Did you choose surgery? Was it confirmed through pathology? I'm curious because everything I've read if 1 day to 1 month without surgery and 1 -3 months with surgery. Ave's been pretty good for the last week so I'm just trying to get my mind around what to expect.

 

Thanks again for all the links, information and well wishes. I hope you too get some more good days with your girl.

[3greytjoys]

Re: "Thank you for all the information. I am currently trying to get in touch with Dr. Couto. You mentioned that your girl was diagnosed 16 weeks ago with hemangio. Did you choose surgery? Was it confirmed through pathology? I'm curious because everything I've read if 1 day to 1 month without surgery and 1 -3 months with surgery. Ave's been pretty good for the last week so I'm just trying to get my mind around what to expect.

 

Answer: Yes, my girl's hemangiosarcoma was confirmed through pathology. I think we caught the first small mass very early (earlier than many cases). The regular vet was able to remove most of the mass but could not get clear margins. It was in a tricky location (lower front leg) buried in a web of blood vessels, arteries, tendons. It would have taken more surgery to attempt to gain clear margins on that site. The vet assured me that since it's a blood cancer, it was already traveling through her body through blood vessels. Per my consultation with a Board Certified Surgeon: Considering her "3 strikes" with hemangiosarcoma, advanced laryngeal paralysis, and being one of a limited percentage of "excessive bleeders," we opted to forgo any additional surgery. Since then, we discovered a larger mass on her rear. There is likely much more going on with her internal organs that we can't see/feel. Thankfully, she does NOT appear to be in pain from the cancer, now. We're watching closely for her comfortable quality of life for her remaining time.

 

The vet did not offer any "expected" life span, as every dog's cancer stage is different. Like you, my research revealed some "average" time estimates. Believe me, we celebrated reaching Day 90! My girl still shows delightful spirit, plays with her toys, siblings, and eats well, but her energy diminishes very quickly. (Similar to advancing cancer in people.) Seems many people don't even realize their dog has hemangiosarcoma until a mass bursts. I understand and share these extremely agonizing decisions... You and Avalanche are in my thoughts, and I'm here if I can help in any way.