Lymphoma in dogs

Mayflower10cat

I just wanted to say I'm so very sorry you've had this diagnosis and please give your best friend a hug from me.

We've had two cats diagnosed with cancer; one had S.C.C. (fast and aggressive) in his jaw and there was nothing to be done apart from palliative care. The other had lymphosarcoma (tumour behind his eye) and for a while it looked as if Chemo might be an option. The eye and the tumour were removed (that was a hard decision, but it did seem to give him the best chance) though it later transpired he was FiV+ so with an impaired immune system sadly he wouldn't have been suitable for Chemo. The oncologist explained in great detail the protocol he would have used, he said 'old school treatment' (COP as detailed above) and that in our cat's case, it would stop the cancer from growing but not actually, sadly, destroy it. He would have to go into the Vets office once a week for an IV chemo session of 12 hours, ongoing. Temperament of the cat (or dog) was important to the decision to treat this way - in our case, our cat Sam would have happily lounged in his cage at the vets with an IV without trying to remove it or getting stressed, he was pretty laid back like that!

As I said, sadly, Sam wasn't suitable due to his impaired immune system and we did palliative care for him post Op.

It's a truly hard decision to make and I'm very sorry you're going through this.

KVet

Have a chat to a referral oncologist. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Lymphoma usually responds amazingly well to chemo and the animals also do well on it. Chemo in animals is quite different to humans as they are never given high enough doses to really cause all the side effects that humans get.

BleepinHell

KVet wrote: »

Have a chat to a referral oncologist. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Lymphoma usually responds amazingly well to chemo and the animals also do well on it. Chemo in animals is quite different to humans as they are never given high enough doses to really cause all the side effects that humans get.

I did just that. Sandy is into her treatment now.
They move quickly it seems for dogs.
She is responding well so far. Her red blood cells are low so she is on steroids. Making her as Hungry as a horse.
The chemo will be varied so she may respond differently.
But for now she seems ok.
Treatment is pricey though. I hope my policies ceiling of £7000
covers it. Anyways thanks for the input. I will keep you all posted on how she fares.

krlyr

One tip for the hunger, bulk out her meals with veg. It can be raw, if she'll eat it, otherwise give it a bit of a blitz in a blender or lightly cook/steam it. Green beans are fab but most other veg is safe (you can find many 'safe food' lists online), the idea is that it bulks their meals out without adding many calories (dogs don't digest plant matter that well, especially if it's raw, as their bodies can't break down the cellulose). Also giving her meals in a Kong (gradually make it tougher, e.g. more tightly packed, then freeze it if it's wet food, or add some wet food into the biscuits and freeze the lot) so mealtimes take longer. You might find that bad habits start because of the extreme hunger, so perhaps keep the bin hidden away, beware of her scavenging for rubbish on walks, counter-surfing for snacks on the side even if she's never done it before, etc.

BleepinHell

krlyr wrote: »

One tip for the hunger, bulk out her meals with veg. It can be raw, if she'll eat it, otherwise give it a bit of a blitz in a blender or lightly cook/steam it. Green beans are fab but most other veg is safe (you can find many 'safe food' lists online), the idea is that it bulks their meals out without adding many calories (dogs don't digest plant matter that well, especially if it's raw, as their bodies can't break down the cellulose). Also giving her meals in a Kong (gradually make it tougher, e.g. more tightly packed, then freeze it if it's wet food, or add some wet food into the biscuits and freeze the lot) so mealtimes take longer. You might find that bad habits start because of the extreme hunger, so perhaps keep the bin hidden away, beware of her scavenging for rubbish on walks, counter-surfing for snacks on the side even if she's never done it before, etc.

Thanks for that. I certainly will take some of our suggestions on board. Funnily enough she went foraging in some rough vegetation and came out with a smelly old bone. Like she has never been fed.
I had to get her back home and bribe her with a beef stick to get it off her. The temptation is too spoil her knowing how ill she is. But It wont to her any good being overweight.
She is back at the vets Thurs for another dose of chemo.
So lets hope she copes as well as before.

loulou123

I had this dilema with my last dog, who had a cancerous tumour near his anal gland.

The vets wanted to operate, but i felt it wasnt in his best interest, as he was 10, and also had other health problems.

We opted for steroid and pallative care, and he went on happily and pain free for another 18 months (was only given 6 months max without op!)

I hope it all goes well for you and your doggie.

BleepinHell

BleepinHell wrote: »

My Golden Retriever has been diagnosed with lymphoma.
She is insured. Is it worth putting her through the lengthy chemo treatment.
If she just has steroids she will live 2months.
I would hate to see her suffer.
Has anyone had a pet go through it?
What can I expect?

Sadly my dog Sandy passed away today.
She did not respond well to the treatment and
developed anemia.
She died whilst undergoing a blood transfusion.

What can I say? Would I put her through it again?
Perhaps not.

krlyr

Sorry for the sad update. Try not to beat yourself up about it, you made the best decision you could at the time.
From the opposite POV, as I briefly mentioned before, I decided not to go ahead with invasive treatment for my previous dog, after discussions with my vet we decided the op was just too much for a dog with her behavioural issues. We had to have her PTS aged just 4 because her hip dysplasia got so severe so quickly. It was a tough choice that I regretted the minute the vet administered the last injection, I wanted to beg him to undo it and take her for the operation, but it was just a reaction to her dying. It took me a good year or two but now, looking back, I know I made the right choice for her, at the time, with the knowledge I had. Maybe if I could repeat it all over again now, I'd have done things differently, but life doesn't come with a rewind option. You made a decision for Sandy and you made it with the right intentions, and that's what counts IMO. Had you decided on the alternative route, your post questioning your decision may just have come sooner - you may have regretted not giving her a chance.

chatbug

So sorry for your sad news, as kylyr says do not beat yourself up about it.

chris_n_tj

So sorry for your loss, you did what you thought was best and gave your beautiful girl that chance.
RIP Sandy, run free xxxx