dog cancer

I'll upload some current pics and post them soon. There is a pic of both my dogs on page 1 but that was from more than five years ago.

 

Zoe went in for chemo treatment #4 on Monday. She is doing really well this week. This chemo treatment didn't even phase her at all this week. She has quite the appetite eating all food given to her and has put on weight. She seems more like her usual self and is more playful and upbeat. Her energy level seems pretty high compared to previous weeks.

I spoke to the doctor about the last treatment...week before last...and how I had to take Zoe in for emergency treatment due to vomitting as she was not doing well. As mentioned previously, chemo treatments tend to lower white/red blood cell counts...leaving Zoe open to infections. He believes she did not have a negative reaction to the drug...but that she just got an infection which caused her white blood cell count to skyrocket. After treating her with antibiotics, her bloodwork bounced back and cell counts are back in normal ranges. Even so...next time she is up for chemo treatment with that particular drug...she will get a lower dosage as a precaution.

At this point, Zoe has had all the chemo drugs except one...which is next week and is a slow drip drug which will take 30 minutes to administer (versus just an injection for other drugs).

Anyway, to this point, I am extremely pleased with how this process is going. I was expecting much worse. I have had a couple glitches along the way...but they were manageable glitches. I'm still taking a day-by-day approach to this, however.

 

It's ongoing and billed for each treatment but it will probably come out to around $7k when this protocol has run its course. It is the most aggressive and effective treatment out there for this particular cancer. It's basically buying another 10-15% of life for a dog's life. That's a long time to a dog.

 

Each person, when faced with this type of choice, makes their own decisions based on what they can afford, what they are willing to tolerate, how much time they have to devote, the chances of success in the treatment, etc. . Personally, $7k is not that much money to me. Hell, my tax refund already covered half of it. People may think I'm some kind of idiot for spending that much on a dog...but my dogs are my family. I don't abandon family just because they get sick and it's lighter on the pocket book. I'm sorry...I don't operate that way. I cannot live with myself to stand by and do nothing just to save a few dollars. I did the research and I weighed the good/bad. Honestly, my life doesn't revolve around how much money I have in the bank. Maybe that is because I am more fortunate than others in that department and I am gainfully employed. Money comes and goes. My dog is only around for however long she lives. Life is one big f-n price tag. So what? It's not like I'm the only person on the planet treating a dog for cancer. Just my clinic alone is full of cancer patients in treatment.

 

In comparison for this week, I paid a $230 speeding ticket for 76 in a 65. And, I had a plumber come out because I failed to get a nut loose fixing a Delta Monitor shower faucet and, therefore, couldn't fix the damn thing. It turns out my technique was all wrong and I was trying to use a tool that wasn't right for the job. That cost $350 just to replace a shower stem in a leaky shower. I got raped. Plumbers are thieves imo.

I like how I'm spending the chemo money in comparison...on my friendly companion. lol.

I'm just resigned to the fact that life isn't always fair and bad things happen to decent people.

Sometimes you just gotta say "WTF!"...and make your move.

 

Zoe went in for her sixth treatment yesterday. Overall, she seems to be tolerating chemo sessions well and, at present, I have zero regrets in going through with this. I haven't had any incidents of vomitting or diarreah for a long time. She has put on even more weight and is closer to her normal weight...albeit still a few pounds under. At her worst, she was 62 pounds and now she is about 72 pounds where her normal is about 77 pounds.

However, doctor was pointing out that she seems to be having trouble producing red blood cells and talked about her possibly having some type of immunity disease or anemia. It could also be side effects from the cancer and treatment. He didn't seem so sure on this point. I honestly don't know WTF exactly he was talking about because it gets really technical. He said something about he thinks some iron supplements may help...so I'm giving her a supplement twice a day in liquid form on food. I'm not sure how concerned I should be. I think we are just going to take a wait and see approach. Obviously, if her bone marrow cannot produce red blood cells in adequate numbers, then this sets Zoe up for future issues...showing signs of disease, unable to fight off infection, etc. .

To top that off, there is some extra fatty deposit tissue around her left front shoulder/leg area and there is a lump in there. He said it wasn't a lymph node (meaning, it is unrelated to her current cancer and could be benign or possibly another cancer). We've been aware of the fatty tissue there and even the lump. He said the lump felt harder this time than last. He was talking about biopsy and I'm sure he wanted me to bend over and shoot another few $K out of my ass. lol. If this lump is cancerous, then he said it could be removed surgically but then we would have to stop chemo for a month, remove it, and then get her back on chemo. This would make chemo staggered and less effective...meaning less time in remission. At this point, we decided to just take a wait and see approach. The more immediate problem is treating the lymphoma. We agree. Wait and see. You telling me I get to go through all this...and this other lump does her in...in the end. Better not.

No outward signs of Zoe being ill. She is her usual self. The lymphoma is in remission and hope to keep it that way for a long time as treatments continue. Zoe does have this nasty choking cough that happens when she starts growling or barking and ends in a choking cough most of the time. I'm not sure what to make of it...but it doesn't seem to be getting worse. I mentioned it to the doctor...but he doesn't seem to think much of it...only to look out for it getting worse and worse. Both my dogs, in their old age, seem to choke and gag a lot more...so I dunno wth.

I'm starting to think there may be more wrong with Zoe than meets the eye...beyond the lymphoma. But, as long as she is responding to chemo treatments, is acting normal, and is eating, then we are going to keep on going down this path.

I'm still thinking this eventually may not end in a good result...and I'm wondering just how long Zoe will live. But, for now, the dog is doing pretty well and is still living a quality life. So, I'm just going to keep on taking it a day or week at a time. Not much else I can do.

I did change her dry dog food to a non-grain dog food...as grain (and carbs) seems to fuel cancer based on the literature. There are plenty of immunity supplements I could give her. One, in particular, called K-9 Immunity seems like it could be beneficial. However, the costs are about $50 for a 15 day supply and she would have to take 7 pills over the course of a day. SCREW THAT! I think I may start giving her Pet Tabs, instead, based on the doctor's recommendation.

I think I'm doing enough. If it doesn't work out in the end, then that is just the way it is. I'm doing the best I can.

 

Bad news. I had a fine needle asperation done on the lump surrounded by some fatty tissue...just to see if it was malignant or not. It turns out to be not only malignant...but this was no lump at all. The doctor had error-ed in thinking that he didn't think it was a lymph node. It was a lymph node...swollen and cancerous. The only lymph node that is swollen is this one on her left front neck/shoulder area.

So, what does this mean? It means the heli-expensive Wisconsin protocol has lost the cancer fight. Five different cancer drugs failed to beat back all the cancer. It helped and the lymph nodes shrunk to normal. But, this one sprouted back up. It also means the protocol is no longer an option as it is considered ineffective and Zoe won't be living the 12 to 18 months after all.

The only other option is an oral drug in pill form called CEE-NU. It is given by myself while wearing gloves...every three weeks. So, no more weekly chemo treatments...just a pill. If effective, then it would shrink the lymph node and beat back the cancer.

In the end, Zoe is expected to live only 3 more months or maybe 6 months...depending on how this drug works out. All I can do is try to keep her comfortable and give her some joy. However, her left back leg is starting to give way to the arthritis. In fact, both dogs have advanced arthritis. The other dog is on Rimadyl...which supposedly helps with the pain and symptoms. I can see a day maybe not too far off where the dog just cannot get up. That is usually the kiss of... . As it stands now, they can still get up and walk...but have problems with slippery surfaces. In fact, if Zoe lays down on tile...then she cannot get back up as her back legs split outward and cannot be brought inward to be used to muscle her hind up as part of the standing process. She ends up using her front feet and straddling the floor. It really is sad. That is also a little scary if I'm not here and she slips. She may be stuck there for a while. Carpet and non-slippery surfaces are much easier on them. So, I will be slippery-proofing my kitchen (tile) and other traffic areas.

And, this concludes this update. Good evening.

 

Only I will know when that right time is...based on how I interpret my dog's behaviors and actions. I'm telling you...I just don't see it is time yet. I see that time will be approaching sooner, rather than, later. To put a dog down solely on an opinion that the dog may be suffering internally with no outward visible signs of pain or suffering...is not a step I'm going to take. I'm going to see a change in behavior or condition that gives me that sign...something I don't have to perform a mind meld on my dog to figure out how it is feeling inside. If the dog is still doing things she normally does but at a slowed down pace, then that's not enough for me to throw in the towel. If the dog doesn't get up, shows outward signs of suffering, stops eating or drinking, shows a lack of will to continue, and/or any other irregularities, then those are signs I'm looking for. As long my dogs still do what they usually do (greet me at the door, go for short walks, growl at the neighbor's dog, eat and drink, go to the bathroom okay, enjoy going outside, etc.) and show no outward signs of suffering, then they are staying around.