Thoughts on Chemotherapy - Page 1

Hello,

I have a 12 y/o Belgian Malinois that that has adenocarcinoma.  Three weeks ago, she had surgery to have part of her pancreas and small intestine removed.  It seemed like she came back to her old self after the surgery.  Last Wednesday ( 08/03/11 ) she had her first chemotherapy treatment and had a very bad reactiion to it yesterday with vomiting/diarrhea/not eatting.  I took her to the ER Vet and they gave her fluids and some pain meds.  She seems to be doing better today than she did yesterday.

I currently feed her boiled chicken, "Nature's menu" chicken pattis, along with a tablet of Omega 3 and a pinch of probiotics at each meal.

I'm on the fence on whether I want to continue the chemo treatments and was wondering what everyone's thoughts were.

Tammy
 

  

Hi Tammy,
While I have never had to endure the heartache of the decision you are facing I was a vet tech for 17 years and have many times experienced your struggles with a very well loved friend and companion of many special clients. In all cases it was always a very heartbreaking and emotional decision as well as a financial and above all the question of the good and quality of life of the animal.  From my second hand experiences I saw more times it was the owner who could not accept the fate and were desperate to give it all they had to get more time with their pet. Certainly at 12 years old this is a lifetime in itself to have had a great dog for so many years. 

I feel there are times it is worth the fight and other times when a dog is very old and the days already each one are a gift that it is having the best days that count.  What you have to ask yourself is what is the outcome, how much time will this buy you and what quality of life will your dog have and how will he/she feel as a result of the chemo. In most cases especially in older more frail and weaker animals the success is small and the added suffering you can not explain to your dog the reason for feeling.

Already the body has a long road to heal from the extensive abdominal surgery. As pets age additionally circulation is less which means blood flow needed to heal faster is just not there as it was and is in a younger animal. I feel with people.....and these are my feelings here... but with a person they can choose to do chemo. Maybe it is so they can be around longer to see their grandchild, a son or daughter graduate a birth in the family .. the reasons are endless that each day is worth the fight. But an animal does not have that sense of reason, comprehension or understanding and they only know the moment and how they feel within it.  Chemo is not pleasant in any way shape or form. And the symptoms that led you to emergency can be expected time and time again. It is hard.

Right now I have a nearly 13 y/o female who on June 20th was diagnosed with Congestive heart failure, an enlarged heart, and atrial fibrillation.  I did not think I would get 2 more weeks with her yet alone almost two months and counting.  But the pharmacy of meds I have to give her now do not make her feel worse they make her feel better and give her a better quality of life. I struggled for those first weeks trying to decide if I needed to let her go but in our case I have let her make this decision and so far she is holding her own and amazing me on a daily basis but it has changed everything here to be sure she gets her meds, eats food I now have to cook for her amongst a dozen other things,  But for me it comes to her and her quality of life. For the longest time I waited and hoped as many have always said that you will just know.... or they will tell you when its time.  But I then one day realized this tuff old girl just may not have it in her to ever quit or tell me she is done. As much as it hurts I have to promise her to be strong enough to be able to choose for her should that time come.

If it were chemo on the other hand and she was already down. I personally would choose not to do it. I would make whatever time I had with her the best that they could be and I would do her the honor of being brave enough to know when it was just too much for her body to take.  With an old girl like your mal and with the cancer coming back, I am not your vet but almost always it is going to keep coming back and you will not win at this age. So what would I do? I would go to the beach, enjoy every day you can get with her this summer, buy her the freshest most delicious bone you can get from the butcher and then sit next to her and enjoy the sight of her in your eyes while you still have her.  My sympathy to you and your precious girl!

I agree with JUlieM, I am so regret to give her(GSD girl) a Chemo, she die during second therapy, she feel so hard she only 9 years old,
Give her the best and keep her happy, some Chinese can help her has good quality of life.Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

JulieM,
 Your post was amazing.  You put into words what I was not able to.  Thank you so much for taking the time to rturn a reply to this thread.

Hello,

I appreciate the responses that have already been given.  I have never been put in this position before so,  I am throwing things out there...........  If chemo is not the answer, what are people's thoughts on any other treatments or ideas that are available such as  biocom, medications, vitamins, or whatever else? 

This would be day 3 from her side effects.  She is coming around to her old self again.  

Thanks again for the responses,

Tammy

I agree, I wouldn't go through chemo myself and wouldn't put my dog through it.

Try to walk the dog as good as possible, supply healthy food (many cancer patients feel good on raw diet) and filtered water, no extra vitamins as they can just get stored somehwere in her body, if not passed through the urine right away, fresh air and sunlight.

All the best for your dog!