Oldest dog hates chemotherapy

Took the two big ones on Monday and yesterday (did miserably on both, I'm sure). Take two minor ones tomorrow and Friday. My heart wasn't really in this semester before, now my head's out of it, too.

Next week is off, then two weeks on clinical pathology and necropsy rotations (easy, regular hours), then two weeks off, then no free time until -- oh, next April or so.

Dawg, Sorry to hear that Otis is ailing. Sympathetic to what you're going through and the decisions you have to make.

..... just book marking for now.

Your talking with someone with a major D in one class and highest grade in two others in the same semester. Muddle on....

I bet you'll like clinical pathology, not that I got that far - I suppose it can be tricky to make some decisions. Just that natural interest makes that seem appealing.

I do like it (but not as a standalone discipline). I wanted these as my first rotations to brush up on things before going into medicine. Lucked out (in more ways than one, it turned out).

Heelers are tough dogs patio.

Sure, he'll face down a dog twice his size.

But, also like a heeler, he's a bit of a prima donna.

Thanks, dp.

Do you think it's easier or harder for you to make these decisions given your education, pdawg? I think it would be a little of both. You know what the test results mean. You have a better idea than the average Joe of what your dog will go through on different courses of action. But, maybe you know too much about your options - more choices to sort through.

I'm happy to hear of his rebound. Is there any way to stretch out the chemo visits so that he has more days of high energy and appetite before they get quashed again by the drugs?

I wish I knew more about the medical side of all this. You know I do know something about the emotional stuff. My sympathies to you (and Noddy and Osso).

It's only hard because I constantly feel like I should be doing something better. Or have noticed something sooner.

Otherwise, I'm glad that there are things that I can do for him.

Aw, you noticed! Earlier than most would have, I'd guess.

How'd you know his actions weren't due to the food recall issues?

Reading, reading and re-reading.

<and getting the smallish local dogs to dance for some yogurt, as a sort of team-spirit thing>

Man, pet decisions are the toughest. You've got to be the advocate, devil's advocate, and decision-maker.

All the best to you, Pdawg, Otis and the rest of the pack as you work through this.

Didn't even occur to me, actually. First thing he did was start spitting out food that he looked interested in, jumped on the pain/tooth thing, and then there was the chem panel... everything after that was pretty much just narrowing in on the diagnosis.



Thanks. Hi to the kids.

Best to you, and Otis, and and and all who are going through such a journey. {sigh}

new to chemo
Hi. Is it ok to join you? Patiodog, im sad to report i find myself in a situation similar to your own and agree with your ethos re treatment entirely. My own little dog has just been diagnosed with lymphoma and im now faced with the uncertaintly of chemo. Before dianosis (fingers were crossed for an ibd one) i was sure i would not go down the chemo route, now however (with some research into it behind me) i find im willing to try anything to extent her life. As long as it is quality of life, i will not continue with any protocol if she is suffering. Its breaking my heart to think im going to lose her.

I'm really sorry to hear that, J's mum. I've been the same in the past -- thinking, "I'd never put my dog through that." But I've spent a fair amount of time in the oncology ward of our veterinary hospital (I'm a student there), and a lot of the dogs do very well during their chemo.

My best wishes to you and yours, and I hope you continue to have a good time together.




And welcome to A2K, by the way.

I've just read through the thread. I'm a big baby about these things, so don't have much to contribute, except sympathy.

Thanks, eb. I don't go in much for tea, so sympathy (and maybe a beer) does just fine.



Otis is doing much better today. Stole some milkbones from big, dumb lab at the hospital, is chowing down on crunchy treats (he hasn't been big on food that might hurt his esophagus), tail's wagging, he's doing tricks again. Could be early effects of the antibiotics or the change in antiemetic drug. His injections from today won't really hit him until tomorrow evening, though, so we'll see. Hopefully we can get his gut starting to recover today. The oncology resident sent me home with pretty much everything I'd been thinking he needed and was more than open to the idea of switching treatment plans if need be, so at least we're on the same page.

What I wouldn't give to pick up a solid turd from the dude.

Patiodog--

I'm the Good Woman with the pit bull with a chest tumor.

For several years now she's been on meds for a sluggish thyroid and a drippy bladder. She usually has the pills wrapped in rat trap cheese. For the last several months, first thing in the morning, she's been tasting the medical bundle and then spitting it out.

I switched to peanut butter--and now she's occasionally doing the same thing with peanut butter. You mentioned Otis had similiar lofty selectivity.

Could the cancer be affecting her salivary glands first thing in the morning? First thing in the morning, she'll scorn the medical bundles and then five minutes later nibble them daintily.

Sorry, noddy, I don't know. Otis progressed very rapidly from eating rapidly to spitting food back out to not eating anything over a few days, so it probably wasn't the same thing at work.

Have you tried offering her something she likes that doesn't have medicine in it first thing in the morning?


Course, then she might just think that if she holds out for what she wants, she won't have to eat the pills.

There's no sneaking medicine by any of our dogs. If it's going down the hatch, it's got to go down the unpleasant way.

Patiodog--

Some mornings--no problems. Some mornings....

Right now she's not taking her evening pills. She's Mr. Noddy's Baby Darling and he's tried cheese, peanut butter, chipped beef, ham salad and he's thinking of going out for liverwurst.

I figure she might feel better later. She had a time of wild excitement today ordering the substitute meter reader to begone and never darken our door again. The regular meter reader carries dog biscuits.

She's never been a greedy gut dog--unless someone else was going to get it eat it if she left it. Pit bulls are not noted as loving, sharing dogs.