DalesDublin

Dublin has Lymphosarcoma- Stage 4. They are going to use the Madison Wisconsin Protocol. They are going to use a variety of 14 different types of drugs for chemo. He had his first injection of chemo today. I forgot what he was given and the paper work at counter when I was paying. I guess my mind is still a mess. Whatever he was given started with a V. I think anyway. They did not want to give him the stronger one because he is a little weak from not eating. These variety of chemo injections will continue for 11 weeks straight and then 1 each month on a rotation basis. They expect to see at least one year on average to the response of this treatment. They have seen it go way past that many, many, many times they said. They just cant say how Dublin will react to the chemo. They did say if I choose to use just the preds he would probably last 3 months give or take a month. By the way, Yes, stay away from carbs but at moment let him eat anything he wants until he gets his appetite back. Suggested not using raw meats since Dogs are both carnivores and omnivores They said at least cook it rare. A wild wolf might eat it raw and have a good immunity but not our house dogs. Anyway...the FIGHT IS ON

rockytola

The Wisconsin Protocol is one of the best treatments out there. No carbs, check K9 immunity from Aloha. Also review Budwig Protocol ..not sure if these have already been recommended but thought I would add this anyway!

Good luck..prayers are with you all

J

nailtek

I am so glad you were able to get Dublin his treatment. I sure hope he handles the chemo well as they say dogs do better than people. Its a long hard road but hopefully there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Sending good vibes your way and many prayers from myself and Guido too!

Meesh

Yes, dogs with chemo need to stay away from the raw diet. Chemo attacks the cancer cells but it also attacks other fast growing cells like white and red cells. I'm very happy you are able to get Dublin into a chemo protocol. If you'd like to also join the other group that I belong to - specificall for dogs with lymphoma undergoing chemo - it's a yahoo group called LymphomaHeartDogs. I have found it a wonderful resource to gauge Hamlet's behaviour and reactions during chemo.
It sounds like Dublin had Vincristine yesterday. I won't lie and tell you this is going to be a cake walk - there will be ups but also downs - but you'll see some great progress in Dublin within a few weeks. Be sure to ask the onc for some anti-nausea meds to have on hand; it's best to head the nausea off before it takes full hold. Watch for drooling and/or a general lack of interest in food. That first appointment is like a whirlwind. Between now and next appointment, write down whatever questions come to mind. I also found it helpful to keep a daily log for Hamlet that recorded what, if any, chemo treatment he had, what his eating, pooping, and peeing habits were, what I fed him, and any side effects he had. It became immensely helpful when I wanted to discuss Hammy's treatment. And, it helped the onc make adjustments, if needed, to his drugs and/or to pre-treat with anti-nausea drugs.
Also, get yourself a thermometer. It's extremely important to catch infections as early as possible since his immune system is compromised. At the first sign of lethargy, check his temp. A dog's normal temp runs between 100 and 102.5.
One word of caution, antioxidants are controversial with chemo. Our regular vet and onc absolutely forbade us from using them during his protocol. And, the holistic vet even said to avoid them 2 days before, the day of and the day after chemo treatments. We decided to just avoid them completely until after he completed his protocol.
Finally, Hamlet was a Stage V so if he can have the success he's had, I only see good things for Dublin! You guys will continue to be in my thoughts.
NOT TODAY, NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT!
Michelle & Hamlet (and Rufus, too)

Benpaws

Dear Friend,

My thoughts are with you and Dublin as you begin the chemo treatments. Since Benny never had them I have no advice, but Michelle and the others obviously can offer much and already have.

Prayers to you and hugs to Dublin.

A positive attitude is one of the best things you can have right now at this stage of the cancer journey.

We are all here for you.

Hugs,
Joanne & Shadow

DalesDublin

He seems to be feeling fine. I did notice heavier breathing or panting. Preds are prob causing this, so not to worried yet. He is interested in food but still so dang particular about what he eats. This was a problem before he became sick and now it is aggravating. It is so hard to feed baby food thru a syringe at times. I have cut the tip off, watered the food down and I am still having problems. I make more of a mess when it decides to get stuck and squirt everywhere when it loosens up. He only wants to eat dried cat food or animal crackers. He is drinking more water and has more energy now. I have a female dog living in the area who is in heat and it is driving Dublin crazy. This might be causing the appetite issue. I'm not sure what to use for his immune system or when. So many sales gimmicks out there you just cant trust anything anymore. Yes Visacrine or whatever it is called is the first dose. One of the first thing the Onc told me was once you start you cant miss a week. What happens, I am told to come back in 2 weeks because the Onc will be on vacation. Everybody thanks for the prayers and advice, I really do appreciate it. It does help. I also pray and think about your loved ones as well. All I can say is enjoy every moment you can with your loved one. I will not give up!

Meesh

That's not entirely true that you can't miss a week. Some dogs MUST miss a week because their WBC is too low. Hamlet had to miss one week for that reason. The important thing is that you can't stop the protocol in the middle. It's like an antibiotic for us humans. Even if you start feeling better, you must finish the dose or it doesn't have the same effectiveness. So when (notice, I say when, not if) Dublin goes into remission - even if it's next week - you must continue the protocol for it to have its full effect.
You guys will continue to be in my thoughts. Keep asking questions.
Michelle, Rufus & Hamlet

nailtek

Glad to hear Dublin is responding well for the most part. He will be fine and we will continue to keep him in our prayers.

DalesDublin

Thanks Michelle. I am not sure they gave him the chemo injection now. I cant get thru to the onc because she is busy. This might be why she wanted to wait until she got back from her vacation to start treatment. Oncologist did say not to stop protocol even if signs of remission because we want to keep kicking while it is down and kick it some more. This way the cancer does not have enough time to build up an immunity. Still having problems getting him to eat much of anything. He did eat 3 of my chick-fila nuggets today and more animal crackers. He did not want the cat food so I feed him thru syringe some turkey and gravy. He only got maybe 1/2 ounce. Will feed him more in a few hours. He is acting hungry but spits it out once he bites into anything. Must still have some nausea. Thanks again for replying to my comments.

DalesDublin

Thank you. Same her with your little monster.