Dogs and Lymphoma

meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3066110
Should I be concerned with weight gain? Normally I would be really careful when the Beagle was on pred... but does it matter when there is no "after pred"? Will weight exacerbate his symptoms? He feels so boney yet he is heavier than he was a couple of years ago. How is that possible?
I'm gonna let him in the neighbours yard to get that squirrel he's been drooling over for years... just kidding.
I would give him every little thing I could (that would not hurt him of course)
SPOIL SPOIL....
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Here squirrelly squirrel.
We thought he was off his food..... but it seems he is only off his food and somehow on to ours.
We usually mix wet with hard. He was always a picky eater and sometimes would outright refuse food for days until we changed it up. I'm wondering if a node is swollen so that it's hard to swallow. He was always one of those small passage way dogs that made a lot of throat noises. I've been finely cutting up small pieces of meat and he's going nuts for it.
Well, that and he had mac and cheese for the first time this morning. I bought it for myself but I've been off my food this week too :-( It's nice to see him lick his bowl. I need to buy some egg crate for his little bones... well for mine too because we've both been sleeping on the floor.
 
nina&noah

nina&noah

Member
My dog LOVES salmon. If you like salmon, you could make a nice size piece of salmon and have a nice dinner with your dog. That way you both get something healthy to eat.
I have some good, very easy recipes if your interested.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
I've never tried salmon. I'll see if he likes it. I figure I should at least keep the salt under control. Last night I made him fresh chicken with rice and carrots. There steroids are working on his appetite at least... I've never ever seen him lick the bowl. That's pretty much the Beagle's job. The Beagle was like WTH!?!
What is ironic is the person I named him after is dying with pancreatic cancer. He's in his 30s.....
This is his favorite activity, sitting outside watching the squirrels, birds and the neighbours cats while waiting for someone to come walking by our fence to pet him.

I took this yesterday. Ya, he's one scruffy looking Schnauzer. But he was an abused pup with lots of issues and never liked the groomers... he would go off his feed for a couple of days after I brought him in. It wasn't worth it for him to look "pretty" for me. So, I clip him myself and I have to do it in small spurts over a few days. He's such a weird dog :) He would never have tolerated going to the vet once a week for chemo and blood draws.
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
The one really positive thing about this situation is what I tell myself and clients when confronted with this.....Our pets do not know they have cancer....we will lose sleep/shed tears/be upset but they get up each morning and act how they 'feel' and do not think about what tomorrow may bring. I envy them sometimes.
CBerry...Salmon is a good idea, but really, on the 'Pred.' he will eat just about anything as you are finding out. Weight redistribution: Age+Lymphoma+Pred
equals loss of muscle mass and increase in abdominal fat....so he looks thin with a 'pot belly'.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
Aww, what a cutie!
I feel for you and what you are going through, and wish you the very best in the time he has left with you. I said goodbye to my 16 YO husky mix in Oct 2006 and I still miss her, even though I have a wonderful new dog (the brown one in my avatar). My old dog lived every day to its fullest, right up to the last one, and her passing was a peaceful event, with her head cradled in my arms. It is the very hardest thing in the world to do, saying goodbye to your beloved dog, even though it can be most loving thing you ever do for him.
Take Care
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3076631
Breathing hard....... I think we're starting to go down that hill. :-(
Still eating?
Any coughing?
How is his 'attitude'?
Hang in..sometimes you just get a bad day...
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
He's going nuts for the food. He never begged his whole life...now he does. He's very happy and wags his tail alot but when we are all not paying attention to him, instead on being under my seat, he's away from everyone. The second you acknowledge him he prances on over.
He's the one who has the diarrhea, actually. I started putting cod liver oil in his supper meal... maybe I should stop to see if that's the cause.
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3076725
He's going nuts for the food. He never begged his whole life...now he does. He's very happy and wags his tail alot but when we are all not paying attention to him, instead on being under my seat, he's away from everyone. The second you acknowledge him he prances on over.
He's the one who has the diarrhea, actually. I started putting cod liver oil in his supper meal... maybe I should stop to see if that's the cause.
Cod Liver Oil could be the source. What else is he on med/supplement wise at this time?
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
He's just taking pred. Some rice and egg for breakfast. Wet and dry for supper. And the last bite of whatever I eat. It's something I've always done. If they don't beg, they get one bite of whatever I'm eating after I'm done. Unless the food is inappropriate of course.
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3076780
He's just taking pred. Some rice and egg for breakfast. Wet and dry for supper. And the last bite of whatever I eat. It's something I've always done. If they don't beg, they get one bite of whatever I'm eating after I'm done. Unless the food is inappropriate of course.
Diarrhea is probably from the oil then. You can give immodium to dogs. A dog that size would normally take 1/2 tab of the human product 2x daily. If it persists thru the weekend you might ask your vet about some metronidazole.
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
So sorry - I've had to put down several dogs in my life and you would think it would get easier but it always rips your heart out. I just watched my sister's Westie die of lymphoma. This dog was like a child to her and it was the hardest thing we had to deal with since the death of my parents. Lexi was seven years old when my sister found the lumps and it was quickly diagnosed as lymphoma. The options were to give her prednisone to keep her comfortable or to start chemotherapy. Chemo would have been once a month at $500 a pop and would have been a 12 month course of treatment. Prognosis with chemo was 12-14 months, so basically the dog would have been receiving chemo the rest of its life. Rather than prolong the suffering she opted to do prednisone and give the dog the best life possible for as long as she had left. The prognosis without chemo was 4-8 weeks.... the dog lasted 5 months. Towards the end she started really slowing down and breathing heavy and when it was too difficult for the dog to walk without getting winded it was time to let her go.
One thing I can tell you to hopefully help you feel better is that the vet had said the only good thing (if there is ANY good thing) about lymphoma is that the dog doesn't experience any pain with this type of cancer. Towards the end they will get uncomfortable but it's not painful.
Give him steak, take him to his favorite places, spend lots of quality time with him, and when he starts to really slow down, be with him as you give him the final (and most difficult) gift of his life..... let him go peacefullly while you hold him.
So sorry for you, and for all of us who have been there.
Sue
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Renee.....go visit this website when you have some time. http://www.petloss.com/ I spent many hours/weeks there after the losses of my pets and I sometimes pop in to try and offer comfort to those who are recently suffering a loss. Their chat site always has wonderful people in it and there are also forums, poems, etc.
Even though this is incredibly difficult, you're fortunate to be able to do some of your grieving and crying while your furbaby is still with you. I've lost pets both slowly and suddenly and the unexpected losses are the hardest to recover from. Cherish the time......
Sue
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
You know, I remember seeing that site years ago and feeling so so sad. But the day felt to far and so many years away..... and here I am.....
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I'm so sorry. It took me awhile to even open this thread because I didn't want to relive my experience.
Mine was with an approx 6 yo cat (she was from the shelter so age is approx).
I did go with the chemo route on her. I would not give in without a fight and went to a vet oncologist. I spent a LOT of money on it. If your vet was going to administer the chemo, I am sad to say, that could be it. I spent thousands over the course of a month.
I had an outstanding vet at the time (who directed me to the specialist) and they were fantastic too. At one point I took her in (and it was like 30 miles away) near midnight because of her breathing. The vet there (24 hour) said they would watch her and treat her with O2 if needed but that I needed to go home and rest. They would watch over her. They were incredible and sensitive and didn't squeeze every penny out of me.
The treatment for lymphoma (she had mediastinal lymphoma) is similar to human chemo. So it is a tough decision. In large part I decided on chemo because she was younger.
But cats hide things so long. There were no signs of problems until I took her in as an emergency. I was told it was one of three things - cancer, heart failure or Feline infectious peritonitis. None are good. It was lymphoma. By the time she showed signs it was bad. Breathing problems, wouldn't eat...and I lost her within a month.
It was one of the truly low points, truthfully in my life, because it hit me out of the blue. I was living alone with a fair number of problems at the time. And I just didn't see it coming. It is funny how it happens.
Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about this. You have made the right decision on this and I hope that is some comfort.
 
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