The chemotherapy is to last 26 weeks. The first four weeks Shadow will receive chemo each week - the next is due on Friday. After those four weeks are up there will be a weeks break, then another cycle of four weeks. Then after another weeks break, he will start a four week cycle of chemo fortnightly, with a weeks break until the fourth cycle, again fortnightly.
Each cycle will be vincristine, twice (first and last I believe), cyclophosphamide (that's due on Friday), and doxorubicin. The vet has warned us that the doxorubicin may cause nasty side effects. Unfortunately we are due to go away for the weekend that he first gets that, what was to be our first trip away ever without the kids. It took some arranging to get the dog care and child care in place, and it seems likely now that we will cancel. Our dog people that sit for us when we go away are lovely, really lovely people and potty about dogs in general, and Shadow in particular. I have called them to let them know the diagnosis, and explained that if they sit that weekend there will be stuff that they have to do - mentioning the toxic wee and poo. They have said passionately that they will do anything required, but have not cared for a dog with cancer before. We also know that the vet can keep the dog in if he is not well after the drip - the last drug was given by drip over 24 hours, mixed with fluids, and I think they will all be given this way, which means an overnight stay for Shadow. Even with all this care, we will probably cancel, because what kind of time could we have constantly worrying about Shadow?
Shadow is finishing a course of antibiotics as well, due to the throat surgery and his lowered immunity, and is on a one month course of steroids. He is on 60mg this week, 45mg next week, 30mg the week after and 15mg on the final week.
We are concerned about how he will take to all these visits to the vet. Shadow did not settle well in the 3 and a half days he was there last week, proved by his reluctance to pee when he was there, causing the nurses to get very wet spending ages walking him outside in the rain. Or, of course, he worked out pretty quick that once he peed it was straight back in, so made sure to hold his water until he was tired of the fresh air and the smells. Shadow absolutely loves being out in the rain. He was shattered when he came home. That could be proof that he didn't sleep well there - or it could be a reaction to the surgery, the chemo, the steroids. His eyes were dead when he came home - and it took a while until a light began to glow in them again, could that have been a reaction to being kept at the vets so long with no understanding of why? We didn't visit him at the vets as they wanted him kept calm because of his breathing, and we all felt that once he saw us, not coming home with us would distress him.
Friday, we will have to take him in again - and it is going to be hard. If he walks in with the vet fine, it will be a huge relief, but if he is distressed, and we know how many of these visits will be ahead, that will be something to weigh against the possible benefit of the treatment.
Each cycle will be vincristine, twice (first and last I believe), cyclophosphamide (that's due on Friday), and doxorubicin. The vet has warned us that the doxorubicin may cause nasty side effects. Unfortunately we are due to go away for the weekend that he first gets that, what was to be our first trip away ever without the kids. It took some arranging to get the dog care and child care in place, and it seems likely now that we will cancel. Our dog people that sit for us when we go away are lovely, really lovely people and potty about dogs in general, and Shadow in particular. I have called them to let them know the diagnosis, and explained that if they sit that weekend there will be stuff that they have to do - mentioning the toxic wee and poo. They have said passionately that they will do anything required, but have not cared for a dog with cancer before. We also know that the vet can keep the dog in if he is not well after the drip - the last drug was given by drip over 24 hours, mixed with fluids, and I think they will all be given this way, which means an overnight stay for Shadow. Even with all this care, we will probably cancel, because what kind of time could we have constantly worrying about Shadow?
Shadow is finishing a course of antibiotics as well, due to the throat surgery and his lowered immunity, and is on a one month course of steroids. He is on 60mg this week, 45mg next week, 30mg the week after and 15mg on the final week.
We are concerned about how he will take to all these visits to the vet. Shadow did not settle well in the 3 and a half days he was there last week, proved by his reluctance to pee when he was there, causing the nurses to get very wet spending ages walking him outside in the rain. Or, of course, he worked out pretty quick that once he peed it was straight back in, so made sure to hold his water until he was tired of the fresh air and the smells. Shadow absolutely loves being out in the rain. He was shattered when he came home. That could be proof that he didn't sleep well there - or it could be a reaction to the surgery, the chemo, the steroids. His eyes were dead when he came home - and it took a while until a light began to glow in them again, could that have been a reaction to being kept at the vets so long with no understanding of why? We didn't visit him at the vets as they wanted him kept calm because of his breathing, and we all felt that once he saw us, not coming home with us would distress him.
Friday, we will have to take him in again - and it is going to be hard. If he walks in with the vet fine, it will be a huge relief, but if he is distressed, and we know how many of these visits will be ahead, that will be something to weigh against the possible benefit of the treatment.
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