The decision was made once we had decided to go through with Jackson’s amputation that chemotherapy would be the next step. I wasn’t sure how long after surgery but from everyone we spoke to they said start right away. My only dilemma was that Jacskon had an underlying infection from pulling out his staples, so I was hesitant. I did some research & decided to go to the vet hospital that we had gone to for Jackson’s 2nd opinion re: surgery. Dr B the surgeon had recommended the oncologist there as he had done his intern at her hospital years prior, so that made me feel good.
So on 10/7/15 we had our first oncology consult it was just 14 days since Jackson’s surgery. The vet tech was very nice she brought a blanket in the room for Jackson to sit on instead of the tile floor which he loved. The oncologist, Dr. S was very young, but was very through in explaining the 2 protocols to choose from & the respective $ that it was going to cost & took the time to answer my questions (thankfully I have pet insurance, which I’m so glad I have now).
Also during our appointment I asked the vet tech what options she knew of for dog harnesses. I desperately needed something to get Jackson in and out of my SUV as my back was becoming extremely sore and I couldn’t imagine how I was going to continue helping him on a daily basis. I had done some research online but it was confusing to figure out which harness would work best for Jackson & what size he was because being a greyhound lab mix his body proportions were all off ! The vet tech recommended “The Help’EmUp Harness” & within less then 10 minutes the rehab woman fitted Jackson and my life would now become better. (And no this is not an endorsement but this harness has saved my back & my life!)
The following chemotherapy protocols were discussed:
- Carboplatin (IV) – may cause nausea & you need to get CBC blood work x2 after first treatment to rule out issues with white/red blood cell count.
2. Doxorubicin (IV) – may cause diarrhea & requires EKG monitoring because it’s known to cause heart complications.
The 2 protocols had there advantages & disadvantages & I could have decided to do both together, however with Dr. S recommendation I would eventually decide to choose Carboplatin.
He took the time to answer my questions which I had lots of:
- What type of chemo pill or IV? (IV)
2. How long will he have to have chemo? (Every 3 weeks for 4 IV treatments & then switch to pill x6 treatments = 18 months).
3. How long is the process? (The IV only takes about 15 min but between the weigh in, blood work, physical exam & tx it may be 1-2 hrs).
4. Side effects? Could be nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, etc. however 50% have no side effects & 20-30% do. (Luckily Jackson has very little side effects & is tolerating it well with just fatigue the 1st day).
5. Is his waste harmful? No the suggestion was just be smart about it, wear protective gloves when picking up his waste & I figured out don’t stand downwind from Jackson’s pees as it has a really intense odor!
6. What type of food, nutrition, supplements should I feed Jackson? Dr S recommendations was don’t make any drastic changes & stick to his normal food regime. I had read a lot online & Tripawds.com re: natural diets, “Bugwig” protocol (cottage cheese & flax oil), Essiac for Pets which boosts the immune system. You can get dizzy just reading everything. He took the list of supplements that I was planning on giving Jackson & said he would get back to me with his opinion.
7. How do you know when chemo is no longer working? When the side effects outweigh the benefits or when the cancer reemerges.
At the end of our discussion he gave me the option of giving him his first chemo today… But I couldn’t decide which protocol to choose & Jackson had just begun his antibiotics & my head was swirling with taking this next step. So I decided to wait 2 days & it would be Fri another day off work but I had to take care of Jackson & be at peace with our decision to proceed with chemo & this form of treatment.