It’s official-Bailey has cancer. The X-ray was pretty unequivocal, although we met with a veterinary oncologist last Sunday to discuss options. I’ll post some links below. Of course I went in with my list of options & questions, but everything I”d read noted the aggressive nature of a dog’s osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and the lousy survival stats.
The vet was very kind & had reviewed Bailey’s records & X-rays before she came in the room. B. had had only 2 doses of Xanex, so I don’t have to tell you he “played up”. I was able to muzzle him but he did not want those axillary nodes felt-by anyone. The vet tech was able to feel his armpit area somewhat while I basically laid on top of him to hold him still but he still squealed like a pig. The basic course of treatment is amputation and then chemo, since micro-metastises are quite common. Although his lung X-ray had been clear, the tiny cancer cells (aka micro-metastises) are not going to show up on anything until they have multiplied to a good sized mass.
Aside from the cost is the fact that, even with this treatment, the median survival is about 8 months. So the question became, for me, Why do this to him? He would be eating Xanex as he hates being examined and I would not be gaining him any time nor any quality of life. So after a lot of discussion & tears, I’ve decided to treat his pain, change his diet to a home cooked diet supplemented by zinc, Vit. C & Omega 3s (on the advice of the oncologist) & give him the best quality of life possible for as long as we can.
On Tuesday (11 Jan 11) I was upstairs working & boo-hooing over my poor puppy. While I had him practically dead & buried, he was joyously tipping over the trash can & happily strewing its contents around the kitchen. Go figure! I reminded him (loudly) that that was not acceptable behaviour but had to turn around so he wouldn’t see me laughing. The concession at this point is that he is now allowed on the couch, as it is much easier for him to get down from there than the high bed. I’m investigating a ramp that can be used indoors as well as to help him get into/out of the car. The great danger is fracture at the tumor site, although the oncologist has assured me that he still has a good deal of “good” bone at that site & fracture is not imminent.
He loves the new diet: ground beef & chicken cooked with potatoes (or pasta, or rice), carrots, green beans & apples. I’ve been mixing that with the current dry food to help his system accept it. Seems to be working just fine. The only glitch was yesterday when the pain medication kind of melted & gave a funny taste to the food. Even my food-motivated dog refused to finish that part of it! So now, the pain meds get wrapped in peanut butter & everything else goes into the dish. Worked like a charm this morning!
I woke up Wednesday morning thinking about a “Celebration of Life”. After working through the idea that it was probably pretty weird & I knew no one else who had done it, I decided that I wanted to do this. Just because no one else has ever done it-since when has that stopped me!? I wanted to do it with all of B’s doggie & human friends. And I wanted to do it while he was still well enough to enjoy it. So on Sat. 05 Feb 11 from 2-4 PM at the dog park, people will be invited to stop by & say hello, etc. I’ve made up a couple of posters: one for day care & one for the dog park, & we’ll see who shows up. Can I buy stock in Kleenex before then??! I don’t want it to be sad but it won’t be easy. Doing it early after diagnosis will ensure that he will be well enough to play with his friends. I can’t think of much that would be more difficult for him to be at the park not be able to run & play (due to the fear of fracture). And it just goes along with my philosophy of not spending my life yelling!
Tags: canine cancer, dog
