Chemotherapy- honest opinions please?

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shadowboy

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Tassy has an aggressive cancer. They have removed the spleen but found nodules on her liver- currently her life expectency is between 21 days and 6months :(

We have the option of chemo- it will not be a cure- more to prolong her life expectency to some where between 6 and 12 months.


Would you put your dog through it? I am torn as she seems so happy at the moment after surgery but I dont know if putting her through the treatment is selfish as it is jusr prolonging the inevitable, and the treament may have side effects.

What would you do?
 
No one I know that has used chemo for a dog would do the same again.
Better a shorter time but quality time than possibly slightly longer but poorly.
 
Sorry, but no, no, and definitely no.
Put my dog through it and made him depressed, sick and miserable. Far better for him to have spent his last days not feeling like that.
Hugs to you x
 
If it was my dog the answer would be no, I wouldnt do it as the prognosis is poor, if it was to save his/her life and they were young I would.

Im so sorry for your situation and can only imagine how you are feeling, hugs to you.
 
No. The time frame for increased life expectancy for me is not enough to drag my dog back to the vet so regularly. Different if it can be done at home or dog really enjoys vet. Regarding side effects they are not as bad as in humans by any means in that the doses are lower, but this means it is less likely to work as the doses are lower. It is a horrible decision and if the dog is not overly distressed by vet visits and you would feel like you have then tried everything, it is an option fo ryou. I would just enjoy the time I had left.
 
So sorry to hear this.

My honest answer and no offence to anyone who has done it, each to their own, but no, it is on a list of things I would not consider putting one of my own dogs through.
 
absolutely not. sometimes the treatment is worse than the cancer and can do more harm than good.

After seeing my mum go through chemo there is no way i would inflict it on myself at that stage of cancer if i was in that position and definitely not on an animal. Give him a peaceful end before any suffering starts. When animals get that ill it's hard to tell where your own feelings overide objectivity. without a shadow of a doubt i would pts and do the kind thing.
 
I'm sorry to hear about your dog and I must say I don't envy your position.
Sometimes it's best to let go but I know from experience it's not easy.
If she's happy at the moment then I think I'd just enjoy my time with her rather than go down the chemo route

(((((hugs)))) for you and Tassy
 
I wouldn't do it either.

We had Lola put to sleep when she was ill, we couldn't put her through treatment that wouldn't change the prognosis, but just extend her life by a few weeks or months.

Sorry about Tassy, but if she were mine, the minute she became unhappy I would pts.

x
 
No I wouldn't, if it was to cure the cancer then I would give it a go but if it's just to give them a few more months I wouldn't.
So sorry :( x
 
Im so sorry to read this shadowboy, my honest answer I'm afraid is also no. In a young dog with the promise of 2-3 years of quality life extra then I would reconsider. If it was to cure it then definately, but to squeeze a few extra months to a year, no I think I would live to regret it and couldnt put the dog through it.
Huge hugs to you xx
 
Huge thanks for all the responces. You have all confirmed my intial feelings about it, it was just that having spoken to the vet and specialist in Glasgow they seemed to make me feel as though I was doing Tassy wrong by not going with it.

Ultimately I am devastated to be loosing her so soon- I have only had her two and a half years but feel as though she is one of the biggest parts of my life- she is more than just a dog to me, she is my friend and confidant and I only want to do whats best for her.

We are going to head to the beach and wyre forest over the easter hols to take her to her favorite places and hopefully help her end her days in the best way possible.

All I can say is a massive thank you for the vibes and your honesty in helping me make my decision. x
 
Holidays_are_coming said:
Would I put my dog through it, No i dont think I would I would have her PTS probably asap. (but its not my dog, and Im not in the situation, so Im not judging anyone)!

Lots of vibes for you xxx
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i agree

id rather let my dog go a day too soon than a week too late :(


*big hugs*

weve lost 3 animals in 4 years (horse and 2 dogs) its really tough x
 
Sorry to hear about your dog!:( I've had one with leukemia and we put him down when he started to get sick rather than put him through all the treatment just to prolong his life for months or even a year - he was 9yrs old, he ended on a good note and was spoilt rotten to the last, and I never regret not putting him through treatment.
So I would say no if she was my dog I would not put her through it - I've seen my Mum go through the highest doses of chemo and it was awful and she understood why she was ill, but the stress of it was awful - can you imagine doing it to an animal which you can't explain why they are so sick plus all the stress of needles/vets/fluid build ups/vommiting/loss of appetite and all the other side affects that come with it, everytime my Mum had it she said she felt like she was dying - which technically it does almost kill you. I think some treatments for animals are there simply because we can, not to mention it makes vets money! - wether we should is something more people need to ask.
So I think you are making the brave and right decision for your dog, at least she has the summer to enjoy and go out on a high.
 
Have been there and no I didn’t do it. I got a rottie from a rescue home when she was 4 years old, she had hip displacer (sp?) and arthritis that had not been diagnosed and was the size of a house because it was too painful to walk. She was the sweetest, most gentle lump I have ever known.

We got her on medication and took hew swimming and she had 5 very pampered happy fit years but then got diagnosed with cancer, it took hold very quickly. We were offered chemotherapy for her but it meant her going away from home (she was very much a home girl and didn’t like going away) for a couple of days at a time each week for a month to prolong her life by maybe 6 months. I figured that she had a rough start to life she certainly wasn’t going to have a painful end. I am a believer of having a shorter life that is happy and pain free rather than drag it out, send her away for days on end, just having an existence rather than a life just because I don’t want to her go.

I was with her at the end and she let me know when the time was right to let her go. RIP Maisie.
 
I have a dog in right now for grooming that went thru chemo three years ago. She was a bit poorly for a while, but she managed through it and is now a happy healthy dog. She was 6 at the time, so young enough...and had good prognosis. If it were my dog and the same situation, I'd have opted for chemo.

However, it doesn't sound like it's going to give you much time so in that case I would say no.

I'm so sorry for you, and you have my thoughts and best wishes in making this hard decision.
 
It's entirely a personal decision and you know your dog best.

I have had two friends go through chemo with their dogs. They needed frequent visits to the vets, but the treatment was done there and then with the owner waiting so no overnight stays. Both dogs had minimal side-effects (nothing like human chemo) and had their lives extended by months on one case and years in the other.
 
Very difficult situation. Some dogs cope amazingly well with chemo, some don't. I think the important thing is quality of life rather than quantity. You could try the chemo but stop it immediately if she has distressing side effects. I'd have her pts as soon as she starts to show any distress, you'll know when the time has come.
 
Riley was on chemo for his acute leukemia and he did brilliantly on it. We had 6 extra months with him that we wouldnt have had otherwise and he had no ill effects from the treatment at all. I imagine it can affect them all differently though and its a personal decision for each owner.

I would do it again if I had another dog in that situation, and then see how they reacted to the chemo before deciding to continue or not.
 
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