My husband took Toto to the vet yesterday for her post-chemo dose blood work. Mixed emotions. The vet was overall pleased with Toto’s progress. Her cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions (our “visual” for how the CCNU is working) are obviously smaller…I had even seen that though I wondered if it was wishful thinking. The vet was really happy with that because he said she’s responding more quickly than is usually seen. My husband mentioned to him that she has days when she’s really tired and others where she’s more herself and he said, “Well, she has terminal cancer and she just recently had a major surgery. She’s going to be tired.” Why is it that it’s always nice to hear the obvious from someone else? 🙂 The vet also looked in her mouth (her gums and jaw) for sometimes apparently the CCNU can affect the mouth. The mixed emotion stems from the fact that her white blood cell count is already down to 6000. The vet explained that these will peak and trough through the treatment but if she’s down in two weeks (next scheduled blood work before next CCNU dose) we may stop the CCNU. Yep…he used the word stop. Not delay….not reduced dose….stop. That’s a little discouraging, but I refuse to let it get me down! 🙂
FYI…we are changing her food to a low carb/high protein diet. I haven’t read much about diet on here, but I’ll let y’all know how that goes. We chose Hills Science Diet High Energy as a dry option and their “n/d” canned food to supplement. Our vet says about half of the dogs he’s recommended the “n/d” for have GI side effects. Toto being a golden and having a fairly sensitive stomach as it is, I’m not very hopeful. LOL But, we’ll see. We’re just going to use that as supplemental and as a mix in occasionally. Anyway…just a side note. 🙂 Starting that new regimen today. Fingers crossed that I’m not cleaning vomit up frequently……..
Best wishes for sweet Toto! WBC numbers will move about and it’s common. Let’s hope they rebound. Jackson didn’t have any side effects from chemo, but others here will attest to what you’re seeing: slower days post-chemo. Roll with it. How is Toto’s appetite? Maybe Toto needs some special foods the days after? Some home cooking? A simple way to boost protein (and thus, dilute the carbs), is just to top Toto’s kibble with protein! Boiled chicken is easy and cheap and they don’t seem to mind if it’s over cooked. To build interest, if needed, get a rotisserie chicken and offer some of that tasty skin, too. Nomnomnom.
Rest up, Toto!
~ Katy & Jackson
Thanks Katy! I really hope those numbers get back up there. I do NOT want to stop her chemo! It’s as if she has one great day where she might even overdo it, then a sleepy day.
Her appetite is actually pretty “OK”. She eats at least once a day. I’ve thought about the boiling chicken thing and my vet even liked that idea…but I love the rotisserie chicken idea! 🙂 Even easier! 🙂 The hardest thing is treats…we can’t find any that have high protein. Not that she needs treats….but she loves them occasionally. My anxiety right now too is the fear she’ll start losing weight. She’s a good weight right now…not too thin and not overweight at all. The vet even wanted her to maybe gain a few pounds. I guess I need to keep in mind and repeat over and over and over to myself “one day at a time.” 🙂
Thanks again!
Okay,it’s time for a remnder to visit the “let’s chunk it down corner” and the “Silver Lining Choo Choo Train” 🙂 🙂
We’re gonna’ go on and put all the “what ifs” in a box outside …we don’t need them for anything, right? Serve no purpose, right?
Now, my goodness, we have a HUGE CELEBTATION going on over here!! The lesions are SMALLER after just one dose? HUGE!! H.U.G.E.!!
I revisited my earlier posts the other day back in Fevruary and March. And trust me, I was one panicked worry wart for at least the entire first month…and I “re-visit” those worthless emotions from time to time still! Anyway, Happy Hannah stayed on some formof pain pills into her fourth week. Between her third and fourth week I was still questioning “what have I done to my dog?”
Some dogs take longer to recover than otheres! Especially the larger dogs! Same thing, I’d get all excited because she’d have really good days—-and then that nightnor the next day she just seemingly felt awful. Upon relection….it really wasn’t that awful at all….just a less energetic day. It IS major surgery and Toto is still very early in recovery!
And hey Dr. Vet……we are all terminal from tne day we are born! AND, there are a lot of lo g term survivors with this stuff! So there!
I give Happy Hannah Orjen Six Fish dry food…..or Organix chicken dry….or Merrick sweet potato and chicken dry……will use EVO has it becomes available…AND….at least one meal a day with just boilded chicken, organic hambutger, broccoli, scoop of cottage cheese
She gets Apocaps, K-9 Immunity, salmon fish oil capsule, vitamin E capsule and occasional mix of other things but those are the daily things….also give can of sardines over dry about three or more times a week.
There are a lot of healthy treats available……I’ll have to go check out my “stash” and give you the names later!
Right now though, Toto deserves ICE CREAM for such a great report!! GOOD JOB EVERYBODY!
(((((((hugs))))))) and love to all!
Sally and Happy Hannah
CCNU is famous for hitting the RBC and WBC about a week after taking it. I’m surprised they are talking about stopping it all together. With Shooter they just kept extending it out one week longer. He is now 5 weeks between doses although I don’t think it is having a great effect with that much time between as the one tumor he has is getting larger :-(.
Don’t worry about the tired as long as Toto is still happy with life. That’s what is most important. Keep us updated on everything and take care.
Luanne & Shooter
Thanks yet again everyone. The silver lining is that the CCNU is working…so far. I hope y’all know how much your comments and guidance means to me.
As for stopping the CCNU…I have to remember I wasn’t at the appointment to ask what the vet truly meant.
I hope Shooter starts getting some good effects. I’ve always found it fascinating in my human medical experience (I’m a pharmacist) that the disease of cancer is so terrible and does awful things to the body….and it has to be treated with something that’s more terrible and does worse things to the body! UGH!
Hi guys,
An “overall pleased” report is pretty good after all this, at least I think so!
There’s lots of Nutrition help in our Tripawds Nutrition blog, check it out when you have time:
http://nutrition.tripawds.com/
Lotsa love coming your way!