6 year old has Lymphoma, What to do?

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Cosmo

Boxer Pal
Hi All, I'm not one for these message boards but I thought I might receive some reassurance that we are doing the right thing for our girl.

She developed swollen lymph nodes(Lymphoma) a few days ago. She had trouble breathing and gagged a lot. The vet said that we need to make a decision.
I could have A) put her down immediately, B) give her Prednisone and Elspar to shrink the swelling and maintain the cancer(could give her 3-6 happy months, C) start a Chemo cycle(could give her 1 year happy).
I gave her the Elspar and Pred last night and I'm waiting to see a dramatic change. The vet said she will start to feel better immediately while I investigate the cost and side effects of chemo cycles.
Bottomline is quality of life. If my girl doesn't want to wiggle her tail then I have to euthanize. I owe it to her but it's extremely sad.

Anyone have experience with Pred and Elspar?
I hear that Chemo will cost upwards of $5-8K. Tough decision because I cannot dismiss the finacial burden it would cause.
 
Austin's Mom

Austin's Mom

Boxer Insane
I'm so sorry to hear about your baby girl. I don't have any advice, I do agree quality of life is essential, and send you lots of good vibes and good luck. I hope the meds work for her.
 
morrissey11

morrissey11

Super Boxer
Sending lot's of hugs and kisses to your baby girl, healing vibes coming through too.....Kate.

Reilly, 13 months
Morrissey, 02/1995 - 04/2006 x
 
vitalsignusa

vitalsignusa

Boxer Booster
Re: Sorry, Long response

We are on our second round with Elspar and Prednisone and it has been eight months since our Saywer boy has been diagnosed. Whether or not we could afford it played a big part of our decision with Sawyer. We saw it this way,.. we knew that this was part the deal when we adopted Sawyer. Not that he had cancer when we got him, only that cancers ran high in boxers and that he became a member of the family when we adopted him and you don't turn your back on family. However, the cost alone for a full-blown dianosis (chest x-rays, etc.) was estimated at $1200.00 to $2400.00 . We decided not to go that route and just start the treatments with him because he was already in danger of soft tissue damage (kidney failure, etc). It wound up costing us initially I would guess $ 1200.00 total between the emergency services and his initial treatment. After that it has been weekly trips to the vet for him chemo treatment which was about $30.00 each. This most recent round of Elspar and Prednisone came to close to $250.00.
This time around, I'll be honest, I didn't want to do because I don't want him to suffer at all. My husband talked me into it and I am glad because he IS responding to the treatment. We have more time with our Sawyer boy and for that I am estatic but I still worry about what happens next. The financial
part is only half of what you have to consider. The medications which treat the cancer can also cause cancer and will come out via urine the first 24 to 48 hours. You have to give him the meds wearing gloves and then make sure that no children or other animals will go where your dog urinates. Some of the side effects are frequent urination, unquenchable thirst, diarrhea, etc. Plans have to be in place so that he/she has access to water and is able to be taken out frequently. You will also need to watch after the Prednisone treatment is done. If your dog still urinates frequently, you'll need its calcium levels checked. Sawyer cannot receive his innoculations while receiving chemo. Your dog will also face a lower immunity against colds so a jacket is needed for bad weather.

I hope this helps you somewhat in your decision and that your dog gives you as much pleasure as our Sawyer boy has to us. I don't know what else lies in wait for us but we're muddling through one day at a time.

You need to make the decision based on what is best for your dog and your family. We're sending out our best wishes for you and yours and healing vibes to your pup.
 
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Chrisdigler

Boxer Pal
We are going through the exact same thing. Miles just went to the oncologist today. We have decided to go with a protocol referred to as the Madison, Wisconsin protocol. It involves 5 different drugs: Elspar, Vincristine, Cytoxan, Adriamycin and Cytosar. We are going to start a 10 week, once a week treatment schedule. Miles is 6 too. Keep us posted how your dog is doing. Best wishes
 
C

Cosmo

Boxer Pal
Well Folks...I'm sorry to say that we had Cosmo put down last night. We actually did the same wisconsin protocol. She responded well at first(a few weeks) then nothing seemed to help. She became weary and had trouble breathing. We scheduled to have her put down this Thursday, however, last night she had an awful seizure. That was it. People say you will know when it is time and it is soo true. No dog should have to continue on that way so we went to the emergency overnight vet and had her put down. It is sad but I have to say that for once it makes sense. Boxers are at high risk of Lymphoma and its a fact that has to be realized. We're happy that we were able to rescue her and give her three wonderful years. Having a pet is accepting tragedy. It's inevitable! It's God's way! The hardest part is that we miss her, but the good news is that she is in a better place and never had to suffer. We had a month to digest the awful news and were able to spoil her rotten until her last waking hour. I'm sad but content. That is the lesson that I hope to share. Dogs need to live a Dogs life filled with wiggling tails and love from their owner. Once any of those things are compromised, then it is the owners responsibility to overcome any selfishness and due the right thing. I know that we did the right thing for Cosmo Kramer 4-9-2007 RIP.
 
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Gruntsmom

Boxer Insane
I'm so very sorry to hear about Cosmo's passing. When you've done all that you can do, and she was suffering, you did the right thing by helping her to the Bridge. You gave her the gifts of your hearts and home, and no doubt she was grateful for it - in return, you had her love and loyalty. God speed, Dear Cosmo - may you rest in peace.
 
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