kayla1

I'm not sure of the cancer treatment programs that you mention, but the goal of cancer treatment in dogs is to provide both quality and quantity of life. If the dog is suffering from the stress and the strain of any treatment, then I would question whether that treatment is the best option. I decided to pursue chemo with Annie after much research, and with the knowledge that it will provide her with the best possible opportunity to enjoy both quality and quantity of life. It has been stressful for me, but I'm lucky in a way because Annie's treatment has coincided with my long service leave so I'm home most of the time and can spend a lot of time with the dogs. Yes, it is expensive. Maxie had cancer surgery a few years ago at a cost of $7k. He is alive and well today thanks to the skills of a brilliant surgeon. Annie's surgery and treatment has already cost more than that, and I don't regret it for a minute. Sure it would be nice if it wasn't so expensive, but it is what it is. My dogs are my family and I will do my best for them. I agree that diet is important, and Annie is moving to a higher protein/fat and lower carb diet (raw food should not be given to dogs undergoing chemo). I'm glad your horse had good quality of life. One of the first things that the oncologist told me was that whatever I had fed her/given her/done with her did not cause her MCT. I think that was really helpful in alleviating concerns about whether I had somehow contributed to her illness.

One of my dogs, Annie, has recently started chemo and I'm interested in hearing about experiences of others that have been through this. Annie was diagnosed with MCT grade 3. A specialist surgeon was able to remove the tumour, and she is now seeing an oncologist and holistic vet. But being grade 3, the prognosis is poor. Her chemo protocol is alternating CCNU and vinblastine. I'm not sure about palladia yet. She had her first treatment last Tuesday, and she's been great with no sign of side effects. But we've hit a bump in the road this week as her blood tests have shown a very low WBC. She had started ABs anyway last week, and this will continue, and no more walks until her next blood test. The oncologist did tell me that many dogs get no side effects, but some do. But gee it's a stressful time (for me!), and I'm guessing it's going to be a bumpy road. Do you have any experiences with chemo?

This is the abstract from the study, from here

I'm very sorry to hear that. What a beautiful photo of your little girl. Run free Stella.

wrt your concerns about health issues you might also be interested in this thread http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/267474-vaccichecklooking-for-interested-dog-owners/. There are statistics showing that the average live span of dogs declined over the last years by approx. 11%, despite new science, better (?) food and better (???) medical care, and there are strong hints that over-vaccination and de-sexing play a major part in the shorter life span. http://www.doglistener.co.uk/why-are-our-dogs-dying-so-early There is nothing in that link to support your claims. The link you have provided is an opinion piece, not an academic study. Furthermore, if you go to the original source, you'll see that the results are descriptive statistics only. So no conclusions can be drawn about any associations with desexing etc. You also cannot conclude that there is a difference in lifespan; as is noted, the surveys are not comparable because there were substantial differences in the way they were conducted. This is why you need to review and understand the literature before using it in an attempt to support your argument.

Not really. Much of the research examining risks for certain types of cancers and joint disorders is breed-specific. For example, the second article you linked to is a study of labs and golden retrievers. Findings from studies such as this cannot be generalised to other breeds. So not very helpful for the OP who is getting an SBT. There are more recent and more rigorous academic studies reviewing current literature which conclude that, in general, the benefits of desexing likely heavily outweigh the risks. That's without even considering the benefits of reducing the number of unwanted dogs being dumped at pounds. ...and you will enlighten us and publish the links to those 'more recent scientific studies' that contradicts the findings of the papers I provided? I'm not going to do your research for you. I have enough of my own to do. :laugh: Also, I'm not going to post articles that I have access to as an academic, as not all are publicly available. Before taking such a strong stance against desexing, it would be beneficial to do a more thorough and objective review of the academic literature beforehand (you will find relevant articles if you do this). Then if you decide to post study findings in an attempt to support your argument, you need to ensure that you have a good understanding of the study methodologies/limitations etc.

Not really. Much of the research examining risks for certain types of cancers and joint disorders is breed-specific. For example, the second article you linked to is a study of labs and golden retrievers. Findings from studies such as this cannot be generalised to other breeds. So not very helpful for the OP who is getting an SBT. There are more recent and more rigorous academic studies reviewing current literature which conclude that, in general, the benefits of desexing likely heavily outweigh the risks. That's without even considering the benefits of reducing the number of unwanted dogs being dumped at pounds.

By Paul Newson, Interim CEO GRNSW. Extracts below, full article here Denials, Cover-ups And A Lack Of Transparency Killed Greyhound Racing In NSW

As far as I know, the industry in Tasmania is not being shut down. No industry is being shut down 'based on such iffy stats and figures'. The NSW greyhound racing industry is being shut down due entirely to its own failings. In the decades during which it has been operating, it has failed utterly in its responsibilities in relation to animal welfare. There have been plenty of opportunities for the industry to reform, but it has failed to do so. The opportunity to clean up the industry has now long since slipped away.

The article and report is available here Greyhound death toll report reveals 1,600 dogs died in Tasmania over three years

It was coined by Ingrid Newkirk the president of PETA as the reference above. And you will find the words began to be used in the 90s The term 'companion animal' wasn't coined by Ingrid Newkirk. The term was in use long before PETA was even founded. I don't see any problem with companion animal being used as a descriptive term. Good luck with your research, Clare.

I've been told the same thing, that there's not much you can do to avoid recurrences. My old girl Kayla had several episodes - one episode had a long recovery time but she recovered to about 90% eventually. She always had a head tilt after that. She also had physio and regular acupuncture, which helped her move more freely. Maxie also has transient (not geriatric) vestibular episodes with unknown cause. The specialists have said as long as he continues to recover quickly after each episode then there is nothing to do, and no way of avoiding future episodes. So, apart from keeping her as healthy as possible, I think it's mainly a matter of managing episodes as they occur. Hopefully it's a one-off and she won't have any further episodes.

Personally, assuming it hasn't spread, I would probably opt for surgery. One of my dogs Maxie had a soft tissue sarcoma removed. He had a CT scan first to make sure it hadn't spread. The surgery was very complicated due to the location of the tumour, so it meant removing a lot of tissue and rib, replacing the abdominal wall with mesh, and reconstructing with skin grafts. Maxie is really active and loves ball playing, so obviously I was beside myself with worry. But I needn't have been, because all went smoothly and Maxie was fine! The specialist surgeon got clean margins and the surgery was a complete success. Of course he had restricted exercise during recovery. So I replaced all his toys with ones that had grip, so they wouldn't slip out of his mouth and he wouldn't be tempted to make any sudden movements to grab them. I started off just handing him the toys and not throwing them, then gradually built up to little throws, then bigger throws etc. I slept on a mattress on the floor in the lounge room for weeks so he wouldn't be tempted to jump on the bed etc. All up it was about three months before he was running without restriction. He was given the all clear a little bit sooner, but I held off for the three months for my own peace of mind! So surgery has given Maxie quality, and quantity, of life. :) As others have said, the best thing would be to see the oncologist to get all the information. Then you can make an informed decision. All the best.

With a baby on the way, perhaps consider a session with a behaviourist - something like this A behaviourist could help you deal with the current issue and also give you the tools to hopefully prevent any further issues when the baby arrives.

...that's why it is called 'opinion'...and everyone is entitled to his/her own :) You are indeed. Those who understand the science have taken considerable time and effort trying to explain learning theory. My opinion is that you are not interested in gaining any further knowledge - look up confirmation bias in Wiki. ...and belief perseverance.

hm, IMO it depends on what becomes the 'normal' scenario. A dog used to treats (or a pat) if he makes the right choice get used to it...I recall my dog and she comes as she knows she gets the treat, and sometimes she even comes without having here called, sits in perfect heel position and her eyes asking me, 'hey where is my treat, that was a perfect recall...come on..'...so this behaviour becomes the 'normal scenario' after intensive training. If she does a lousy job I can 'add' the scenario where I refuse to give here the reward...IMO a positive punishment once the good behaviour pattern with the reward is established. You add/remove a stimulus, not a 'scenario'. The stimulus in your example is treats. You are withholding the treats, which as others have already explained, is negative punishment.

Such beautiful girls. Just devastating to lose both. I'm so sorry LabTested.

Gee that's a tough situation to be in. You've got some great advice here already. Good luck and I hope Nellie continues to improve. Sounds like he is very lucky to have you!

May your beautiful girl be forever in your heart.

The findings of the study in your link do not support your assertion that low cost/free adoptions have no negative impact on outcome. The researchers in this study found that dogs obtained at no cost, or at a cost less than $100, were at an increased risk of relinquishment. It's good to provide links to studies, but beware of confirmation bias.

Thank you for your thoughts and kind words. I had been really struggling with thinking about the right timing for Kayla - when I lost Coco, he became very sick quite quickly and he made it very clear when it was time. But with Kayla, it's been a very gradual decline with lots of ups and downs.

My first dog, my heart dog. Even though I knew this time was coming, I still can't believe you're not here. Age caught up with you in the end, and today it was time for you to run. You were the best dog I could ever have hoped for. I can't put into words how much you meant to me, gorgeous girl. Run free now with Coco, and enjoy endless cuddles from Mum. I'll see you again Kayla, in time. Love you so much, my beautiful girl xxxx

Sorry to hear this, Sheridan. Run free together Mini and Grumpy.

If mine have an empty tummy morning vomit, then they'll jump off the bed first and vomit on the carpet. They've always been really good though - they sleep when I do and get up when I do, and if they do get off the bed or ask to go outside during the night then there's usually a good reason. Plus this time of year, it takes a lot for Annie to crawl out from under the doona. :laugh:

If it were me, I wouldn't be waiting until morning. Late one night I noticed Annie's eye wasn't right, so I took her to the after hours vet immediately. Turned out to be uveitis, thought to be caused by trauma (not sure how, I didn't see it happen), so luckily we caught it very quickly and she was fine. Hope it turns out to be something easily fixed.