Jasper's Lymphoma Thread

[nell.m]

Well all is still going well for Jasper. He is nearly in remission already!

The only real side effect from the treatment is that he is ravenously hungry and he has lower energy levels. Also he was having tummy troubles (runny poos) so he had to go on Peptosyl. I hope that's not an ongoing problem for him.

Tomorrow he goes in for an all-day stay for more treatment.

[Staffyluv]

Being so hungry and having low energy levels you may want to get his thyroid levels checked - Ollies thyroid was ruined because of his treatments (I know they were different to Jaspers but you never know)...

It took me ages to get the vet to check them to - but I persisted and I was right, his thyroid was hardly functioning..

Glad to hear Jasper is doing so well.

Cheers

Jodie

[nell.m]

Thanks heaps, Staffluv! I will definitely ask that next visit.

[kiahzen]

nell.m.... How is Jasper going?

I hope that he is continuing to do well....

[jinx]

I don't often post on DOL but saw this thread and as I have a dog of my own suffering with Lymphoma I was wondering how Nell's dog Jasper was. Jasper is the same age as my dog and it appears was diagnosed at about the same time. My dogs name is Boof and he is having chemo at the moment. If anyone knows how Jasper is going would you please let me know.

Denise

PAWS

www.paws.com.au

[gemstone]

Included is a photo I took when I got him home.

Oh Jasper is gorgeous - my own little foxy was diagnosed with cancer on Sunday.

I am just reading the threads in the forum

you havent posted for a while is he doing ok?

[winpara]

For those who are reading this thread who have dogs with Lymphoma.

My friends dog was diagnosed about a year ago, had chemo and went into remission then relapsed and has just had another round of chemo followed by a bone marrow transplant. She has been sharing her experiences on her blog which is probably worth a read for anyone considering treatment.

There is also a lot of other posts about her other dogs/agility trials but if you search the blog for "Lymphoma" (in the bar at the top of the page) it should bring up all of the relevant posts.

Edited to add link to page with lymphoma posts already searched.

http://ravencypher.blogspot.com/search?q=lymphoma

Edited June 7, 2008 by winpara

[nell.m]

Hey all,

Well Jasper's chemo has been going very well! he is about 3/4 of the way through his treatment. He has maintained a good blood count for most of the time. It drops slightly when he has the chemo tablets, but soon picks up again.

There haven't been many side effects, except feeling tired after treatment, and he's been getting an upset tummy sometimes. He's also lost some of his whiskers. Maybe he's just really tolerant, but the whole treatment was a lot better than I first anticipated. Sure, there's been a few low moments, but all in all he is as happy and enthusiastic as he's ever been. Some days he just emits this vibrant, happy energy.

He gets treated like a king, and I'm sure he eats better than most people. We even ignore the toxic farts he does when he has tummy troubles!

The only thing I feel guilty about is leaving him at the vet for his all-day visits. When he's dropped off, he starts trembling and sometimes "calls out" to us as we leave. But after telling him he "must stay" he usually resigns himself to it and trots off with the vet. I feel bad he doesn't understand, but when we pick him up he's always so happy and seems to forget what's just happened almost immediately.

So far, it's been a mostly positive experience. I do sometimes feel anxious what will happen once the chemo has stopped, but I just try to enjoy every extra day I have with him.

I'm so proud of him.

Thanks for all the well wishes, everyone, and I'd love to hear anyone else's stories of their dog's chemo treatment.

[jinx]

Hi Nell,

I am glad to hear that Jasper is doing so well. Jasper seems to be having the same sort of response as my Boof to his chemo. Boof has only really been ill once after the treatment, he ended up at the emergency vet SASH as he had a very nasty stomach bug, the Vet there worked wonders and I picked him up the following morning taking him to my Vet for the day to keep an eye on things and to continue with his antibiotic drip. Boof is on fortnightly chemo now and has 3 more treatments to go. Boof's white cell count has been very low most weeks when he was on weekly chemo so they lowered the dose and only did weekly when it was high enough otherwise it was fortnightly. Boof had a beautiful coat when he started but is now looking like he stuck his paw in a power point with his coat thining and sticking up, he has lost most of the hair around his mouth and is unrecognisable as the Boof he was. We don't mind at all, we just want him to stay around for a while longer.

I read about Raven the Border Collie with Lymphoma, Raven is on similar protocol to Boof except for a few of things, Raven is allowed raw meat, wasn't on Prednisilone or antibiotics. Boof is not allowed raw meat at all while on chemo, has been on antibiotics the whole time and will continue and was on Prednisilone for a couple of months until it was reduced right down.

Nell is Jasper allowed raw meat? I asked my Vet last week and she said that the reason Boof can't have it is because of the risk of stomach infections which makes sense to me.

Please let me know how Jasper progress's.

Denise

PAWS

www.paws.com.au

[nell.m]

Hi Jinx,

The vet didn't tell me Jasper shouldn't have raw meat. She just said feed him what I've always fed him, though I've cut out all grains and included more vegies and fish oil.

I've been giving him a mixture of raw meat and turkey/chicken/steak stew with lots of vegies. He seems to prefer the stew, and I'm beginning to think the raw meat might not be a good idea at the moment as his tummy is very sensitive.

He is not well at the moment. I think he has suffered some unusually bad side effects from last week's chemotherapy. Friday night he vomited, and he's been shaking sometimes, and has a runny nose and is doing runny black poo. Strangely enough his temperature is normal, and he still wants his walks and food/treats.

Good to hear Boof is soldiering on too. They are real little fighters.

[jinx]

Hi Nell,

It wouldn't hurt to cut out raw meat to see if this helps Jasper's upset tummy, anything is worth a try when they are not feeling well. Poor Jasper! I cook Boof, minced beef, turkey and chicken with lots of vegetables, he has sardines for breakfast most days and dry food if he feels like it. He has antibiotics 12 hourly, vitamin tablet daily plus Megaderm. Boof wasn't well a couple of weeks back, he was shivering and his temperature was low, I rang my Vet who said to wrap him up in a blanket with a hot water bottle to help bring his temperature back up, it worked and the next morning he was back to his old self. The sad thing for Boof and I is that he used to ride around in my car when I dropped my rescue dogs to the Vet and to their foster carers, that has all had to stop now, even when his chemo is finished my Vet has advised against any contact with dogs from the Pound again.

I hope that Jasper's tummy settles quickly.

Denise

PAWS

www.paws.com.au

[nell.m]

Denise,

Well it turned out Jasper had a tummy infection. The vet gave him some tablets and he perked up almost immediately. Now he is super-happy and wants to play and be naughty all the time.

What sort of vitamins do you give Boof? Can you use "human" vitamins? I heard vitamin C can be good. Can you just crush up small amounts in their food? At the moment I am only giving Jasper fish oil capsules.

Also, do you know if the chemo treatment can cause slight incontinence? A few weeks ago Jasper left a puddle on the floor, and he "drips" sometimes. He seems to still have control over his bladder, but he just leaks sometimes. I do know he has become a bit lazy with going to the toilet, so I often have to force him outside!

I know it might just be his age, but it seems to happen really quickly- one day he is normal and the next he is "leaking!" I suppose I'll have to remember to ask the vet next visit.

So is Boof not allowed to socialise with pound dogs in case they're not immunized?

Hugs to Boof!

Nell.

[jinx]

Hi Nell,

Jasper was lucky to have his tummy bug clear up so quicly. Boof was so ill when he had the tummy bug early on that my Vet told me if I had not taken him to the emergency Vet that he would not have survived, it was very scarey. Out of interest what tablets did your Vet give Jasper for his tummy bug?

Most dogs that I get from Pounds have Kennel Cough and because his immune system is supressed there is a good chance that he would catch it (its airborne) and he could end up with pneumonia which could be fatal. There are many other infections that he could catch from Pound dogs as well and I just can't afford to take any risks with him.

Its interesting that you say Jasper is slightly incontinent, Boof also drips sometimes and a week or so ago his drips were a pink colour, I took him to my Vet the next morning but there was nothing wrong, his wee was all back to normal. Vet could not explain it at all, did kidney function and of course looked for a urine infection but nothing showed, one of the drugs can cause blood in the urine but at that time he had not had that particular drug...Boof has done poo and wee in the house since starting chemo, I asked my Vet if it was the drugs causing him to do this but she just gave me a grin and said "no" I think we have to assume that it must have something to do with their treatment though.

My Vet told me that Boof had to have Megaderm and Vitamins .......I asked the same question as you re the human vitamins, she said absolutley not. Boof is on Vetbasix brand of Vitamin Tablets and has 1 a day, he hates the Megaderm. i just put all of his medications straight down his throat, he doesn't always eat everything in his bowl so I can't trust him not to have left something hidden in his food.

I took Boof to the Vet today for his blood count, he has always been a bit chubby but for some reason has gained 1kg in 2 weeks, she checked him thoroughly and his tummy is a bit tender, blood results should tell us if something is not right..

Does Jasper go to a Vet Practice or to a Specialist Centre for his chemo treatments?

Hugs to Jasper also.

Denise & Boof

[bingo]

Hi Nell,

Jasper was lucky to have his tummy bug clear up so quicly. Boof was so ill when he had the tummy bug early on that my Vet told me if I had not taken him to the emergency Vet that he would not have survived, it was very scarey. Out of interest what tablets did your Vet give Jasper for his tummy bug?

Most dogs that I get from Pounds have Kennel Cough and because his immune system is supressed there is a good chance that he would catch it (its airborne) and he could end up with pneumonia which could be fatal. There are many other infections that he could catch from Pound dogs as well and I just can't afford to take any risks with him.

Its interesting that you say Jasper is slightly incontinent, Boof also drips sometimes and a week or so ago his drips were a pink colour, I took him to my Vet the next morning but there was nothing wrong, his wee was all back to normal. Vet could not explain it at all, did kidney function and of course looked for a urine infection but nothing showed, one of the drugs can cause blood in the urine but at that time he had not had that particular drug...Boof has done poo and wee in the house since starting chemo, I asked my Vet if it was the drugs causing him to do this but she just gave me a grin and said "no" I think we have to assume that it must have something to do with their treatment though.

My Vet told me that Boof had to have Megaderm and Vitamins .......I asked the same question as you re the human vitamins, she said absolutley not. Boof is on Vetbasix brand of Vitamin Tablets and has 1 a day, he hates the Megaderm. i just put all of his medications straight down his throat, he doesn't always eat everything in his bowl so I can't trust him not to have left something hidden in his food.

I took Boof to the Vet today for his blood count, he has always been a bit chubby but for some reason has gained 1kg in 2 weeks, she checked him thoroughly and his tummy is a bit tender, blood results should tell us if something is not right..

Does Jasper go to a Vet Practice or to a Specialist Centre for his chemo treatments?

Hugs to Jasper also.

Denise & Boof

Hi jinx I know its a old post know but I noticed you mention vetbasix vitamins in your reply I've just purchased some myself and was wondering if yours also came with a bunch of a plastic wool like substance stuffed in the container if so do you know what it's use is?

Thanks Bingo

[jinx]

Hi Bingo I bought Boof a container of 250 Vetbasix months ago and can't remember what was in the container with the tablets.

[Jed]

How are Boof and Jasper going? Would love updates.

[jinx]

Hi Jed

Thank you for asking about Boof and Jasper. As Nell has not posted for a while I don't know how Jasper is going, it would be good to hear from Nell as I often wonder about Jasper.

Boof hasn't done to well unfortunatley. He came out of remission 3 weeks after his 5 months of chemo, it came back as a secondary in the skin around his penis which was very unusual. The skin became swollen very quickly, it was imperative that he was started on the rescue chemotherapy protocol which reduced the swelling in a matter of days and I was thrilled because I had my boy back after thinking that I was going to lose him in a matter of days. Boof did really well on the new protocol for 10 weeks however on Friday after a needle aspirant was done for swollen lymph nodes in his neck it confirmed that its back again. Boof is not ill at the moment, the only indication are the swollen nodes and he snores very loudly due to the pressure on his airway. Boof has not really suffered while on chemotherapy, he has had excellent quality of life and I think I have been lucky to have had him for this extra time. I am praying that once my Vet speaks to the Oncologist that they will be able to give him something else to keep him going for a little while longer. I can't imagine my life without him. I will do the right thing by Boof and won't let him suffer at all, it will be a very sad day though when I have to say good bye to my best friend.......

Boof is an ex Renbury Farm dog rescued 11 years ago.

Denise

PAWS

[Staffyluv]

HI Jinx, I have been following the progress of all the terminal pooches and can't remember if Boof is using holistic therapy as well as chemo?

Ollie was dxd as MCT grade 2, no clear margins just on 3 years ago now and was originally given 12-18 months by the oncologist with chemo.

We did the chemo but also put him on high doses of Vit C, fish oil, lymphodran, five mushroom extract and a few other things that helped initially. I believe that he is still here because the chemo knocked the cancer around and the holistic therapy has kept him well enough to enjoy his life, more than 12 months longer than origianally suggested.

Wishing you and Boof lots of luck

[jinx]

Hi Staffyluv,

My Vet recommended that I Boof put on Omega Oils and Vitamins and he was not permitted to eat any raw meat. Boof has been extremley well while on chemo the Oncologist believes that his cancer is a very aggressive one. Boof started his third protocol yesterday and is fine today, we will know in a few days if it is working because he responds so well right from the start. I am being positive and take each day as it comes.

I wish Ollie and all of the pooches suffering with any of these cancer's all the best in their battle and thank you for your good wishes.

Denise

PAWS

[Sankari]

For those who have dogs with Lymphoma I just want to pass on my crossed fingers yours get through it.

My Golden Retriever lost her battle to Lymphoma last thursday. She had an ultrasound which showed lymph nodes were enlarged (neck ones at first were not enlarged). We went for the option of taking tissue biopsies through exploratory surgery. We got her results back telling us she had an extremely aggressive form and that it had spread to other organs. That was the worst news we could get. Chemotherapy was not recommended for her at all, and I wouldnt have wanted to put her through it due to the fact she was so weak and underweight and the fact she had so many other health problems. When she came home from her surgery, a couple days later i noticed the neck lymph nodes were enlarged and i could feel lumps in them which grew three times the size in 2 days. We spent an extra couple days and Thursday we said goodbye to her. Her little 16.8kg body was fastly shutting down and I know we made the right decision for her.

I am so glad to have given her the life she deserved she was just under 6 yrs old when she left us.

R.I.P Lucy