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Post by maryangela on Jun 14, 2014 21:41:16 GMT
Hello, I'm new here and would like help. My very dear 10yr old labrador had just had an inoperable sarcoma diagnosed. The large tumour is in her neck muscle lying beneath the salivary gland just below her ear. Fast-track Radiotherapy is being recommended (3 per week for 4 weeks). I wonder if anyone has had experience of radiotherapy like this for a dog, as I very much want to know if it will cause her suffering or discomfort. We cannot expect a cure, so I have to weigh it up carefully before agreeing to the treatment. Many thanks.
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Post by scallywag on Jun 14, 2014 22:01:31 GMT
Hi maryangela welcome to the forum, sorry to hear about your labrador's tumour  I hope you get the answers you are looking for to help you decide which way to go. If it's fast track, sounds as though it's quite serious thou , did they give you any idea what time she has if you don't go ahead ? |
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Post by migsy on Jun 14, 2014 22:04:01 GMT
So sorry you are going through this worry maryangela. Sam,our late Border Collie developed None Hodgkins Lymphoma when he was 12.I gave him the tablets he had to take,( I had to be careful and wear gloves when doing this) then he went into the vets on a regular basis to be given treatment intravenously, he was taken in the morning and was collected in the afternoon.The treatment didn't make him ill in any way, unlike humans who can be very sick.Your pets treatment may be slightly different,but your vet can probably re assure you and will talk you through the treatment,and hopefully you will be given quite a lot of extra quality time with your beloved pet.Good luck with it. This was 13 years ago,and treatments will have come on in leaps and bounds since then.
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Post by maryangela on Jun 15, 2014 16:11:05 GMT
Thank you so much scallywag and migsy. Scallywag, in answer to your question re time, the oncologist said that with treatment she has 'months not years'. When I said I was shocked at this, as Lucy is at present in peak condition, with only an occasional cough as a symptom, apart from the painless swelling on her neck, I was told that she doesn't like to make optimistic prognoses in order that people shouldn't have false hopes. Tomorrow I will ask for best to worst-case scenarios, based on her experience, as I do feel that 'months not years' is downbeat for a tumour that isn't properly differentiated yet and that I think has been growing slowly. There does not seem to be any spread to other parts or organs - the problem is that there will be growing pressure on Lucy's wind-pipe and gullet as the mass gets bigger - hence the radiation to hopefully shrink it a bit.
Migsy, it sounds as if your lovely Sam was having chemotherapy rather than radiotherapy. Lucy will possibly have that after the radiotherapy, so I am so glad to hear that it wasn't a nasty experience for Sam. Thank you for telling me about that. Meanwhile I am worrying that if we go ahead with radiotherapy every other day she may be poorly on the in-between days and have a miserable month. Apparently it causes burning like bad sunburn on the treatment site, but I'm wondering if there are any other symptoms.
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Post by scallywag on Jun 15, 2014 17:11:48 GMT
Hi maryangela good luck tomorrow hope you can get some answers to help you. I have a work colleague whos Collie has had a nasty tumour removed from her neck few months ago. Well there's now another lump back on her neck. She's decided that at present, if the lump doesn't get any bigger. She is going to leave well alone because Gerri is in good spirits, playful. Eating well etc etc, she's 10. She didn't want to put her thru any more pain and not know the time prognosis either. I am sure you will know what to do when the time is right.  to both you and your faithful friend, Lucy |
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Post by tonib on Jun 15, 2014 17:16:01 GMT
Welcome to the forum maryangela. I'm really sorry to hear about your Lucy & wish I could provide some helpful advice. All I can do is wish you & Lucy well. |
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Post by migsy on Jun 15, 2014 19:33:38 GMT
Wishing you good luck for tomorrow with your beautiful Lucy maryangela,and pray her treatment wont be as nasty as you fear.Yes Sams treatment was chemotherapy,so don't fear that if it is the next step.We took Sam to the vets with a pethy cough,thinking it may be caused by his new blanket Christmas present,when I felt around his neck,I found a marble sized lump on each side and thought tonsilitis.When our vet felt the back of his knees I had a sinking feeling,knowing what she was about to say.He was doing well,but I made the hard decision to stop the intravenous treatment as he had a problem from his back after being run over by a bike on the local cinder track which affected his leg.The time spent lying down for the day made it difficult for his movement for two or three days after treatment.The vet on seeing his walking agreed with me,so he was then only on the tablets.He died in the May,but had he not had his other problems,we would have had him for quite a while longer.It is devastating to find your dearly loved pet has a life threatening illness when you think it is something easily treated.
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Post by lotsofcats on Jun 15, 2014 20:49:02 GMT
Welcome to the forum. So sad about your dog Lucy - I wish you well with your vets appointment tomorrow. I hope that vonnie comes on here and sees this thread - she is a veterinary nurse and could give you some information. Will be thinking about you tomorrow.
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Post by scallywag on Jun 16, 2014 20:54:41 GMT
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Post by maryangela on Jun 16, 2014 22:06:32 GMT
You are all so kind, and it does help to contact people who you know are going to be sympathetic and as helpful as they can, thanks to a shared love of animals. I did today make the difficult decision to go for the radiotherapy in spite of being told that it may not work, although Lucy's oncologist does think that this gives her the best chance. Unfortunately the average outcome is only a few extra months and so I can only hope that Lucy will make the success statistics look a bit healthier. I am reassured that on the days she has the treatments she will be fine afterwards, and that she will also be fine on the days between. The 'sunburn' will set in after the first two weeks, and that is when the greatest anxiety will be to keep her from scratching it. With 12 treatments over 4 weeks plus two weeks further observation, she will be finished by 31st July, and I'm hoping against hope that I will then be able to take her away to the seaside and give her a lovely time. Today she had a lovely swim in the R. Dee in Wirral, tackling the breakers with gusto to retrieve her gundog dummy. I can't believe that she has this terrible disease in her, as the only symptom is a cough and at just 10 years old she's as full of life as ever she was.
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Post by migsy on Jun 16, 2014 22:41:21 GMT
There is always hope maryangela,and I understand your feelings of disbelief when you look at your outwardly healthy dog.She sounds very strong and
happy too,so she may hopefully confound the vets prognosis.It is amazing how resilient they are compared to us humans,they never fail to amaze me.Keep strong and happy for Lucy,we are all thinking about you both.
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Post by tonib on Jun 16, 2014 23:23:14 GMT
It must be a relief to have finally made a decision  Wishing you & Lucy all the best for the treatment. Having seen your comment on swimming I realise you're in the same region as me, although I'm a bit further north. It made me wonder if Lucy will be getting the radiotherapy at Liverpool University's Veterinary Hospital on the Wirral? Please keep us informed of how Lucy does & don't hesitate to use as a sounding board if ever you need to talk about worries etc, we listen well |
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Post by scallywag on Jun 17, 2014 6:36:39 GMT
Morning maryangela sorry missed you last night. Pleased you have decided what to do, must be a little weight off your mind? Now as you say you can concentrate on giving her as much play time and love as you can. When she starts scratching have you thought about one of those inflatable donut rings so she can't get to the area. Would love to see a photo of your lovely lady  |
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Post by maryangela on Jun 17, 2014 21:00:33 GMT
I'm SO glad I found this lovely forum! Yes, tonib, Lucy is being treated at the oncology clinic of the Liverpool University Veterinary Hospital (Leahurst) in Wirral. I asked to be referred there having had excellent treatment for my dogs at the LU Veterinary Hospital years ago when it was still in Liverpool. I stayed in a small caravan site a few miles away from Leahurst while Lucy was having all the investigation, and, if the first week of radiotherapy goes well, I hope to stay at the Caravan Club site at Thurstaston so that it won't be far to travel for the treatments. I live out beyond Manchester, so the daily M-way journey is a bit trying.
Re the scratching, I believe Lucy will be given a big cape/collar thing sitting well down her shoulders below the lump, so that might catch her paw when she tries to scratch. I think an inflatable ring might sit over the radiation site, but we'll have to see.
I'd love to put some pics of Lucy on here, Scallywag. I was trying last night but I couldn't work out how to get my jpegs on via that image button. I'm a technophobe.
I'm trying to keep strong and positive, Migsy - it's not easy though. Today my sister and I took Lucy to a superb big hydrotherapy pool where the staff were happily very laid back. Lucy leapt into the water without being invited and she had 25 minutes of non-stop water retrieves before we thought she'd had enough.
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Post by scallywag on Jun 17, 2014 21:06:27 GMT
Hi maryangela what provider are you using to upload onto here ? I usually just copy the Url link and past onto here diect into the message area and am using photobucket x Also if you put an @ in front of the user name we get notification that you have tagged us, then we come straight onto read your post. i.e @ scallywag, no gaps , i have to leave a gap or you wont see the @ and it turns into see below. Hope this makes sense ? Shout if not scallywag  |
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Wishing you & Lucy all the best for the treatment. Having seen your comment on swimming I realise you're in the same region as me, although I'm a bit further north. It made me wonder if Lucy will be getting the radiotherapy at Liverpool University's Veterinary Hospital on the Wirral?
