# Acute lymphoblastic leukemia - now regretting the usage of Prednisone



## Mya's Mommy

We have been on such an emotional rollercoaster the past 2 weeks when we received word our golden has been confirmed with ALL. What I thought was only an ear infection turned into a nightmare diagnosis. Mya did in fact have an ear infection but they wanted to take blood because it has been a while since her last test. This was shocking to say the least and doctors were pretty surprised she was not displaying stronger symptoms since her lymphocytes were over 120,000. They then advised us to see an oncologist. 

With the state of panic we were in, I went to a specialist another vet had advised to me and never looked into reviews of this doctor. I don't know if it is the emotional state I am in plus denial, but I did not feel impressed with the oncologist. He was really pushing chemo but we made the hard decision to forgo the treatment if the results came back as acute. He seemed disappointed but advised we start prednisone. We did agree to that and he prescribed 120 mg a day. Let me just say after one day on this stuff I lost my dog. She has been vacant, depressed and slowly losing strength in her legs. She has had other symptoms as well and nightime has been pretty unbearable with restlessness and heavy breathing. Today has been exactly one week on this medication and my husband asked the doctor if we could reduce the dosage. Her amount seems too much to me. Also I told the doctor that she went downhill right after starting this. The day before she was still vibrant and herself. He told me these were not side effects of the Prednisone but the disease. When I did research online I saw many others complaining of the same while their dogs were on it and not even for cancer. When I discovered that I felt I could not trust the doctor. And like I said earlier, it could be my emotions and denial causing me to become paranoid. Starting today she will go down to 60 mg for one week. We just want to see our girl's spirit return before she departs us. If I had known this would have happened I would have skipped this and let her go when she wanted. I am grateful the doctor is trying to extend her time but I can't bear to see her so depressed. 

So my question has anyone had experience like this with this medication or ALL in general? Is this the disease or do you think the meds? I am at a loss because just when I think I should put her down she will come back to me briefly. I also have her on all organic home cook foods in conjunction with Annamaet Grain Free dry food. I am giving her Flax Oil to help her immunity. Any advice or experiences are much appreciated because this has been very terrifying for us.


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## Karen519

*Oh my*

Oh, my, I am so very sorry, but it certainly does sound like the high dosage of the prednisone was making her sick!

I am sure someone on here can offer some input.
Praying for your girl!

I did a search on here for ALL, and came up with these threads:
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-rainbow-bridge/123353-sam-my-special-boy.html

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/search.php?searchid=1350810


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## Mya's Mommy

Thank you so much Karen. Prayers are much welcome and needed.


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## Finn's Fan

Mya's Mommy, I am so very sorry that your girl has this diagnosis. If you feel that the prednisone has made her not herself, then wean her off of it slowly and allow her some gentle, sweet times with you. It's a tough call, knowing there is no cure and that even with agressive chemo, you'd only be buying a short time. Spoil your precious girl, give her whatever she loves to eat, drive her to her favorite spots and let her sniff all the good smells....and just love her. There is a saying among folks who have lost their beloved dogs: Better a day too soon than a moment too late. Listen to your dog. You know one another. If she says it's time and your heart can hear her, listen. I'm really sorry that you find yourself in this rotten position.....


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this. My prayers are flowing your way.


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## drofen

I understand how you're feeling. 

Our precious Bo was diagnosed with an aggressive mast cell tumor and one of the cornerstones of the treatment was massive doses of steroids. Based on my experience in medicine with humans, I didn't want Bo to deal with the terrible side effects of such a course of treatment. I knew he wouldn't understand. 

It was the hardest choice of my life, but I chose to have him put down, and was at his side until his last breath. 

I'm not telling you this to say you should make the same choice. I'm merely trying to validate your own feelings and instinct. A true healer (vet, physician, or otherwise) will partner with you and educate you so you can make your own choice. Listen to your heart, your gut, whatever you want to call it. 

You'll know the right choice.


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## Mya's Mommy

Thank you so much Robert for your kind words and I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your Bo. This disease is dreadful and so sudden. I think so much of the disbelief comes too with how things can change so quickly. 

Bo was very lucky that you made the painful decision not to go with the steroids. We have been fortunate here never to have had to use them on her or ourselves. Hearing from friends that have used such medication and their side effects is troubling to me. I know these drugs can either be friend or foe. And each situation is unique as well as the dogs. 

All we can do is enjoy each moment because it can change and slip away so quickly. I pray for healing in regards to your loss. It displays much about your character to me how much you wanted Bo not to suffer. Thank you so much and I am terribly sorry for your loss. I hope we can find a cure for these terrible diseases.


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## KathyL

Mya's Mommy, first I am so sorry to hear your golden was diagnosed with leukemia. How old is she?

I am not a fan of high dose prednisone. My golden was being treated for various health problems when his bloodwork showed his platelets were down to 42,000 (they should be a minimum of about 200,000). He went on doxycyline in the event it was tick related. Those tests were negative so next treatment would be high dose prednisone. It was believed/assumed low platelets were auto immune related and high dose prednisone will usually bring platelets back up within 2-6 weeks. His dose was 80 mg daily. he seemed to tolerate this for first two weeks. A little more thirst/urination but really not all that bad. There was not a significant increase in platelet count so azathioprine was added in. Within about 3 weeks of being on high dose prednisone, he was quickly losing muscle mass and began to seem depressed and lethargic. I discussed tapering but now platelets were going up a little more so I was hopeful. After about 4 weeks I did begin the tapering but he did not seem to improve. Like you it was a roller coaster. Right after New Year, he began to have other symptoms. One day he started to cough (he did have two lung tumors), the next day he was fussy eating. He was not at all himself, he would lay in the bathroom, he no longer sat on the sofa looking out the window, stopped laying on the bed. He was just so distant. His bloodwork also was now showing signs of changes in kidney function. I knew he had turned the corner and made the decision to let him go. I felt like I was driving down a road and kept coming to a dead end. If I could have reversed the damage done I would have waited, but I could not guarantee his quality of life and to be honest was worried about him completely crashing. He did have other medical issues, but I think the prednisone did a lot of damage. I've seen cases where it helps, but I think when they have cancer and have a compromised health system, high dose prednisone is not the route to take. 
His medical history is at His Name is Harley — An Honorary Tripawd

Good luck with Mya. If she has not been on prednisone very long, maybe you can reverse the side effects.


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## Sydney's Mom

Again, so sorry to hear this.

I had a golden once on pred for allergies and she was always a little spaced out when she was on it. So I imagine a higher dose can do the same. It effects people the same way.

It's your choice to change the treatment to have your time with your girl the way you want it. Don't let a vet make you feel anything aside from confident in your choices.

Hoping you get more time with your girl.


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## the S team

So so sorry to read this. My prayers and thoughts go out to you. We are dealing with cancer right now, too, and its so hard.

That much prednisone seems like A LOT! I'm no vet but when Scout was on 80mg for a short time it was nearly unbearable. I'd talk to your vet ASAP about a smaller dosage and the pros and cons of a different plan. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## tippykayak

I'm so sorry to hear your dog is sick. High dose prednisone is sometimes a dog's best shot at a few more good weeks or months when an aggressive cancer strikes. Of course, there are risks, but it's my understanding that it's a relatively safe choice.

I'm so sorry your girl isn't responding well. There are no guarantees in medicine and particularly in cancer treatment. Even if the prednisone was the best bet and the oncologist gave you the treatment most likely to do what you needed, that doesn't mean it'll work as you hope it will.

We used prednisone to try to buy some time for my beloved dog who was diagnosed with lymphoma in '08. We got about five days before we had to put him down, but it was clearly the cancer that was causing his health crisis in that case, not the cancer.

I wish I had better advice, but the only thing I can really say here is that I'm sorry that you're going through this and I hope you find a way to find some more quality time with your dog.


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## love never dies

I am very sorry about your situation. No one wants to be in your place.

How old is Mya? How big is she?

My Bentley was over 11 young but he weighted 72 lbs. He got lymphoma cancer. He was not eating. I was also not a fan of his new reputable vet. Anyways, Bentley was not eating. So prednisone helped him to eat and drink more - the basic to live. 

Looking back at my journey, to me, 50 mg prednisone daily was too much. This drug made him weaker and weaker and not himself. Or it was the cancer, or it was a combination of cancer and drug... (everything happened so fast in my case). And I am not a vet. It hurt me to see him to decline every day. 

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-rainbow-bridge/118720-love-never-dies.html

But some dogs may respond prednisone better. I questioned the treatment. But no time and experience to question....All I know is the amount of prednisone must be used very carefully and according to the instructions from the vet.

My dog breeder is also a vet. I checked with my breeder about treatment. One thing I learnt from my breeder: no matter what treatment plan we used to fight... prefer to start with a more agressive level... so the highest acceptable dosage for the the first week (success rate should be higher)... and to see how the dog's response to the drug... The reason is cancer can develop antibodies and to fight back the treatment... That may be why your vet started with 120 mg for Mya daily (probably the same concept).

I wish you have more quality time with Mya. Prayers and Hugs for Mya and you and your family. Keep us posted.


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## Mya's Mommy

Thank you so much everyone for all your well wishes and support. It is much appreciated and needed here. And my heartfelt condolences to all of you that have found yourself in a similar situation as us. This has been one of the hardest experiences that has lead to some very deep ethical and emotional concerns. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - experiences I hope nobody has to face. 

To give an update on Mya - she will be 11 this May and weighs 100 pounds - she is definitely a big girl  And boy does time seem non existent when I face that reality because it seems like just a moment ago Miss Mya was brought home as a pup. And how she was just a few weeks ago she still seemed like a puppy! So this has been very hard to swallow and process. Yesterday was the first full day of her new dosage on predinsone. She went from 120mg a day to now 60mg. I personally think this is still a high dose but if it is helping her than I am ok. Her side effects have definitely changed. She has more energy although still fatigued and she is gaining more strength in her legs. There were a few days over the weekend where I thought she lost all ability to walk. I am happy to see the progress in her muscle strength and a slightly positive turn in her personality. She is still not herself but definitely not as depressed and is sleeping much better. When she was on the high dosage I was so scared because it seemed like she struggled with breathing. Her breathing and pulse have both stabilized since lowering the dosage. The only thing now that has changed is constipation. I am adding some more fiber to her diet to try and help that issue. 

I feel bad being harsh about the oncologist like I had stated earlier. I am definitely no doctor and I know he is trying to do all he can to give us more time with her. I just wish I was more informed on the other side effects besides increased appetite and thirst. I honestly thought what was going on last week was the leukemia. I still do not know if it is but seeing some positive changes even if slow has brought some relief. The information I am researching and been told from the doctor on Accute Leukemia in canines has been vague. It appears it is a relatively rare condition and with Mya's age even more rare. He did say with older dogs Chronic Leukemia is seen more frequently. I wish she had no Leukemia at all but when we were waiting for the results we were praying it was Chronic since it is less aggressive. Either way we are just trying to enjoy each moment with her. I am fortunate I have the ability to be at home with her during this because that would make the situation even harder to deal with. I am probably becoming a bit neurotic though always looking for the specific symptoms of the disease which the doctor said would be skin lesions, bruises and nosebleeds. 

But I thank everyone for their input and sharing their experiences. Again I am so sorry for your losses too and wish so much we could get some better understanding of the cancer in these little fellows. It seems too rampant but at the same time perhaps the advancement in knowledge is making the diagnosis seem more prevalent. At least I hope that is the case. Thanks again and I will try to post some updates on Mya. Even if there is really no more input others can provide I feel a bit compelled to put our experience out here in case it can shed some light to others that may also go through this. Thanks again for all the support and prayers. Mya is very thankful as well


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## cubbysan

I just heard a lecture this week given by an oncologist for the club. Her lecture was more about lumps and tumors, but she did go into treatments. She vaguely talked about a "leukemia vaccine" that she gives her leukemia patients that has been quite successful and I believe she said it was cheap. A couple people in the group have used it and it gained them a lot more time with there dogs.


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## Karen519

*Mya*

Praying for Mya and you.


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## PrincessDi

It's wonderful that you're able to be home with Mya to take care of her! Glad that she is improving a bit. You are both in our thoughts for much more time with her.


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## Mya's Mommy

Thanks very much for all the well wishes. I am so sad to report Mya passed away last night at home. It was so fast and we are all still trying to process this shock. She was doing great yesterday too. She pooped and was walking much better. She also ate a great meal. We were planning on having our two neighbors that Mya adored over for dinner. Just before they were to arrive she began yelping and I immediately ran to her. Her breathing was very heavy and I did not know if she was trying to let me know she had to go to the bathroom. I could not even try and lift her - it was dead weight. I frantically phoned my husband to get home ASAP I did not know what was happening. Anytime I left the room she would yelp more. This went on for about a 45 minutes. As soon as my husband arrived she immediately began to defecate. She was totally unresponsive to him and the breathing became harder. Within minutes she was gone. It was so traumatic and beautiful at the same time. I believe Mya wanted to lift the burden of us to have to euthanize her. I also believe she *waited* for my husband to get home. She held out for him. We wanted to bury her in her favorite spot in our garden. Because of the non stop care we were giving her we never got the chance to dig a grave. Last night the ground was too frozen and we could not dig a hole. We had to transport her to the vet and she will be cremated. I begged the doctor to tell me what happened to Mya - was she in pain, did something burst? Was this the cancer or the prednisone? She told us that her stomach was very filled with fluid. She also said her organs were very large. When we moved her to the truck after she passed we noticed some blood. I then saw some coming from her nose. I am terrified and filled with such guilt she was in pain and fear during her last moments. I hate not knowing what it was she was feeling. I feel tremendous guilt putting her on the prednisone although I know it could have extended her life and helped her symptoms. I don't think she was on them long enough for lethal effects but I still feel her dosage was so high and lead to other issues. I need to stop looking for answers and accept this - it is just so much easier said then done. God took a piece of my soul last night and I miss her so much!!! She proved to be an angel to me up to her last moments - waiting for her daddy to get here as well as taking away the hard decision of putting her down. I feel so much guilt not putting her down when she was diagnosed. I understand NOW why some choose this path. So many ethical concerns and I just want to know my baby did not suffer in the final moments. 

Thank you SO much everyone for your support and insight. This is an unfortunate way to join the forum but the support and understanding in this short time is appreciated more than you know.


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## KathyL

Dear Mya's Mom, I am so, so very sorry you lost your Mya last night. My heart just fell when I began to read your post. Reading your post is like reading my mind. I went through the same questions regarding Harley's illness and wonder about what I could have done differently. In the end I come to the same conclusion which is probably not much and if I chose a different path other things would have happened which might have been worse. So please try not going down that road, and believe me I know it is easier said than done. You loved Mya with your whole heart, took excellent care of her and made decisions based on the facts you were aware of. There was no more you could have done. The grieving process takes time so don't try to rush it. Remember all the happy days you shared. Take care.


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## GoldenMum

I am so very sorry for your loss. It is very clear from your posts that Miss Mya was a very loved member of your family. She passed with her loved ones by her side quickly at home. We can always question the what ifs, but it won't change the outcome. Sleep soft sweet girl.


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## tippykayak

My heart is breaking for you. The image of the frozen ground is just so, so sad.

Please try to let go of your guilt. We don't have perfect knowledge of everything that's going on in the body, so we cannot make perfect decisions about medical treatments. There's no reason to feel guilt over that. Any fear or pain she felt is the fault of the cancer, not anything you did.

You love your girl, and you did everything you possibly could for her. If she understood everything, she would never want you to feel guilty about things. She'd just be happy to be so deeply loved. We try to give our dogs the most painless, calm exit we can, but we are not gods. We do our best and muddle through.

You did an amazing job being there for your girl. You were with her for the scary part, and that's more than a lot of us get.

So let the guilt go if you can and focus on what a wonderful dog you had. It hurts so much because you had a good dog who loved you very much.

Sleep soft, good girl.


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## Karen519

*Mya*

My heart just breaks for you-I am so sorry to hear about Mya, but so glad that you and your Husband were with her!
I hope that you stay will us here for support.
If it's any consolation no matter what choice we make at the end, we tend to always second guess and torture ourselves. It will pass, we have to let it go.
My husband and I have always been grateful to God that we were with our dogs when they crossed to the Rainbow Bridge.
I've added Mya's name to the Rainbow Bridge List.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...f-goldens-passed-2013-list-6.html#post2213482


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## cubbysan

Hugs to you and your husband.

I have sent many pets to the bridge and I really think that no matter what path you choose, you always second guess yourself. You just have to realize you did the best you knew how for the love of your dog.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

I'm so sorry. Please don't beat yourself up. As Tippy said, we all do the best we can. She passed surrounded with those who loved her...... that is a great blessing. And I bet if she could say anything it would be thank you. Thank you for such a great life, for being there with me, and for loving me. That love doesn't die..... every. Hugs to you. Godspeed sweet girl.


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## love never dies

*Rest In Peace - Mya*

Angel Mya is now watching over your husband and you at the Rainbow Bridge - faithfully.

Just this side of heaven is a place called *Rainbow Bridge*.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...
_Author Unknown_​


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## Sally's Mom

I am so sorry to hear this. Cancer sucks in our Goldens. And aren't they so stoic? I am sad for your loss. It WILL take a long time for you to feel better. All of my best wishes, from someone who grew up in Wynnewood.


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## drofen

The thought of her yelping until you were at her side confirms everything I've always believed and clung to--that simply being there makes a difference. 

What a beautiful being--she clearly brought so much to your lives.


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## Brinkleythegolden

I'm so sorry about your loss of Mya. We also lost our furbaby at home. I totally understand what you are feeling, as many have told us "he made the decision for you". Please stay and tell us more about your beautiful girl when you are ready. R.I.P. Mya.


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## rbi99

Please forgive me, I did not realize you had lost your Mya when I made my post.


Our dog was diagnosed Stage 5 Acute Leukemia, for various reasons we stopped chemo after one session. As soon as our vet saw our dog's blood work results she put him on 50 mgs of Prednisone daily. That was for one week before we got in to see our oncologist. Our oncologist told us that though 50 mgs was not overly excessive, he had us cut it down to 20 mgs a day. Our dog was doing great before the Prednisone was introduced, and continues to do great five weeks later. Even though our vet suggested we see an oncologist, she was proactive by putting our dog on Prednisone while we waited. We have started a Prednisone protocal now of two weeks of 50 mgs daily of Prednisone, followed by two weeks of 30 mgs daily, then 30 mgs every other day. Remember the seriousness of our dog's illness, and he has not ever taken more than 50 mgs a day. Other then suggesting you see an oncologist, did he/she prescribe anything? What does he/she think of the 120 mgs?


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