# Questions For the Chemotherapy Veterans



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We just completed Barkley's second chemotherapy session and I've got more questions than ever. I hope some of you veterans will share your dogs' experiences and help me answer some questions. Barkley is showing absolutely no signs he has had chemotherapy. Today he has been very hungry, eating, begging, barking for food. He's been very active watching the world from his perch on top of the stairs. He's insisted on walking longer than we want him to walk, gets upset if we start back home too soon. Here are my questions:

1. Did your dogs seem to get an increase in energy after chemotherapy? I always thought they would be more lethargic after a session. 

2. If your dog had surgery or testing beforehand, requiring surgery, did their fur grow back in the shaved areas during the chemo sessions? We read the fur won't grow back, but we've seeing new growth in Barkley's fur. 

3. Were you asked to not feed your dog before the chemo session? 

4. Did your oncologist prescribe oral B vitamins during the chemo to help keep the red blood cell counts up?

Thanks! We are cautiously optimistic and hoping/praying Barkley contnues to feel so good after the next 3 chemotherapy treatments.


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## Meggie'sMom (Dec 24, 2007)

1. Did not notice an increase in energy, especially since her second treatment was a horrible response to that drug. Megs is very much a "do it myself" kind of girl though and at times I worried that she was pushing herself too hard. 

2. Yes, her fur grew back in shaved areas. Maybe slower during chemo, hard to say. 

3. We did not feed the morning of a chemo. I still don't feed the morning she goes in for checkups. Just in case.

4. No vitamins given here. 

Glad Barkley so doing so well. Don't go looking for trouble! Just enjoy.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Meggie'sMom said:


> 1. Did not notice an increase in energy, especially since her second treatment was a horrible response to that drug. Megs is very much a "do it myself" kind of girl though and at times I worried that she was pushing herself too hard.
> 
> 2. Yes, her fur grew back in shaved areas. Maybe slower during chemo, hard to say.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I'm just so pleasantly surprised by Barkley's non-reaction to the chemotherapy. I'm doing a happy dance internally. I hope this continues. I didn't make his dinner fast enough yesterday and he barked at me like crazy. I was smiling the whole time he was barking.


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## goldencontriever3 (Nov 7, 2008)

Hi Dallas Gold - so happy to hear Barkley is doing so well!! Here is the experience we had with Tasha

1. Tasha did not have an increase in energy. The low point of her energy was about a week after chemo.

2. Tasha's growth was on her lower lip so a portion of her lip was removed and did not really require her to have her fur shaved.

3. Tasha's chemo was administered orally and we did it at home so we did feed her as usual.

4. No vitamins were given. She did get antibiotics a week after chemo after blood work.

I hope Barkley continues to do well. You are all in our prayers.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Just a thought...Barkley's red counts were quite low before and right after the surgery, weren't they? Maybe what you're seeing is the effect of him feeling better now that the huge, swollen, blood filled spleen is gone! Now that his hematocrit is back to normal, he probably feels a whole lot better, too.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Dallas Gold*

Dallas Gold:

You are Barkley are in my prayers!


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## anniekc (Jan 29, 2010)

When our Raider went through chemo, (eight sessions) we never noticed a thing different with him! We got to the point where we wondered if he really had cancer- and he had a very bad kind; Blastolymphoma. (which I'm sure I just spelled wrong) and no, we did not feed him prior to his session, but you better believe that dog was ready to eat afterwards! We always drove him through McDonalds after.

He never lost his hair or energy- it was kind of bizarre. No vitamins either. Here's the best part of his story- The Dr's gave him 6-18 months before they expected to see some sort of relapse, and my baby lived another six years and eventually died of heart failure. There are a lot of miracles out there! Best to you and Barkley!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

hotel4dogs said:


> Just a thought...Barkley's red counts were quite low before and right after the surgery, weren't they? Maybe what you're seeing is the effect of him feeling better now that the huge, swollen, blood filled spleen is gone! Now that his hematocrit is back to normal, he probably feels a whole lot better, too.


This makes perfect sense to me. The vet mentioned Monday that his hct went up 2 more points as well. 

They suggested I give him an oral b-vitamin with iron supplement called Pet Tinic. I guess that stuff is working. It tastes pretty good to him as well because he laps it up.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

anniekc said:


> When our Raider went through chemo, (eight sessions) we never noticed a thing different with him! We got to the point where we wondered if he really had cancer- and he had a very bad kind; Blastolymphoma. (which I'm sure I just spelled wrong) and no, we did not feed him prior to his session, but you better believe that dog was ready to eat afterwards! We always drove him through McDonalds after.
> 
> He never lost his hair or energy- it was kind of bizarre. No vitamins either. Here's the best part of his story- The Dr's gave him 6-18 months before they expected to see some sort of relapse, and my baby lived another six years and eventually died of heart failure. There are a lot of miracles out there! Best to you and Barkley!


 
I love hearing stories of dogs like your Raider that outlive the expectations and are miracle dogs. 

We know Barkley has the cancer but we were wondering if they were giving him something besides the chemo since he hasn't reacted yet. I hope he continues to tolerate it well.


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Hair/fur - the chemo doesn't make the hair/fur stop growing. Remember that the hair/fur you see is dead, the live part is below the skin in the follicle. The live part of the hair is weakened by the dose of chemo and as it grows out, it is more likely to break off. If the chemo is close enough together, the hair may break off at the scalp.

The increased energy is probably due to the increased RBCs and hemoglobin carrying more oxygen to the body. 

Everybody tolerates chemo differently, so whether to eat before chemo or not is very individual. Chemo works on the fastest growing cells, which includes cancer cells in addition to the bone marrow, lining of the digestive track and hair/fur all over the body.

Unless you are getting methotrexate, a mutlivitamin is usually encouraged. Extra iron to help build the RBCs is common. It is hard to get all of the nutrients needed while on chemo.

It sounds like Barkley is doing well on the chemo. Fingers crossed for it to continue.


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

Dallas Gold said:


> 1. Did your dogs seem to get an increase in energy after chemotherapy? I always thought they would be more lethargic after a session.
> 
> 2. If your dog had surgery or testing beforehand, requiring surgery, did their fur grow back in the shaved areas during the chemo sessions? We read the fur won't grow back, but we've seeing new growth in Barkley's fur.
> 
> ...


1) He was no different during the study chemo (if I remember right) until he came out of remission. Then he wasn't feeling well until his first doxo treatment in which case within one week he was a new dog. But, it went down hill from there.

2) His hair grew back but splotchy.

3) No, they didn't say a word regarding food.

4) No vitamins

I pray that Barkley just continues to do very well and that the chemo is targeting the cancer cells and nothing more!


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

hotel4dogs said:


> Just a thought...Barkley's red counts were quite low before and right after the surgery, weren't they? Maybe what you're seeing is the effect of him feeling better now that the huge, swollen, blood filled spleen is gone! Now that his hematocrit is back to normal, he probably feels a whole lot better, too.


Good point! I bet that's it.:bowl:


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Thank you everyone for your answers. It helps to know how other dogs experienced this chemo "trip". 

They prescribed the oral B vitamins to Barkley to increase his red blood cells right after his splenectomy but I had some nagging fears looming in my head about keeping him on them long term. My own internist (who moved last year to Southern California to become a professor at UCLA medical school and work in a preventative medicine practice nearby), had warned me to dramatically reduce my intake of all B vitamins in our last visit together because the latest research indicates that B vitamins increase cancer cell growth. I stopped taking a multi-vitamin and started supplementing myself with B vitamins about once every 4 days. Giving Barkley those B vitamins worried me that I might be increasing his tumor growth. I've asked several veterinarians about this and none of them think the B supplementation is a problem, yet it's still a nagging thought in my mind. 

I like Hotel4Dogs thought that the RBCs are increasing so Barkley's energy is allowing him to feel and act much younger. I think that is due in large part to the B supplementation. I am going to continue him on this supplementation indefinitely. I'll never know if it increases the cancer cell growth, but for the here and now Barkley is feeling great and that is what matters. 

He woke me up at 2 this a.m. I thought he needed to go outside for a potty break but nooooo, as soon as I got up to open the door he leaped up on our bed and took my warm spot!  He hasn't done that in several months!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Brought happy tears to my eyes. I'm so glad that Barkley is having a good day again! (So is my Toby).




Dallas Gold said:


> He woke me up at 2 this a.m. I thought he needed to go outside for a potty break but nooooo, as soon as I got up to open the door he leaped up on our bed and took my warm spot!  He hasn't done that in several months!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

SO so glad that Barkley is doing well.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Reply*

so glad that Barkley and Toby are having a good day.


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