I’m so sorry about Bear. 12 years isn’t long enough.
I know people who have decided to go through with chemo and/or radiation for their older pets, and I’ve seen the results first hand. The technology is great these days, it usually keeps them going for many months or even years longer.
Personally, I can’t imagine circumstances in which I would do this. Maybe for a very young animal who had a good chance of living into old age cancer-free. Putting a senior through such expensive and uncomfortable treatments to get them another year of life? No way. I think it’s always in an animal’s best interest to make managing and easing any discomfort or pain the first priority. Prolonging life is at the very bottom of the list. I’m not conflicted about euthanasia. And call me cold, but I don’t believe in spending an arm and a leg to treat terminal or chronic diseases in my pets. I do believe in spending time and money on preventative measures, which seem to be working very well to give my pets a long healthy life.
Actually, in many cases, younger animals with cancer (including certain types of lymphomas) have worse prognosis than older animals (meaning they have shorter survival times, even with treatment). Younger animals tend to get more aggressive, faster developing forms of tumors while older animals may have gotten more slower growing, and slower to show up, tumors.
And again, most treatments are not uncomfortable. Most animals that do get the treatment tolerate it well. Expensive, yes, but options, protocols, and prices vary. The best protocols for lymphoma can add up to two years of remission, and that’s before the cancer comes back. Other types of tumors, after treatment (which may just mean surgery) can live years and years and die of something else.
And again, veterinary oncology focuses much more on quality of life than sometimes human chemotherapy. Many treatments available are not as intense as human chemotherapies, which themselves have also improved over the years and are not as bad as they were.
Hey there everyone…I have been reading through this and kept help but tear up. Our first baby and oldest Golden was diagnosed with Lymphoma this past Saturday. We never would have known he was sickif his jaw didn’t swell with an infection. He is his normal self. We have started him on the prednisone once a day but I am looking at all I can do to prolong this gentle giants life and keep him happy and healthy. I think we will start with a homemade food - venison/beef/rice and veggies… I also looked up up AHCC as a supplement - has anyone had any luck with this supplement? Any holistic/natural suggestions? We can’t afford chemo and the hospital is about a 2 hour drive from us.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am devasted by his diagnosis…
I’m sorry to hear that. I know how devastating this is. My cat is also diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma, just 6 weeks ago & undergoing weekly chemotherapy as well as holistic all natural anti cancer supplements. I’ve been giving her a product from Pet Well Being, called ‘LIFE GOLD herbal cancer protocol’ w/ ‘PET GRANULAR ANTIOXIDANT’. Go to Pet Well Being website to read about this products & it’s amazing product reviews. I’ve also added another holistic all natural cancer protocol called ‘ADVANCED IMMUNE RESTORATION PROTOCOL CANCER SUPPORT’ from Vitality Science. Go to their website to learn more about their holistic pet products & their amazing product reviews. I feel that all this holistic products is helping my cat get better. Good Luck to all pets w/ cancer.
2 weeks ago my 11 year old Standard Poodle was diagnosed with lymphoma after I took her to a vet because of a mass on her upper front leg.
After reading about it, I was devastated .
The regular Vet was gone for a week so I had to wait that long to talk to him.
Now I’m not a religious fanatic, but I do pray and go to Church every Sunday.
So I prayed and asked everyone in the neighborhood who knew my dog to pray.
When I finally saw the vet, something didn’t seem right in the biopsy report., and he asked me if I wanted another biopsy. I said yes the results being the first lab tests were wrong and she doesn’t have lymphoma.
I firmly believe my dog was saved because of God’s intervention and am telling everyone.
And this posting is part of my deal for the survival of my best friend.
