Vets and veterinary oncologist use Doxorubicin (also called Adriamycin) in many different chemotherapy plans.
Common dog cancers treated with this drug include lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, other sarcomas, and carcinomas.
This is not a mickey-mouse drug. It is one of the main players in conventional dog cancer chemo treatments. It also has corresponding side effects that, from time to time, are heavy duty and should be taken into account.
Doxorubicin is given as an injection in the vein at the vet hospital. If the tip of the catheter used to deliver the drug is not in the vein (but still under the skin), the drug will end up in the tissues around the vein.
Doxorubicin is very toxic to living tissue when given in this way and will cause this tissue around the vein to die.
It can also cause stomach upset, inflammation of the colon, and delay the regrowth of hair. Some dogs will develop allergic reactions during doxorubicin injections. It can bone marrow suppression (anemia and low white blood cell and platelet counts).
It is known to cause damage to the muscle in the heart, in some dogs, which can be quite serious.
Check out this abstract for more info on doxorubicin toxicity.
The reader should be advised that the purpose of this content is not to crucify doxorubicin. It has helped many dogs. Rather, this is information that should be in your head as an informed advocate of your dog’s health.
In the next post, I will discuss the use of common, over-the counter-supplements that should be considered to help alleviate a big toxicity with this drug: heart damage…
Best to all,
Dr D
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
It should be noted that when giving Doxorubicin, a Benadryl injection before administering chemo may prevent allergic reactions. Also, pre-treat meds for possible nausea and diarrhea can be prescribed to start on chemo day and continue for 5 days. The idea is to beat the cancer, not the dog. It may be better to pre-treat to prevent, as it can be much harder to get possible side effects under control once they start.
Ask your Onc about CoQ10 to promote heart health when giving Doxorubicin. Milk Thistle should also be discussed with your Onc to promote liver health. (Before starting any supplements, check with your Onc to make sure they do not interfere with the chemo’s effectiveness or have interactions between the supplements)
Blood tests between each treatment will help monitor your dog’s response to this chemo and may determine the timing of the next treatment. Fasting the night before chemo can give more accurate blood test results and may also help ward of chemo anemia.
Exercise may good after treatment to encourage drinking water, which may help flush the toxins faster. Always keep a chemo diary during treatments so you can let your Onc know of any reactions. Tweaking the protocol or even reducing the dosing of the Doxorubicin may be discussed to reduce side effects.
The above are just a few things we did when Mali got her Doxorubicin every 2 weeks for her hemangiosarcoma, which she handled beyond my expectations.
Always consult your Onc, each dog, each cancer and each protocol is different.
Hi Ilene,
Thanks for your comments and great to hear things are going well!!
One question for you about the milk thistle. Milk thistle does some very interesting things, very good things for dog cancers. These are totally independent of the liver “support” it provides. I was wondering first about what your oncologist thought of using a supplement with known antioxidant effects with doxorubicin, whose mechanism of action is pro-oxidant. Thus from an “onc’s” viewpoint there would be interference.
Another question I was wondering about is that the liver is not a site for doxorubicin toxicity. I am not saying that milk thistle is inappropriate, I was just wondering about the rationale you gave.
Finally, has your oncologist been informative with you about options outside chemo, radiation and surgery? The areas outside these three realms of conventional oncology seem to be lacking, as many readers have stated their oncologist have not provided much input in areas outside chemo, radiation and surgery. What are your thoughts?
D
We didn’t start the Milk Thistle until 2 weeks after the final Doxorubicin tx. At that time, we also started Vits. C & E, Fish Oil, IP6, Turmeric, Artemisinin, Yunnan Paiyao and her chemo maintenance meds of Cytoxan, Doxycycline, and Piroxicam (with a daily antacid to protect the GI from the Piroxicam). The Milk Thistle is given to promote liver health, as HSA can spread to the liver, thus another reason for the CoQ10, as HSA can spread there as well.
Mali’s spleen ruptured, so she had an emergency splenectomy. No evidence of spread was evident on chest x-rays and abdominal ultrasounds or seen during surgery. No further surgery or radiation was required. We started her Doxorubicin 2 weeks after splenectomy, given every 2 weeks.
She is 4yrs post her splenic HSA dx as of 12/24/08. While this survival success is not typical, anything is possible given the unpredictable nature of HSA. Who knows if the splenectomy alone removed the threat of the HSA or the chemo and/or chemo maintenance, and/or the supplements. We wanted to do everything for Mali, however everything may not have been right for her. I worked with her Vet and Onc to get an integrative approach of traditional meds and supplements that suited/complimented her overall health and her cancer protocol.
To answer your last question, our Onc was very open and informative about supplements. I emailed almost daily about alternative therapies (PawPaw, Neoplasene, SAHA, L-MTP-PE, Essiac) that I had read about and always got an answer or experience about them and reason for whether or not we used them for Mali. We also discussed acupuncture and hydrotherapy. I am very lucky to have great support from our Docs.
That is fantastic!!
It is really great to hear. You are very lucky to have such a team. If every dog with cancer had access to this type of care we would be so much ahead of the game.
Congrats
D
I was wondering what your doctor said about Essiac?
Our 13 yr old Panda had surgery for Hemangiosarcomas on Dec 31, 2008 when her spleen ruptured. We are giving her IP-6 Max with Inositol, Maitake & Cats Claw along with Essiac, Vit E, Echinacea/Golden Seal, Flax Oil & Fix Oil. She is also getting a liver detox that contains Milkthistle. Her diet is Chicken breast with steam viggies.
We are choosing not to do chemo, because everything I read indicates it degrades the immune system which is what we are trying to up to fight the cancer. She had black spots on some organ that they removed with the spleen that the vet said floats like a jelly fish. Right before this, they were treating her for Pancreatitis so we are trying to be carefull with her diet.
Dr. Dressler-
I had posted this comment on a different article, but thought this one would be more appropriate.
Our dog Griffy was diagnosed with Lymphoma this past December. He has had four treatments on the Madison protocol and is up for Doxorubicin this coming Thursday. I am very concerned about the potential side effects of this drug, especially possible heart damage, and want to do everything I can to try prevent and/or alleviate them. Coenzyme Q10 has been recommended to us via a telephone conversation with a cancer vet; but my wife has read about never using any antioxidants while a dog is being treated with chemo. Do you have any suggestions regarding this issue?
Patrick
I am sorry about Griffy’s diagnosis. My opinion is that the benefits of CoQ with doxorubicin outweigh the theoretical negative of it’s antioxidant effect. My opinion only here, and this is debated.
Dr. Dressler and Ilene,
I was wondering; do you give the Yunnan Paiyao daily? My almost 10 yr old Jinn has HSA with no rupture, but a splenectomy. No visible spread through x-rays and ultrasound. We tried two rounds of Chemo. with the second making making her very sick, for 10 days despite anti nausea meds given prior to and during recovery. We stopped Chemo after that. She is not on any meds now. I find the doxycycline, cytoxan and piroxicam interesting, as I was never told about it. Must you complete all of the chemo before gettng these drugs? What are their purposed? Jinn also has a grade 3 heart murmur that was first observed at the Dx of HSA. She gets a multiple vitamin, CoQ10, 1000 mg of Vit 3 and 800 mg of VitE and 5000 of Fish oil daily along wth 12 mg of Calcium (She is on a cooked diet of pureed veggies, and a variety of meat sources and offal)
Thanks for your input
Michelle
So Sorry for all of the typos. I type fast and there is a delay on this screen when typing. The vitamins my Jinn receives are 1000 mg of Vit C, 800 Vit E, and a multiple Vit/Mineral supplement She also gets DMG and Tasha’s Immune Support for dogs. How much milk thistle do you give. Jinn is 75 lbs.
Thanks again
Michelle
Dr. Dressler,
Jinn passed on Feb 6, 2009 after hemmoraging. God bless her, she was my girl and will always have a huge part of my heart
Oh, Michelle, I am so sorry. Sending you and Jinn’s spirit all my best in this hard time.
D
Dr. Dressler,
My 10 year old golden, Bailey, was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma on July 25th after an emergency surgery to remove her ruptured spleen. The ER vet did not see any other visible lesions and her xrays and liver biopsy came back clean. We did one round of chemo 3 weeks ago and Bailey is scheduled for her second session on Monday, August 31st. I’ve having a dilemma on what to do as Bailey was also diagnosed with Valley Fever (we live in AZ) and started meds this past week. Although her titer is low, I worry the chemo/cancer and meds/valley fever will work against one another and wear her down. She also had a small run in with Pancreatitis two weeks ago, but since seems to be doing better. Would we be better off with homeopathic treatment vs. chemo? My worry is her lifespan as I’ve read that those dogs that do not get chemo only live an avg of 2-3 months vs those with chemo that can survive approximately 9 months. Would appreciate your advice.
B
Dear Bridget,
this is an excellent question. The summary statement is no, in my opinion relying on hemeopathy by itself would be inadequate for what you want. I would treat both the infection and the cancer and monitor more frequently than normal. I would like to answer this question more fully in this month’s webinar, which will be recorded so you can listen on demand-
http://www.mydogvet.com
Best,
Dr D
Dear Bridget,
the webinar went overtime, so:
I would treat both at the same time and not rely on the homeopathy. Instead, make sure that your veterinarian or oncologist monitors the white blood cell count more frequently than normal. The suppression of the white count may make fighting the infection more difficult due to the chemo. Also consider taking your Bailey’s temperature on a daily basis so you can see if a fever develops. In the end the cancer has to be dealt with. Another option would be to delay the chemo about 2-3 weeks while you treat the Valley Fever, then resume. Supplementation with immune stimulants (K-9 immunity, Beres drops, Avemar, plus or minus Ehinacea) are some other ideas.
Best,
Dr D
Dr. Dressler,
On August 18 my 9 year old Staffordshire Terrier Oliver was diagnosed with a mass on his spleen through xray. We were quickly sent to Denver, two hours away, and it was seen on ultrasound that there was hemmoraging. The spleen and the mass (which was extremely large) were removed, and thankfully there really was not that much blood from the hemmoraging. All other organs apparently looked good during surgery.
His post-op went really well. While waiting for biopsy results I had of course been online researching anything I can do to save my Ollie. I feel so overwhelmed with everything out there and want to make sure I am doing this correctly. I changed his food to a grain free diet of Wellness Core Ocean formula, with Young at Heart supplement. I am not sure about the Young at Heart. I worry about the amount of carbohydrates. I have also started him on K-9 Immunity with the Transfer Factor and Fish Oil gel tablets.
At Ollie’s Dr.’s request he was seen at Colorado State University last Tuesday as results indicated the tumor was grade 3 myxosarcoma. An entire day spent there resulted in the decision to start chemo using doxorubicin through Ollie’s Dr. in the mountains. They want to do five treatments.
His first treatment was yesterday. He has vomited once today, and his appetite is a little less, but otherwise he seems well. Follows us everywhere, wants to play ball and go for walks.
I guess I am looking for any guidance that you might have as far as what I doing now and what more I could be doing. Should he be getting any anti-nausea medications before or after treatment? I am concerned about the effects to his heart and am interested in the Coenzyme Q10. Do you recommend that he should be getting that? We do not have a lot of resources where I live so it has been difficult. Neither CSU or Ollie’s Dr. seem to have much insight outside of the conventional approaches and I am looking for more! Ollie is everything to me and I would greatly appreciate any advice that you could offer.
Thank you in advance!
Jenn
Is anyone reading these posts? Does anyone get notified when there is a new one? It seems like past posts were answered and I am looking for some kind of a response to my post left on September 10!
Hi Jenn, I’ve been looking at the blog a lot since my dog got sick. I don’t think the Dr. has time to answer all these questions. It’s just a blog. I had a very specific question so I signed up for his monthly seminar to get it answered directly. http://www.mydogvet.com is how I found it. Hope that helps.
Thanks Sarah! I know he is probably very busy, I was just curious because it does look like he had answered other posts so I wasn’t sure what to expect!
Dr. Dressler,
Our dog is a 5 yr old rotweiler.Our vet suspected that he has a leg tumor because his front leg (right) swell and he said that there’s no treatment for that but since I am an oncology nurse here in our place i will try to treat him same as for human treatment.Would you mind telling what is best remedy for our dog and what is the best drug for him coz it’s very hard for us to look at him suffering.Thank you and God Bless
Nicole
Our 10-year-old Golden retriever was just diagnosed with a Grade III Hemangiosarcoma in her speen. She had a splenectomy, and pre-op no other tumors were visible in her lungs (3-views via xray), liver, abdomen, heart, or kidneys (viewed via ultrasound). The splenic tumor, however, had hemmorhaged, though not fully ruptured. The liver biopsy came back clean except for evidence of some white blood cells that were a result of the spleen hemmorhaging. We were told her prognosis was 2-3 months with surgery alone, and 6-8 months with chemo.
yesterday, Maggie started her first dose of Doxorubicin. Our vet told us that we could not give Maggie ANY supplements or antioxidants except fish oil. Prior to the dox. I had her on a laundry list of 11 or so supplements, ranging from I’m-Yunity to K9 Immunity, Transfer Factor, CoQ10, Milk Thistle, IP6+Inositol, Colostrum, and an antioxidant “power pill” that has a list of about 20 different herbs and Vitamins.
My question: what can I give Maggie that isn’t contraindicated with chemo / doxorubicin? I read a study which stated that I’m Unity / Colous Versicolor mushroom (also in K9 Immunity) can help doxorubicin’s effectiveness not hinder it, with some cancers. My vet isn’t too keen on anything holistic, but I would like to try whatever i can. Please advise!
my boxer was diagnosed with stage II hemangiosarcoma much like your dog Maggie and my oncologist,as well as the k-9 immunity rep (MD) i spoke to stated that there is no harm in giving both at the same time. He just finished his third round of chemo today and has been taking the supplements at the same time and has been doing wonderfully. if i were you i would just make sure you arent over doing it. If a vet isnt too keen on anything holistic, you should provide him with the printout for vets off of the k-9 immunity web site. immunomodulation therapy is done world wide and the principles make sense. There isnt a large subject pool for studies like there are for humans so noone truly knows. I would call aloha medical and ask to speak to the doctor (John) i believe is his name..
in addition it stands to reason that the same way every person has different genetics and body responses to the disease process, so may each dog respond differently. The majority of people out there dont have thousands of dollars to spend on their dogs, follow through with a better diet, and keep to protocol. So it would suggest that the more things that you can change that are within your control., just as with a human, the better the chance for recovery. An oncologist for a human can never truly say someone is cancer free, they can ony say with regard to remission that there are no visible signs of cancer. So never give up hope, there are cases where dogs have lived for a few years with this, so even if it is a small percentage, why cant our dogs be the ones that are fortunate. Diet is super important as is positive energy.
Dear Nicole,
well, you are correct. First you need a diagnosis, or at least a presumptive diagnosis. One contender would be osteosarcoma, very common in Rottweilers. You need a second opinion, big time. You need to have X-rays of both the leg and the chest. If it looks like a tumor without obvious spread, amputation is the first step. They do fine on three legs assuming no other major orthopedic issues. Then diet, supplements, maybe chemo…this is a very complex issue. You may want to tune in to this weeks webinar on the most common kind of bone cancer (osteosarcoma):
http://www.mydogvet.com
Best,
Dr D
My 10 yr old golden has been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma but it was in her rt front leg in the muscle belly. The vet questioned the lab due to the unusualness of this location but they feel they are 90% correct. We amputated and her cath site was a mess and the incision was not only ugly but developed necrotic tissue and tomorrow she has to be put under again to have the tissue removed and restitched. We are living in London now and I have shaken confidence in her doc as a result of this, and a bad experience with the biopsy. the biopsy site burst and was weeping and the dog in intense pain and the vet dismissed it and i had to pay another more local vet to come to the house and change her pain killer, clean the site, place her on antibiotics and even call the next day to assess hospitalization. Now these vets are suggesting dox as a treatment and checked with a friend about the protocol instead o bringing in an oncologist liason. would love and input as i am drained after all this to date and really need good info and peopke who will talk to me inteligently vs dismiss me so i can make good choices for my dog.
Dear Jill, Doxorubicin is an accepted choice for chemo for HSA. You should go to a university or specialty center. Get your dog’s heart checked out first. Read about chronotherapy to time the treatments if possible. Also I would use the supplements in the Dog Cancer Guide, in particular curcumin/luteolin….as well as the CoQ and acetyl-L-carnitine (and diet, etc…)
Best,
D
A side note about Doxorubicin AKA Adriamycin)
>>Doxorubicin is given as an injection in the vein at the vet hospital. If the tip of the catheter used to deliver the drug is not in the vein (but still under the skin), the drug will end up in the tissues around the vein.<<
During my dogs first chemo treatment on October 28th, 09- the syringe slipped while being flushed. Unfortunately the Doxorubicin mixture was deposited around the surrounding tissue. Her skin has sloughed off down to her muscle. (inside area of upper front leg)
The four remaining chemo treatments have been shelved until further notice.
She had several laser treatments and clinical study Platelet Rich Plasma PRP Treatments. Last Wednesday her veterinarian preformed a surgical flap procedure that covered about 85% of the exposed muscle. We are now working with antibiotics to ward off infection. We have been to the vet between four and six times a week for the last five weeks.
Please take time to educate yourself on the risks of cancer procedures and how they may effect you and your family pet.
My great dane that I love was told that she migth have cancer in her leg after an x-ray done, chest x ray was clear. Still waiting on the blood result but at this point I don’t want to get a biopsy done, what are my options?
My 9 year old Boxer, Gracie, was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma about a month ago. We did the first round of doxorubicin at the Univeristy of Madison, and the first few days went great. However, the third day after her treatment things started to changed. She collapsed while we were taking a walk, and she started to collapse a few times a day afterwards. She had two cardiac evaluations prior to treatment, and nothing showed that she wouldn’t be a good candidate for this drug. She was put on an anti-aarythmic was made matters worse so we took her off of it. Since going off the heart medication she was she not collapsed. She still doens’t seem herself though. She doesn’t run and play like she used to, she gets tired easily, and for some reason gets very shakey and pants a lot, espciallly in the morning before she eats. I have asked all of our vets what they think this could be from, and nobody can give me an answer. She was a happy, healthy, energic dog before we started chemo and now she’s really changed. She’s due for her second round of chemo this week and we have no idea what to do. Does anybody know what causes this shaking (which is like a shiver if you get cold)? It usually doesn’t last long and goes away after she eats. Also, it almost always happens in the mornings????
My 7 yrs old GSD was diagnosed last week with high grade Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen. No evidence of spread noted. It was bleeding and required emergent surgery with a transfusion. He pulled thru well! Now trying to decide between first doxyrubicin, the low dose drugs, or to just start with the cyclophosphmide/piroxicam. Any help would be appreciated.
Dear Selena
I am sorry to here about your Golden. The first step in we discuss in the Guide is deciding what your priorities are with conventional care. More longevity means higher odds of side effects with chemo. I assume a splenectomy has been performed. You need to ask your vet- what is the added life expectancy with the protocols that are being suggested for your dog? Notice we are talking about added life expectancy, not life expectancy. What are the odds of side effects? What will these look like for my dog? What is the financial cost? How will the treatment look (what is involved in the care)? This is the data collection stage that is so important. These should be written down and considered based on what your priorities are and your tolerance for side effects. We do not have a “right” treatment for systemic canine cancer since we don’t yet have a cure, which would be the “right” choice. So it becomes a question of guardianship and your values, not a medical choice per se. I would suggest you take the time to read the Guide which helps clarify some of these ideas. Don’t forget to include other treatments that may help: diet, apoptogens, immune stimulants, anti metastatic supplements, and life quality steps. Consider also yunnan baiyao. You can also search for information using the search bar in the upper right of your screen.
Best,
Dr D
My 10 year old golden retriever was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma 3 weeks ago. He had a normal chest xray and abdominal ultrasound so we proceeded with splenectomy and chemo. However, 5 days after his first treatment with adriamycin he had a terrible event in which he stumbled, collapsed and started
rolling around violently, We rushed him to the vet. They were unsure whether
this was a seizure or a fainting episode and started him on phenobarbitol.
Are there are any cases of chemo causing seizures or are we stuck with the diagnosis that the cancer has spread to his brain?
Should we take a chance with a second chemo treatment?He has since had
a normal neuro exam and his blood count 4 days after the event was basically
normal. Thanks for you help.
Dear Susan,
I am sorry to hear about your Golden. One other possibility is cardiac disease secondary to the adriamycin. Another is an unusual manifestation of an allergic reaction to the adriamycin, which is possible (hypotension due to anaphylaxis). Are you working with an oncologist with this? So no, brain metastasis is not the only possibility.
I typically start phenobarbital after 1 seizure monthlly, 6 clusters yearly, or worsening or severe seizures. I might pursue a bit more inquiry before jumping right to the phenobarb, personally.
There are ways to help with chemo toxicity using supplements that are discussed in the Guide, and don’t forget diet, apoptogens, immune support, and the rest of the beneficial full spectrum steps. Please get veterinary and oncologist supervision.
We are trying to weigh the option of chemo with Doxorubicin for our 13 year old I.G. Does anyone know the average cost of this drug therapy?
Dear Kevin
chemo costs vary from place to place. The best thing to do is get a written estimate from the oncologist….I would also educate yourself on more aspects of the decision. You should find out about the gained life expectancy (not just survival time), also rough risks of side effects, frequencies of trips in, time for follow up care and cost of follow up appointments. The Guide has a listing of sources of possible funding for your pet’s care too if you are interested.
Hope this helps
D
our 8 year old mix breed female was just diagnosed yesterday with Osteosarcoma of the scapula,30% cell growth in her lungs,and treated with Doxorubicin.They sought no point in taking her limp,but to try to extend her life.Shes been extremely active her whole life,ball playing,swimming,hiking,etc.She had been lame for 1 week!What can we do to make her life better?Diet?supplement?Is there any other treatment available?
Thankyou,
Meg
Dear Meg,
I am very sorry to hear about this. I would be talking to your vet about apocaps, artemisinin, and pamidronate, as well as tramadol, gabapentin, and 1/4 to 1/2 dose metacam (when used with apocaps). If the vet does not know about these things, you can get the info in the Guide.
I hope this helps
D
Our 5 yo labradoodle Lola was diagnosed with a fibrosarcoma, high grade, on her tail. She had a large portion of her tail removed, above the tumor by at least an inch and probably more, but the margins weren’t sent for pathology, so we don’t know if they were clear.
She has now undergone two courses of doxorubicin, 3 weeks apart, and is supposed to get 3 more.
She has lost a lot of hair (in spite of the fact that we were told this wouldn’t happen) but otherwise is doing well in terms of energy, spirit and appetite.
Because it is a cold winter, we are considering stopping the chemo after two courses so her hair can grow back, and we were wondering whether there is any data suggesting that 5 is the correct number of courses of chemotherapy to undergo, and that 2 or 3 is worse. We were told that there is about a 70% chance that the surgery alone was curative.
We don’t want to torture the poor thing, but we want to do what is best.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks and happy new year.
Dear Liz,
So sorry to hear about Lola.
The chemo protocols usually do not have these types of comparisons available, including this one. Her hair regrowth though, to be honest, seems less life threatening than cancer growth. Doggy sweaters can help a lot.
Have you read the Guide? If so, you will encounter:
low dose palladia (used with a metronomic chemo protocol)
combination apoptogens
dog cancer diet
Neoplasene
as some options to discuss with your vet. You can also discuss with your vet implantation of Matrix 3 cisplatin impregnated beads available from Wedgewood pharmacy.
I hope this helps
Dr D
my dog was dg with osteosarcoma in midshaft of rt rear leg he weighs 40 lbs. is it safe to have a regular vet. we he have a better chance getting his treatment at a veterinary school ?
Dear Jane
I always advocate getting the most highly trained expertise you can, as long as the people in charge of the case are willing to listen to you and use all the tools available to help treat your dogs cancer. Often a team approach is best. I would read the Guide here if you have not as this and other issues are discussed-
Dr D
Dear Dr Dressier, my name is Anna, I am an haematologist from Italy, based in NY. My dog was recently diagnosed with T cel lymphoma, CD3+, with no signs of epiliotrophism. No systemic involvement, only one big tumor on his cheek and 3 smaller behind his ear. Literature reports that the best treatment for epiliotrophic lymphomas is lomustine, however this is not an epiliotrophic lymphoma. My dog had MOPP and did no respond to it. When he started the treatment two weeks ago, he was still very energetic and full of life. He now lost appetite and he is quite weak. He is scheduled to start lomustine tomorrow. However, the second doctor I met for a second opinion, suggested me to treat him with CHOP rather, since the response rate for non epiliotrophic lymphomas is higher with CHOP versus lomustine (at least in his experience). I am now very confused and dont know how to proceed. Could you please give me some help on this matter? My dog had an ecocardiogram 8 months ago for other reasons and it was fine. I was thinking I could maybe start the CHOP with doxorubicin and in case he doesnt respond to doxorubicn after the first week of treatment (we would start the CHOP with doxorubicin) switch to lomustine? I am concerned to start lomustine rightway because once I start it I will have to wait 4 weeks before I can switch to any other therapy in case he doesnt respond. Also, would you recommend to use the K9 pack to help him during all this process? Thanks a lot for your time, I really hope to hear back from you. I am very confused on how to proceed and time is unfortunately a constraint right now. Thanks!
Dear Dr.Dressler,
My English Bulldog buddy is 8 yrs old and just Dx with a grade 1 hemangiosarcoma
He had a uneventful splenectomy without rupture, spent 3 days in ICU in the UGA
VTH…no problems with his heart noted during his stay, 10 days later he was started on doxirubicin and after his dose they did an echo which they said showed ventricular premature contractions. I had noted a very tiny lump on his side which they did an aspirate and Dx him with a mast cell tumor as well. He had a halter monitor for 24 hrs after, we have not heard the results. We are 4 days out and he has gotten I’ll, vomiting, diarrhea and very quiet, tired. He was given SQ lactated ringers , cerina and benedryl . It’s 24 hrs and I’m not seeing a noticible improvement…my big concern of course is his heart, did one dose do damage?
Should I give supplements, once his N/V subsides? I’m just so worried…before chemo he was a very happy active boy, who bounced back well from surgery..
If it is determined that the chemo did indeed cause damage, what treatment is possible then?…thanks, devastated and confused..cheryl
Dear Cheryl
sorry to year about your Buddy.
I’m wondering something- have you taken a bit of time and read the Guide? If not, this would be a very wise choice for you. There, you would learn about using coenzyme Q as a supplement that may help animals on doxorubicin, as well as the pharmaceutical dexrazoxane for the same purpose. Also you will learn about apoptogens, antimetastatic supplements, immune support, diet, and other methods to help both from a supplement standpoint and also for a complete care standpoint. There is also a section on treatment plan analysis which sounds like it would be good to become informed on.
Hopefully the cardiac issue will be reversable with time. Talk to your vet about the use of Coenzyme Q-10, dexrazoxane, and possibly Acetyl-L-carnitine to help with this.
I hope this helps
D
My sweet Mugs is going to have her 1st round of radiation & chemo this monday. Thank you so very much for the insight, info & support.
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