Chemotherapy...
When Scout was diagnosed with lymphoma, it wasn't a question of whether we'd do chemo, it was "HOW SOON CAN WE GET STARTED??" During the past six months, I've received messages from people who expressed surprised that I chose chemotherapy.
Why I Chose Chemo...
When we think of chemo, our minds drift to the side effects HUMANS experience. Dogs don't have the same experience. I was warned that some dogs can have unpleasant side effects and the oncologist will adjust future doses until the right balance is found. Lucky for us, Scout was fine. His biggest side effects were the first few weeks when he was also on prednisone but, luckily, he went to remission quickly and was able to go off of prednisone quickly.
Scout went through the CHOP protocol, which includes four chemo medicines. The first three months, we went in for treatment weekly and the later three months, we went every other month.
Lymphoma is an aggressive cancer that is highly adaptable - I don't trust my "all natural" skills when it comes to cancer and treating lymphoma is like playing a game of Whack-a-Mole, hence, the four medicines.
Keeping His Immune System Healthy...
Although dogs don't respond to chemo the same way as humans, I did know enough to adjust his diet to keep his immune system strong.
And I kept my dog on a raw food diet, although the oncologist asked me to cook his food.
Maintenance...
Now, Scout goes to the vet once a month for a check up and my job is to keep him in remission. Now that chemotherapy is over, he'll also be enjoying
golden paste and
medicinal mushrooms in his
diet for a healthy dose of antioxidants.
Yayyy, Scout!!!!
⠀
