No more chemo
Today I spoke with Louies vet to tell him, after 2 treatments,that I 
have decided to stop Louies chemo. He is so miserable, weak, no appetite, vomiting, withdrawn after he gets a treatment and prior to that he is so upbeat, happy,full of energy,playful, and just loving life. I know this will probably effect the amount of time he has left, but I want his time (how ever long that may be) to be quality time and for him to enjoy each and every minute! My vet actually said that he whole heartedly agreed with my decision so that made me feel better about it. We are going to give him a osteo supplement and a omega supplement that he said has some really great data on it and he is on his K9 immunity as well. So wish us luck on the rest of our journey! I pray we beat the odds and Louie lives another 10 years, but if that is not to be I only pray that he enjoys every second and lives his life to the fullest.
Sue and “big Lou”
5 comments so far
8:38 pm - 10-28-2015
Oh Louie you look so sad in that photo!
Of course quality of life is the top priority so I think you’re making the right decision. Each and every time we took Ellie to chemo we asked whether it was still right for her. If she had gotten bad side-effects I know we would not have continued. None of ever get as much time as we want anyway, so whatever time we get should be spent enjoying life!
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie.
10:34 pm - 10-28-2015
As soon as I can stop scrolling up and looking at Louie’s ADORABLE picture, then maybe I can reply! But I want to jump through the screen and smooch him!! I just love Louie!!!
Okay, there is no right or wrong…HOWEVER…you are doing exactly the RIGHT thing by focusing in Louie’s quality!!! AND, I can guarantee you Louie is thrilled!!
Every now and then this happens. Quite frankly, as I’ve already said before, the chemo is a crap shoot anyway!! There was a member here a long time ago whose dog had a really rough time with the chemo…and she proceeded anyway, and with the Onco (in my opinion), kind of pushing to continue. She regretted that decision. Clearly, she was doing everything possible and loved her dog very much. Had she had your vet, who understood the need for quality above anything else, her dog would have had much more quality and she would not have had to deal with regret.
And, for whatever it’s worth, Jerry just posted a link to a study indicating that the aggressiveness of a tumor is already “predetermined” based on its cellular make up. Now, I in no way may be representing the study properly, but thats what my interpretation was. It just kind of explains why, with early detection or not, chemo or not, holistic or not, some dogs get more time, some less. So in now wya, shape or form, is there reason to believe this has an impact on his longevity. We DO know it has A positive effect on his QUALITY!!
Now Louie can enjoy all that loving and spoiling without being nauseous and tired! And that makes Big Lou ecstatic!!
The fact that Louie has his sparkle back and is getting back to enjoying being Louie just warms my heart!!
I always felt like the K9 Immunity helped my Happy Hannah. I also gave her the fish oil supplement too. Don’t under estimate their ability tonsupport the immune system. And it’s a “treatment” that causes no side effects!!
Please keep these wonderful pictures coming and update as you can! I just love Louie!
Now go enjoy your life with Louie…he sure is!!!
Love and light!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!!
10:37 pm - 10-28-2015
All the decisions we make for our furfaces are so personal and individual. If I were in your shoes I believe I would come to the same decision you have. It’s such a fine line we walk here. Quantity means nothing without quality. It sounds like you have a good plan in place and I wish you and Louie the best and hopefully many good years. Hugs to you both and give Louie a big smooch on that kissable head. Please let us know how he’s doing although with the love he has behind him I’m sure he’s going to live life large!
Linda & Max
11:04 pm - 10-28-2015
As others have said, it’s all about making sure Louie is happy and you’re getting the most out of your time together. Since we have had to face the fact that our dear Maggie is not immortal, I’ve done a lot of thinking on this subject, too, and decided that my goal for the rest of her days with us (however long that may be) will be to repay her for her loyal friendship and unconditional love all these years by making sure she feels good, knows we love her, and gets to do fun stuff as often as possible (which does NOT include lots of trips to the vet, nausea pills, etc – some dogs are laid back about that king of stuff, but ours most certainly is not). That’s all they really want – to know that they are loved and that their ‘people’ are OK. You CLEARLY are giving Louie tons of love, and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your time with him. That’s exactly what’s best for him!
Hugs and all the best to you both!
Cindy and Maggie
3:37 am - 11-4-2015
Sue, we can totally understand your decision and hope that you know we are behind you 100 percent. It’s all about quality of life, and even without chemo you just don’t know what kind of time is ahead, nobody does. This is a hard lesson for humans to accept but with Louie now on the path to feeling good again he’s ready to show you how.
xoxoxo